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Question

Difficulty: HardCollocations and Fixed Phrases

The economic minister's controversial proposal to remove all import duties appears to ________ in the face of established international trade agreements, provoking intense criticism from policy experts. Which verb correctly completes the fixed expression?

  1. flyAnswer
  2. B
    run
  3. C
    stand
  4. D
    leap

Answer

The verb 'fly' is the correct choice to form the standard fixed idiom 'to fly in the face of'.
The correct answer utilizes the established fixed phrase 'to fly in the face of', which means to act in direct opposition or defiance of established rules, principles, or logic. In British Standard English, no other verb appropriately fills this specific idiomatic gap.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target fixed expression structure in the sentence.
The sentence presents the frame 'to ________ in the face of', which requires a specific verb to complete a recognized English idiom meaning to defy or contradict.
English collocations and fixed phrases rely on strict conventional pairings that cannot be arbitrarily substituted with synonyms.
2
Evaluate the candidate verbs against English idiomatic norms.
'Fly' uniquely combines with 'in the face of' to form 'fly in the face of', signifying open contradiction of principles or agreements.
While verbs like 'run' pair with 'counter to' and 'stand' with 'against', only 'fly' correctly completes the phrase 'in the face of'.

Key Concept

Collocations and Fixed Phrases
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Collocations and Fixed Phrases

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