Anyone who wants to succeed in any endeavour should … his lazy habits

Step 1: Analyze the question The sentence needs a phrasal verb meaning to get rid of or abandon a bad habit: "Anyone who wants to succeed in any endeavour should __ his lazy habits."

Step 2: Explain the concept (phrasal verbs with "shake")

• shake off = to get rid of something unwanted, such as a habit, a cold, or a bad feeling. Example: "She couldn't shake off her fear."
• shake down = to settle into a new situation, or (informal) to search or extort money from someone.
• shake out = to empty something by shaking it, or to get rid of weak elements, as in a "shake-out" in a business.
• shake in = not a standard phrasal verb in this sense.

Step 3: Apply to the sentence We need a verb meaning to rid oneself of lazy habits. Only shake off fits this meaning.

• "...should shake off his lazy habits" ✔ (natural and correct)
• "...should shake down his lazy habits" ✘ (doesn't make sense)
• "...should shake out his lazy habits" ✘ (you shake out a rug, not a habit)
• "...should shake in his lazy habits" ✘ (not idiomatic)

Step 4: Answer The correct option is A. shake off.

Tip: Think of shaking off dust or water from your body. You are removing something unwanted. So shake off goes with habits, colds, fears, and bad feelings you want to get rid of. Keep this in mind for the "Lexis and Structure" section.