"take off" vs "take up"

[Catherine Zhuang]

Business English Lesson, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #9 "Finance (1)", question 7

Now that the summer has started, big department stores are hoping that sales of holiday items will ..........

(a) take on
(b) take up
(c) take off
(d) take to

Business English Lesson, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #9 "Finance (1)", answer 7

Now that the summer has started, big department stores are hoping that sales of holiday items will take off.

Correct answer: (c) take off

Your answer was: incorrect
Now that the summer has started, big department stores are hoping that sales of holiday items will take up.
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What do these four choices mean?

Catherine Zhuang

[Mister Micawber]

.
Here are some meanings (the correct answer to the question is in bold):

(a) take on -- assume responsibility for; acquire characteristics of; hire
(b) take up -- begin studying/practicing; shorten (a hem)
(c) take off -- depart (of an airplane); accelerate
(d) take to -- become accustomed to; become enamoured of
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mister Micawber