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Question

Difficulty: MediumCollocations and Fixed Phrases

During the annual symposium, the keynote speaker's address on renewable energy managed to ________ a sympathetic chord with the delegates. Which of the following verbs correctly completes the fixed collocation in the sentence?

  1. strikeAnswer
  2. B
    hit
  3. C
    touch
  4. D
    sound

Answer

The verb 'strike' is the correct choice to complete the fixed idiom 'strike a chord with', meaning to evoke an emotional response or agreement.
The correct verb is 'strike' because 'strike a chord (with someone)' is a set idiomatic expression in standard English that signifies awakening a sense of sympathy, agreement, or emotional resonance in an audience.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence
The sentence describes a speech that successfully resonated with or gained the emotional agreement of the delegates.
Identifying the intended figurative meaning is essential for selecting the appropriate idiom.
2
Identify the standard fixed collocation
The standard English fixed phrase meaning to cause someone to feel sympathy, emotion, or enthusiasm is 'to strike a chord'.
English collocations rely on fixed word pairings that cannot be altered even with close synonyms.

Key Concept

Fixed Verb-Noun Idiomatic Collocations
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Topics

Collocations and Fixed Phrases

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