Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: to accept something that happened in the past and move on with life
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests understanding of a common modern English idiom, to get over it. Such expressions often appear in spoken English, movies, and informal writing, but they also show up in competitive exams. The examiner wants to know whether the candidate understands that this phrase refers to emotional recovery rather than a physical action or a technical achievement.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
In everyday English, when someone says You need to get over it, they usually mean that the person should stop dwelling on a past disappointment, insult, or hurt and continue with life. The focus is emotional acceptance and moving forward, not simply finishing a task or controlling anger in one moment. Therefore, the correct option has to capture the idea of accepting what happened and moving on. The strategy is to compare each option with this core idea and eliminate those that do not match.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that to get over something often means to recover emotionally from an unpleasant experience.
Step 2: Read option a and see that it describes accepting something that happened in the past and moving on, which fits perfectly.
Step 3: Read option b, which talks about completing a project, and notice that this relates to finishing work, not emotional recovery.
Step 4: Read option c, which focuses on controlling anger in a single moment, which is narrower than the idiom's usual sense.
Step 5: Read options d and e, which talk about achieving something difficult or refusing to talk, which again do not match the common use of the phrase.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can test each option in a sample sentence: After the argument, his friend told him to get over it. If we substitute option a, it becomes His friend told him to accept what had happened and move on, which sounds natural. If we try option b, it becomes His friend told him to complete a project, which has no connection to the quarrel. Therefore option a is the only choice that consistently fits typical situations where this idiom is used.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option b confuses the idiom with the simple idea of finishing a task or assignment. Option c mentions controlling anger, which is sometimes related, but the idiom covers a broader emotional recovery from sadness, embarrassment, or disappointment, not just anger. Option d focuses on the level of effort involved in an achievement, which is a different concept. Option e introduces withdrawal from conversation, which does not match the active, forward looking meaning of get over it.
Common Pitfalls:
One common error is to interpret idioms too literally, such as imagining someone physically getting over an obstacle. Another pitfall is to choose an option that describes any kind of overcoming difficulty, without noticing the specific emotional and time based idea of moving on from the past. Practicing idioms with example sentences and contexts can help lock in the natural meaning in your memory.
Final Answer:
The idiom to get over it means to accept something that happened in the past and move on with life, which is option a.
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