雅思高分实用短语及测试题

cut and dried

fair and square

few and far between

free and easy

null and void

spick-and-span

short and sweet

neck and neck

up and about

touch and go

1. 1.

Tom had seen the movie three times before, so the outcome was rather cut and dried the fourth time.

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1. 2.

In the difficult court case, the judge’s decision was fair and square for both sides.

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1. 3.

It takes me a long time to save enough money for a nice vacation, so such trips are few and far between for me.

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1. 4.

Workers who are not at all eager beavers have a work attitude, which is free and easy.

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1. 5.

When the Immigration Service learned that George’s wife was not a U.S. citizen, it declared the marriage null and void.

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1. 6.

The maid took a long time to make the dirty kitchen spick-and-span.

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1. 7.

The politician’s speech was surprisingly short and sweet; it only lasted ten minutes.

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1. 8.

Three of the race horses were neck and neck all the way to the finish line.

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1. 9.

The 40-mile swim put a lot of wear and tear on the swimmer’s body, but after a day’s rest she was up and about as usual.

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1. 10.

The heart operation was so difficult that most of the time it was touch and go.

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1. 1.

Cut and dried – obvious, routine, straightforward
This idiom is composed of two past participle forms, and is usually preceded by the verb be, seem, or appear; it can also be preceded by make and an object.
My weekend of steady work in the yard of my house was rather cut and dried.
Many political elections seem rather cut and dried because most politicians are full of hot air.
The repetitiveness of my job on the assembly line makes it very cut and dried.

1. 2.

Fair and square – honest, straightforward
This idiom is usually preceded by the verb be, and sometimes the verbs seem and appear.

Joe is fair and square with all his friends because fairness is part and parcel of his personality.
Now that I am older, my parents’ decisions appear more fair and square than they did before.
The new contract settlement seemed fair and square to the rank and file in the factory.

1. 3.

Few and far between – rare, infrequent
The idiom is also used most commonly with be, seem, and appear, which always occur in the plural form.
Fortunately, attempts to kill U.S. Presidents are few and far between.
If ups and downs in your life seems few and far between, then you are lucky person.

1. 4.

Free and easy – unworried, carefree
Besides being used with the three common verbs mentioned above, this idiom can also precede a noun form, and in this case hyphens (-) are used.
If young people seem free and easy with their money, it’s because they have a free-and-easy attitude towards life.
Playboys and the very rich tend to be free and easy about everything.

1. 5.

Null and void – illegal, invalid
This idiom is used with the three common verbs mentioned with the verb declare and an object. It always refers to some official action or decision.
If teenagers get married without parental consent, their marriage is probably null and void.
The appeal court declared the lower court’s decision null and void.

1. 6.

Spick-and-span – very clean, very neat
This idiom is used with the three common verbs mentioned to the cleanliness of places, not people
The hospital operating room always has to be spick-and-span.
The restaurant appeared spick-and-span through the window, but some corners were quite dirty.
The maid was an old hand at making the house spick-and-span quickly.

1. 7.

Short and sweet – without delay, brief
The idiom can be used with be, or make and an object. The word sweet in this idiom suggests that the shortness is preferred by someone.
I was quite relieved that the politician’s speech was short and sweet, and not full of hot air.
The students appreciated the fact that the teacher made the exam short and sweet.

1. 8.

Neck and neck– close together, even (in a race)
This idiom can be used with the three common verbs, be, seems, and appear. The appropriate context would be some kind of race between people, animals, or sometimes vehicles.
The two long-distance runners were neck and neck in the last part of the marathon.
The two race boats seemed neck and neck as they rounded the final curve.
The three lions were neck and neck as they chased after the faster animal.

1. 9.

Up and about – in good health; active after an illness
This idiom is used only with the verb be. It refers to the ability to move around after being limited by illness or injury.
It feels good to be up and about after a week of being indoors with the flu.
The heart operation restricted him to the hospital for several weeks, but now he’s up and about and as active as ever.

1. 10.

Touch and go – risky, uncertain
This idiom is used most often with be. It is used when the result or outcome of a situation cannot be predicted until the very end, and when a change in the situation could occur at any time.
The peace negotiations between the two warring countries were touch and go until both sides were satisfied with the give and take.
The results of the important election were touch and go until the last votes were in and counted.
The serious operation was touch and go as new complications arose and were solved.