1. Joe, it's Marcie again. I am calling about your failure to stay within budget for your project. How many times do we have to talk about this? How many times do I have to provide additional training or ask you what you need? It seems like everything I say goes in one ear and .......... the other.

2. Jim didn't want to tell his wife that he was broke. He started gambling for small stakes and, lately, he increased his bets. He borrowed money from one of the crime syndicates and he couldn't find a way to pay it back. He was in over his .......... and couldn't think of a way out.

3. Jay, it's Larry. Did you enjoy the party last night? Me either. It was the same old stories and Jim was yet again in .......... form. He is the picture-perfect example of why some people shouldn't drink. He was sober for about fifteen minutes and, this time, managed not to start a fist fight until an hour after he arrived.

4. John wondered if the district attorney was in the Mafia's .......... . The district attorney was tough on all other types of crime but every time one of the Mafia's people came up for prosecution, the case was dropped.

5. Hi, Bob, I understand that you were looking to purchase 1,000 2X4 pieces of lumber. I just wanted to let you know that I have lumber in .......... and will beat anyone's price around here, Will said.

6. Mike is one of the funniest individuals I've ever met. He had my husband and me in .......... all night, Lilly said to Beth.

7. He knew that he was very lucky to have found a wife that he could not only live with but also work in .......... with.

8. Hi, Miss Everly, it's Jake Mathews. I understand that you are asking $150,000.00 for your house. That is definitely in our .......... and we wanted to know if we could set up an appointment with you to see it.

9. Hi, Wesley. Do we want to go to the fair with you? Unfortunately, it's not in the .......... for us this time. We have a lot to do and we're hosting a yard sale this weekend, Mary said.

10. Hi, Jim. This is Inspector Walters. Just wanted you to know that we have verified your alibi and removed you from our list of suspects. You are all in the .......... .