IDIOMS — Choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the underlined expression in context. Sentence: 'There has been BAD BLOOD between the two communities even before the shouting.'

Introduction / Context:
“Bad blood” is a long-established idiom meaning persistent resentment, hostility, or ill feeling between people or groups. It does not literally refer to blood; it records a history of mutual dislike that predates any single outburst such as “the shouting.”

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subjects are “two communities,” not individuals.
• The phrase “even before the shouting” implies a pre-existing condition.
• We need a paraphrase capturing ongoing animosity, not just one fight.

Concept / Approach:
Idioms about blood (“bad blood,” “blood feud”) symbolize emotional ties or antipathies, not literal bodily fluid. “Bad blood” emphasizes simmering hostility built over time. The most compact and accurate equivalent is “ill feeling.” While quarrels and fights can result from bad blood, they are episodic; the idiom points to the underlying sentiment, not the isolated incidents.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Identify idiom: “bad blood.”2) Map to meaning: deep-seated hostility/resentment.3) Choose the option that states the emotion (“ill feeling”).4) Distinguish between cause (ill feeling) and effects (quarrels/fights).

Verification / Alternative check:
Paraphrase: “There has been ill feeling between the two communities even before the shouting.” The sentence remains logical and cohesive.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A) Literalizes the metaphor; not the intended meaning.C) “Bloody fights” are events, not the chronic underlying state.D) “Quarrels” are discrete episodes; the idiom emphasizes the persistent sentiment.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing the lasting emotional climate (“bad blood”) with individual conflicts that arise from it.

Final Answer:
Ill feeling