Question

If he is expecting his colleague's cooperation in these sensitive matters, he is raking up the wrong tree. 

• A. climbing up the wrong tree
• B. cutting down the wrong tree
• C. planting the wrong tree
• D. barking up the wrong tree
• E.

Hint:

Barking up the wrong tree means making a mistaken or misguided effort or assumption.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The idiomatic expression barking up the wrong tree means pursuing a mistaken or misguided course of action, which fits the context of the sentence. - Option (A) climbing up the wrong tree is not an idiomatic expression and does not convey the intended meaning. - Option (B) cutting down the wrong tree is incorrect as it's not a recognized idiom in English. - Option (C) planting the wrong tree is also not correct, as it does not fit the idiomatic meaning of pursuing the wrong course. - Option (D) barking up the wrong tree is the correct idiom meaning to pursue something incorrectly, making it the right choice. 

Answer 2

The original sentence uses a distorted phrase, "raking up the wrong tree," in place of a well-known idiom about misdirected effort, so recalling the standard idiom and checking which option matches it exactly resolves the question.

1. Option A: "climbing up the wrong tree" alters the verb from the standard idiom and does not correspond to any recognised expression.
2. Option B: "cutting down the wrong tree" again changes the verb and does not match any established idiom about misplaced effort.
3. Option C: "planting the wrong tree" similarly substitutes an unrelated verb and fails to form a recognised idiomatic phrase.
4. Option D: "barking up the wrong tree" is the standard, widely recognised idiom describing someone pursuing a mistaken approach or expecting the wrong source of help, exactly matching the context of expecting a colleague's cooperation where none may be forthcoming.

Since only option D reproduces the accepted idiom, it is the correct replacement.

Hence, the correct answer is Option D.