WAEC 2011 English Language · Question 32

After each of the following sentences, a list of possible interpretations of the sentence is given. Choose the…

Question

After each of the following sentences, a list of possible interpretations of the sentence is given. Choose the interpretation that you consider most appropriate for each sentence. All the handsome men left her cold. This means that

A.she needed to wear warm clothes
B.the men took no notice of her
C.she was not impressed by them
D.she felt sad lonely

Answer: C. she was not impressed by them

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question

The sentence "All the handsome men left her cold" contains an idiom. You are asked to choose the interpretation that best fits the meaning.

Explain the concept

"Leave someone cold" is an English idiom meaning to fail to impress, excite, or interest someone. The word "cold" here does not refer to temperature. It refers to a lack of emotional response or enthusiasm. Because the subject is "the men" and the object is "her," the one who feels nothing is she, not the men.

Step-by-step solution

A. she needed to wear warm clothes: This takes "cold" literally, which is wrong because it is an idiom.
B. the men took no notice of her: This reverses the roles. The idiom describes her reaction to the men, not their reaction to her.
C. she was not impressed by them: This matches the idiom. The handsome men did not excite or attract her.
D. she felt sad lonely: The idiom says nothing about sadness or loneliness. It is about indifference.

Answer: Option C.

Exam tip

For idiom questions, never take the words literally. Ask yourself, "Who is feeling or doing what?" In "X leaves Y cold," Y is the one who is unmoved. Similar idioms include "leave someone in the lurch" (abandon them in difficulty) and "leave someone high and dry" (leave them helpless).

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