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Question

Difficulty: HardCollocations and Fixed Phrases

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the appropriate word to form a standard English fixed collocation.

Answer:Despite the press secretary's persistent efforts to 【curry】 favor with the independent journalists, the media remained critical of the administration's policy reversal.

Answer

curry
The standard fixed English idiom is 'to curry favor with', which specifically means to attempt to gain advantage or favor through deliberate ingratiation or flattery.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context to determine the required idiomatic phrase.
The sentence describes an intentional effort to win over or ingratiate oneself with journalists.
Contextual clues indicate an expression meaning to seek approval or affection through deliberate flattery or effort.
2
Identify the standard English verb that pairs with 'favor with'.
The correct idiomatic verb required is 'curry'.
'Curry favor with' is a established fixed verb-noun collocation in standard English meaning to flatter someone in order to gain an advantage.

Key Concept

Fixed Verb-Noun Collocations and Idiomatic Expressions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Collocations and Fixed Phrases

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