Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: A complete failure
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This idiom-based question asks you to interpret the phrase “ended in a fiasco”. Idioms are fixed expressions whose meanings cannot always be understood from the individual words alone. Here, “fiasco” is a key vocabulary word that often appears in news articles and commentaries about events that go very badly.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The noun “fiasco” means a complete and embarrassing failure, especially when something was expected to be successful or impressive but went terribly wrong instead. Therefore, if something “ended in a fiasco”, it did not merely fail slightly; it turned into a total disaster. The option that matches this meaning is “A complete failure”.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Focus on the key word “fiasco” and recall its meaning: a total, often humiliating failure.Check option “A complete failure”: this matches the meaning directly.Check “A successful event”: this is the exact opposite of a fiasco.Check “Changed one completely”: this talks about personal change, not failure.Check “Twisted around”: this could mean turned or altered, but not complete failure.Thus, the idiom “ended in a fiasco” is correctly explained by “A complete failure”.
Verification / Alternative check:
Consider example sentences: “The much-publicised concert ended in a fiasco when the sound system failed and the singers walked off stage.” Replacing “ended in a fiasco” with “was a complete failure” keeps the meaning intact: the event went very badly and disappointed everyone.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“A successful event” directly contradicts the negative meaning of “fiasco”. “Changed one completely” is unrelated to success or failure; it describes transformation. “Twisted around” suggests being turned or altered, but does not convey the idea of disaster or total failure. Thus, these options do not accurately capture the sense of the idiom.
Common Pitfalls:
Some students may confuse “fiasco” with “dramatic” or “sensational” and think it means something big or exciting, but the word is always negative. Remember that a fiasco is not just any event; it is an event that goes wrong in a spectacular, embarrassing way.
Final Answer:
The idiom “ended in a fiasco” means a complete failure.
Discussion & Comments