1. The average was down [   ], went briefly into the black around lunchtime, then ended with a loss of 139.


2.     the CEO walked into the conference room, all department managers became very nervous. 


3. The Review Board could be considering ____ the grants given to several non-governmental organizations. 


4. Free Spirit Team will probably [   ] the speech contest as it is much better than our team.


5. Some plants have obvious distinctive features for us to tell them apart at the first sight, [   ].


6. No other girl in her class dances [   ] as she does.


7. Many schools no longer ask students to wear [   ] nowadays.


8. It’s a pity that I failed again. If I had read the book carefully,     the test. 


9. The good weather and beautiful beaches make this island a great [   ] attraction.


10. The government is figuring out ways to maintain our economic [   ] so that the unemployment rate will go down.


11. Many journalists do not ____ whether or not it is appropriate to interview a child during a tragic event for he/she is usually too young to understand the trauma he/she is involved in. 


12. The freeway is now __ to motorists after it was blocked off by a huge landslide yesterday. 


13. His corruption as a government employer has put a [   ] on his long-standing reputation.


14. The mayor determined to build a [   ] city. By then, users can get access to the Internet at any time and any place in the city.


15. The approaching typhoon forced the organizer     the game. 


16. A: [   ]. What’s been going on? B: What do you mean by that? A:Look. You quit smoking. You no longer drive to work; instead, you use public transportation. And you eat really healthy food. You are going “green.”


17. She claims to be an advocate of animal rights. [   ], she is always wearing fur and carrying a crocodile-skin purse.


18. Modern people tend to value material enjoyment too much and ignore [   ] pursuit.


19. I’ve always thought that [   ] the dishes is easier than preparing food, so it is my husband that does the cooking and I wash the dishes.


20. Old soldiers never die; they only [   ].


21. Simon is tall, but his brother is [   ] taller than him.


22. Climbing unemployment rates and dropping job opportunities are huge [   ] to the new government.


23. All of [   ] have joined the on-the-job training.


24. The corporation began sponsoring charity events so that its public image [   ].


25. My brother is very [   ]; he won’t give up easily.


26. Ms. Johnson was busy [   ] the house when the postman came.


27. A brand brings a set of __ in the mind of the consumer and one of these is the country of origin. 


28. For many people, one of the joys of __ is the prospect of parenthood. 


29. The congressmen have reached a [   ] that smoking should be banned within thirty feet from the entrance of a building.


30. Steve was [   ] with joy when he found he had won the first prize in the lottery.


31. A: Is this film good to watch?B: Yes, it is.    . It’s so moving. 


32. 《John》: Sorry, my English is very poor. 《Jay》: Don’t worry. Mine is not [   ] better.


33. A: What are you doing this weekend, Emma? B: [   ]


34. The exact number of the audience is still unknown, but it is [   ] that there are around 10,000 people in the theater right now.


35. The police arrested the suspect, but in the absence of [   ] he was set free soon.


36. You should live within your income. Otherwise, you won’t be able to earn enough money to [   ].


37. Although experts agree that it is vital to eat a good breakfast, not many people are [   ] their advice.


38. [   ] working part-time at a fast-food restaurant, Monty has made enough money to pay for his studies.


39. I will attend Mr. Wang’s wedding [   ] my father, who has gone to Hong Kong on business.


40. In the [   ] of anyone better, we chose him as the leader.


41. Library users will be fined for returning books after the [   ] date.


42. You should understand that learning a language well results from [   ] practice.


43. [   ] activity should be avoided after an operation.


44. Peter always complains about the hot and [   ] weather in Taiwan. He misses the dry and cool seasons in Florida.


45. Tigers are a(n) [   ] species, but they are still hunted for their bones and skins in some areas.


46. The supervisor was so [   ] of the new idea that his staff proposed that it was never put into real practice.


47. I may not be as [   ] as you, but I believe my hard work can make me successful in the long run.


48. Although the farmers had to work in the mud, they were all pleased, [   ] the rain had come in the nick of time.


49. If you pay your bills on time, you will have good __. 


50. [   ] you encounter any problems regarding the new system, please notify the tech support ASAP.