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Difficulty: MediumIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

During the investigative hearing, the tribunal revealed that the non-governmental organization was actually sailing under false colours by covertly funding political campaigns while claiming to provide humanitarian relief. What does the underlined idiomatic expression mean in this context?

  1. Deceiving others about its true character, purpose, or intentionsAnswer
  2. B
    Operating maritime vessels across international borders using unauthorized flags
  3. C
    Failing to secure appropriate legal incorporation and tax certificates from government authorities
  4. D
    Openly and transparently declaring its political affiliation to the general public

Answer

Deceiving others about its true character, purpose, or intentions
The correct answer accurately reflects the figurative meaning of 'sailing under false colours,' which denotes pretending to be something one is not, or disguising one's true motives and identity in order to deceive others.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context in which the underlined idiom is used
The sentence contrasts the organization's public claim of providing humanitarian relief with its covert activity of funding political campaigns.
Context clues such as 'covertly funding' and 'claiming' signal deception and misrepresentation.
2
Determine the figurative meaning of the idiom 'sailing under false colours'
Historically originating from pirate ships flying friendly flags to deceive targets, the idiom figuratively means misrepresenting one's true character or intentions.
Idiomatic expressions require understanding their established figurative sense rather than a word-for-word translation.
3
Evaluate the options against the derived meaning
The statement describing deception regarding true character and intentions directly matches the idiomatic meaning.
This interpretation aligns precisely with the contextual clue of covertly operating behind a public façade.

Key Concept

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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