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

Analyze the question: The question asks for the meaning of the idiom "hands down" in the sentence "Moses won the contest hands down."

Explain the concept: "Hands down" is an idiom that means with great ease or without any difficulty. It comes from horse racing. A jockey who was winning by a wide margin could relax and lower his hands, no longer needing to hold the reins tightly or urge the horse on. So winning "hands down" means winning so comfortably that no extra effort is needed.

Step-by-step solution:

1. A. surprisingly: This describes how unexpected the win was. "Hands down" says nothing about surprise, so this is wrong.
2. B. very easily: This matches the idiom exactly. Moses won comfortably, with no real challenge.
3. C. narrowly: This means by a small margin. It is the opposite of "hands down," so it is wrong.
4. D. with difficulty: This also contradicts the idiom, since winning "hands down" involves no struggle.

Answer: The correct option is B. very easily.

Exam tip: For idiom questions, look for the opposite meanings among the options and eliminate them first. Here, "narrowly" and "with difficulty" are the opposite of "hands down." Also remember related idioms about ease: "a piece of cake," "as easy as ABC," and "win by a mile."