Fill in the Blanks

To bog down is to become stuck and be unable to progress. This is the correct answer. The negotiations between the trade union and the management bogged down because of the paid leave issue.

This is the correct answer. A red herring is an unimportant matter that draws attention away from the main subject. Talking about the religious issue was a red herring- by the politicians to avoid the real problems of the country.

The old boy's network is an informal system through which men are thought to use their positions of influence to help others who went to the same school or university as they did or who share a similar social background. This is the correct answer in the given sentence as the sentence refers to modern times as well. It is necessary to be part of the old boy's network to get a job at the law firm even in these modern times. The old boy's network is an informal system through which men are thought to use their positions of influence to help others who went to the same school or university as they did, or who share a similar social background. This is the correct answer in the given sentence as the sentence refers to modern times as well. It is necessary to be part of the old boy's network to get a job at the law firm even in these modern times.

This is the ct answer. To be in a precarious state or condition is to hang in balance. Minal's life is hanging in the balance after being hit by the speeding truck.

This is the correct answer as the sentence refers to an indication from the courts. Bench in a court refers to the judge. The idiom sitting on the bench means the judge for the court. There was no indication by the court of who would be sitting on the bench during the important trial.

This is the correct answer. To talk through one's hat is to say something without knowing or understanding the facts. The journalist is talking through his hat about the effects of the disinvestment schemes of the government and does not know what he is talking about.

This is the correct answer. A dead duck is someone in a hopeless situation or condition. Raju Ramalingam is a dead duck because as soon as the police catch him he will have to go to jail for a long time.

This is the correct answer. To be thick-skinned is to be insensitive, not easily upset or hurt. A person who is thick skinned can get involved with the dirty politics of the organisation.

This is the correct answer. To laugh up one's sleeve is to laugh quietly to oneself. We were laughing up our sleeves when we realised that Naman was going to clean the bathrooms before his mother arrived.

To on the rocks is to be in a state of difficulty, to be having problems. This is usually used for a relationship. Thus, this is the correct answer. Anu and Manoj have been married for fifteen years, but lately their marriage has been on the rocks.

This is the correct answer. To hit the books is to study hard. Arindam has been hitting the books regularly before his IAS entrance exams.

The Great Barrier Reef is a specific, unique geographical feature, so it requires the definite article 'The'.

The sentence requires an indefinite article 'a' before 'hard outer shell' because it is a singular countable noun being introduced for the first time in the list of characteristics.

Geographical regions like 'the Iberian Peninsula' require the definite article 'the', and 'Europe' as a continent does not take an article.

When referring to soybeans as a general category of food, no article is needed before the plural noun.