Select the most appropriate idiom that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
Read the books of APJ Abdul Kalam, who was a scholar.

The correct answer is a man of letters.

Explanation:

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of its individual words. Let's analyze the meaning of the underlined word and the given options to find the correct substitution:

• The word scholar refers to a learned person, an academic, or someone with great knowledge in a particular subject, especially language or literature.

• a man of letters: Refers to a male scholar, author, or a highly educated person devoted to literary or scholarly pursuits. Hence, it is the most appropriate idiom to substitute the word "scholar".

Meanings of other options:

• a queer fish: A strange or eccentric person.

• a dare devil: A reckless or daring person who enjoys dangerous activities.

• a man of straw: A weak or insubstantial person with no real substance, backbone, or integrity.

Therefore, substituting the underlined segment gives us the sentence: "Read the books of APJ Abdul Kalam, who was a man of letters."