Directions: Choose the alternative that best describes the meaning of the…
2025
Directions: Choose the alternative that best describes the meaning of the underlined idiom/phrase.
To be a good orator, you don’t have to play to the galleries.
- A.
to offend audiences
- B.
to appease select audience
- C.
to appeal to the public with lower taste
- D.
to go prepared to the hall
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Correct answer: C
Explanation:
"To play to the galleries" means to act in an exaggerated or showy way in order to appeal to popular or lower tastes.
Correct answer: to appeal to the public with lower taste.
Why this is correct: speakers who play to the galleries exaggerate gestures or remarks to win applause from a broad audience rather than to make a measured or thoughtful point.
to offend audiences — This is incorrect because the idiom describes trying to please the crowd, not to offend them.
to appease select audience — Incorrect because the phrase refers to attracting the general public, not a select or small group.
to go prepared to the hall — Unrelated; this describes preparation, not performing to gain popular approval.
Example: A politician making theatrical promises and gestures to draw cheers from the crowd is playing to the galleries.
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