WAEC 2017 English Language · Question 54

After the following sentence, a list of possible interpretations is given. Choose the interpretaion that is…

Question

After the following sentence, a list of possible interpretations is given. Choose the interpretaion that is most appropriate for the sentence. Many of us escaped with the skin of our teet during the crisis. This means that we

  1. A.lost some of our teeth
  2. B.narrowly escaped
  3. C.quickly escaped
  4. D.had marks on our skin

Answer: B. narrowly escaped

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: The sentence uses an idiom: "escaped with the skin of our teeth" (the question has a typo: "teet"). You are asked what it means.

Explain the concept: An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning is not the same as the literal meaning of its words. "To escape by the skin of one's teeth" means to escape a danger or disaster very narrowly, by the smallest possible margin. The phrase comes from the Bible (Job 19:20). Teeth have almost no skin, so the idea is that the escape was by an extremely thin margin.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Option A: lost some of our teeth. This is a literal reading. It is wrong because the idiom has nothing to do with actual teeth.
  2. Option B: narrowly escaped. This matches the idiom's meaning of barely getting away from danger during the crisis.
  3. Option C: quickly escaped. This is about speed. The idiom is about how close the escape was, not how fast it happened.
  4. Option D: had marks on our skin. This is another literal reading and is wrong.

Answer: The correct option is **B.

Exam tip: When an English question contains a phrase that sounds odd when read literally, it is almost always an idiom. Rule out the literal options first, then pick the one that gives the figurative meaning. Related idioms to revise: "a close shave," "a narrow escape," and "by a hair's breadth."

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