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Difficulty: MediumIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

Select the option that best expresses the meaning of the bolded idiomatic expression in the sentence below.

During the prolonged labor dispute between the university management and the staff union, the Vice-Chancellor decided to extend an olive branch by offering an immediate review of work conditions.

What did the Vice-Chancellor do?

  1. A
    Presented a symbolic wooden gift from the university botanical garden to the union delegates
  2. Made an overture of peace and reconciliation to end the ongoing hostilityAnswer
  3. C
    Resigned from office immediately to satisfy the union's primary demand
  4. D
    Issued a stern ultimatum threatening to terminate the appointments of strike leaders

Answer

The Vice-Chancellor made an overture of peace and reconciliation to end the ongoing hostility.
The idiomatic expression 'to extend an olive branch' means to make an offer or gesture of peace and reconciliation, especially to end a period of conflict or disagreement. In the given sentence, the Vice-Chancellor sought to resolve the labor dispute amicably by offering to review work conditions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the idiomatic expression in the sentence stem.
The target expression is 'extend an olive branch'.
Recognizing the phrase as a fixed idiomatic unit is essential prior to contextual interpretation.
2
Determine the figurative sense of the idiom.
Historically and conventionally, to extend an olive branch means to make an offer of peace or reconciliation to a rival or aggrieved party.
Idiomatic meanings cannot be derived from literal definitions of individual constituent words.
3
Match the figurative sense with the correct option.
Making an overture of peace aligns precisely with the Vice-Chancellor's initiative to resolve the dispute amicably.
This selection represents the accurate semantic equivalent of the idiom in context.

Key Concept

Interpretation of English Idiomatic Expressions in Context
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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