After each of the following sentence, a list of possible interpretations is given. choose the interpretation…

Step 1: Analyze the question The sentence uses an idiom: "to keep the wolf from the door." It is not about a real wolf. It is figurative language, so you need the idiomatic meaning.

Step 2: Explain the concept "To keep the wolf from the door" means to have just enough money to avoid hunger or poverty, that is, to afford the basic necessities of life like food and shelter.

The word "barely" means "only just" or "hardly". So the sentence says John's money was only just enough to cover his basic needs.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. John had killed the wolf: This reads the idiom literally. Wrong.
• B. The money was just sufficient: "Barely enough" matches "just sufficient". Right.
• C. The situation was just desperate: The sentence is about the amount of money, and it says the money was enough to keep hunger away. Desperation is not the point, although the situation was tight. This is not the best interpretation.
• D. John spent money lavishly: This contradicts the idea of barely having enough. Wrong.

Step 4: Answer

Exam tip: When you see an idiom in a "choose the interpretation" question, never take the words literally. Look for the key modifier, here "barely", and match it to the option that carries the same meaning ("just sufficient"). Other similar idioms: "to make ends meet" (to have just enough money to live on) and "to live from hand to mouth" (to have barely enough to survive).