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Difficulty: Very hardCollocations and Fixed Phrases

During the sudden economic downturn, small-scale enterprises were forced to ________ the brunt of the government's stringent financial regulations. Which of the following words correctly completes the fixed phrase in the sentence?

  1. bearAnswer
  2. B
    bare
  3. C
    carry
  4. D
    sustain

Answer

The word 'bear' correctly completes the fixed idiomatic expression 'bear the brunt of'.
The correct response is 'bear' because 'bear the brunt of' is an established English idiom meaning to suffer the main shock, force, or stress of an unfavorable event.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context and identify the fixed phrase structure.
The sentence requires a verb that collocates with 'the brunt of' to mean enduring the chief force or impact of a hardship.
English idiomatic expressions rely on precise, non-interchangeable word combinations.
2
Evaluate the options against standard English fixed phrase rules.
'Bear' is the only verb that forms the conventional, established expression 'bear the brunt of'.
Other options either confuse homophones ('bare') or replace the fixed verb with dictionary synonyms ('carry', 'sustain') that produce unnatural collocations.

Key Concept

Fixed Verbal Collocations and Idiomatic Expressions
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Collocations and Fixed Phrases

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