Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardInferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context

Read the following excerpt from a journalistic article discussing macroeconomic policy: 'El economista principal subrayó que el país no puede seguir viviendo de prestado si aspira a una verdadera autonomía. Durante la cumbre, advirtió que la política fiscal actual, lejos de mitigar la crisis, no hace más que poner paños fríos sobre una economía estructuralmente deficiente. Además, señaló que los intentos del gobierno por maquillar las cifras resultan contraproducentes, ya que a la larga, el mercado siempre termina pasando factura. Es imperativo dejar de dar palos de ciego y diseñar una estrategia a largo plazo.' Match each Spanish idiomatic expression from the text with its precise contextual meaning.

  • viviendo de prestadoSustaining operations through ultimately unsustainable external means
  • poner paños fríosApplying superficial remedies that fail to address fundamental issues
  • maquillar las cifrasDeceptively altering data to project a falsely positive image
  • pasando facturaInevitably manifesting the severe negative consequences of past actions
  • dar palos de ciegoImplementing aimless, disorganized measures without a coherent strategy

Answer

The correct matches pair each Spanish idiom with its metaphorical meaning as applied to economic policy: 'viviendo de prestado' relates to unsustainable dependency; 'poner paños fríos' denotes superficial remedies; 'maquillar las cifras' means deceptive data alteration; 'pasando factura' signifies the inevitable consequences of past actions; and 'dar palos de ciego' indicates aimless, disorganized measures.
Each idiom is mapped to its precise economic translation based on strong contextual clues, such as contrasting terms ('autonomía', 'estrategia a largo plazo') and cause-and-effect relationships within the passage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of 'viviendo de prestado'.
The phrase is used in opposition to 'verdadera autonomía' (true autonomy).
Understanding this contrast reveals that it means relying on unsustainable external support.
2
Examine the phrase 'poner paños fríos'.
It is described as something that fails to 'mitigar la crisis' (mitigate the crisis) in a structurally deficient economy.
This context shows the phrase means providing superficial or temporary relief rather than a genuine solution.
3
Interpret 'maquillar las cifras'.
The text calls this action 'contraproducente' (counterproductive) when done by the government to the numbers.
The verb 'maquillar' (to put makeup on) combined with 'cifras' (figures/numbers) points to the deceptive alteration of data.
4
Determine the meaning of 'pasando factura'.
The text states the market 'siempre termina pasando factura' (always ends up passing the bill) in the long run.
This idiom implies that actions have inevitable negative consequences that must eventually be accounted for.
5
Deconstruct 'dar palos de ciego'.
The author says the government must stop doing this and instead 'diseñar una estrategia a largo plazo' (design a long-term strategy).
The contrast with establishing a long-term strategy indicates that the phrase means taking aimless, disorganized actions without a coherent plan.

Key Concept

Inferring nuanced idiomatic meanings from journalistic contexts
Rate this question

Topics

Inferring Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions in Context

More questions from this topic