A part of the following sentence is underlined. Choose the option that can replace the underlined part to improve the sentence. In case Options A, B and C are not found suitable, choose Option D: "No Improvement Required."
The diplomat's speech was intended to pacify tensions, but his __ambitious remarks only added fuel in the fire__.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
ambiguous remarks only added fuel to the fire
Explanation
The phrase "added fuel to the fire" is the correct idiomatic expression, meaning to make an already difficult or tense situation even worse. In this context, "ambiguous remarks" is more appropriate than "ambitious remarks" because unclear or confusing statements can increase misunderstanding and tension. Therefore, the revised sentence is both grammatically correct and contextually meaningful.
The other options are incorrect. "Antagonistic remarks" may fit the context, but the phrase "added fuel into the fire" is incorrect because the standard idiom is "add fuel to the fire." "Assiduous remarks" means diligent or hardworking remarks, which does not make sense in this context, and "added fuel for the fire" is also incorrect. "No improvement required" is not correct because the original sentence contains both a vocabulary and an idiomatic error.
Key Point
The correct idiom is "add fuel to the fire," which means to worsen an existing problem or conflict. In sentence improvement questions, always check both the appropriateness of the word and the correctness of the idiomatic expression.