When plans for a new highway were announced at the town meeting, local residents protested angrily. It was difficult to hear the chairperson because of all the ___________.

The repairperson said the roof had been ___________ damaged by the hurricane and would need to be completely replaced.

Zara demonstrated her athletic ___________ by becoming the youngest player ever to win a national tennis tournament.

The book describes some of the ___________ performed by famous mountain climbers, beginning with Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's climb to the summit of Mount Everest.

After one basketball player punched a player from the other team, players from both teams rushed onto the court and started a huge ___________ that officials had trouble stopping.

People should be suspicious of _______ e-mails claiming to come from official sources. Many are sent by criminals trying to gain access to people's bank accounts.

Brett was always ___________ about his appearance, so his co-workers were shocked when he showed up to work one day with messy hair and a wrinkled shirt.

A: Ms. Tanaka, do you have any suggestions for improving my vocabulary ___________?
B: I recommend you use flashcards. They can really help you remember new words.

General Anderson knew that, since the enemy army was ___________ in caves near the top of a mountain, it would be almost impossible to defeat.

Although the sales deal seemed attractive, the CEO felt there were many points that required further ___________ before a final agreement could be reached.

Experienced interviewers can tell when people are ___________ the truth, so job interviewees should be careful not to exaggerate their abilities.

Security guards caught a young man trying to ___________ a video camera into the venue so he could illegally film the concert.