His boss was always breathing down his neck. A. abusing and ill-treating him B. watching all his actions closely C. shouting loudly at him D. giving him strenuous work

The correct answer is: B. watching all his actions closely.

The idiom “breathing down someone’s neck” means to watch someone very closely, usually in a way that is annoying or intimidating. In this case, the boss is watching the employee very closely, which is making the employee feel uncomfortable.

Option A is incorrect because it is not a definition of the idiom “breathing down someone’s neck.” Option C is incorrect because it is not a definition of the idiom “breathing down someone’s neck.” Option D is incorrect because it is not a definition of the idiom “breathing down someone’s neck.”