Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Be dismissed
Explanation:
Introduction:
The idiom "get the sack" is commonly used in informal English to talk about employment. It does not refer to receiving a physical bag, but to losing one's job. This question checks whether you can connect the idiom with its correct workplace meaning.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Idiom: "get the sack".
- Options: Look for a sack, Find a sack, Get a call back, Be dismissed.
- We assume the context is about someone's job or employment status.
Concept / Approach:
Historically, "getting the sack" referred to a worker being given a sack to pack their tools and leave, symbolising the end of employment. In modern usage, it simply means being fired or dismissed from a job. The correct option must therefore reflect job loss rather than anything to do with real sacks or phone calls.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall typical usage, for example, "He came late too many times and finally got the sack."Step 2: Understand that this means the person lost his job.Step 3: Check option D, "Be dismissed". This matches the idea of being removed from employment.Step 4: Options A and B, "Look for a sack" and "Find a sack", take the phrase literally and ignore its workplace sense.Step 5: Option C, "Get a call back", refers to telephone communication and has nothing to do with losing a job.
Verification / Alternative check:
If you check idiom dictionaries or listen to native speakers, "get the sack" is always used to describe dismissal. Related phrases include "give someone the sack", which means to fire someone. None of these contexts involve searching for physical sacks or receiving phone calls, which confirms that "be dismissed" is the correct interpretation.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options A and B are designed to mislead candidates who interpret the phrase literally. In modern English, almost no one uses "get the sack" to mean obtaining a bag. Option C, "Get a call back", may appear in job hunting situations, but it does not capture the idea of being fired. The only option that directly expresses job loss is D, "Be dismissed".
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners are not familiar with older workplace idioms like this and may overthink the phrase or connect "sack" with something like a sports expression. Others might associate "get the sack" with an opportunity rather than a negative outcome. Learning common employment idioms such as "get the sack", "hand in your notice", and "be laid off" will help avoid such confusion in exams.
Final Answer:
The idiom "get the sack" means to be dismissed from one's job.
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