1. I need someone to look at my computer today. Whenever I bring up a customer's file, this other program .......... up asking me questions about my anti-virus protection. I don't know what it means or what I am supposed to do, Ellie told the boss.

2. We are having a .......... on Friday and we'd like you to come. We still need someone to bring a salad, drinks, or a dessert. If you want to come, please let me know which you are going to bring. We already have enough people bringing main courses, Gina said to Alice and Jack.

3. Many journalists have taken .......... at Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama for his association with his outspoken pastor.

4. Jean did a great job at .......... away at the competition in the debate semi finals. I think we have a great chance at winning this round because she argued well, Mr. Wilson said to Blake.

5. He left his essay until the night before it was due again. After his last essay, he vowed to never do that again. He really didn't have good study habits so, now, he had to pound .......... ten pages in the next nine hours or he would fail.

6. The town recently opened a computer center for people to use who were looking for jobs. They offered access to different databases that had information on current openings in town and the Qualifications one should have to apply for those jobs. He didn't think that applying for jobs over the Internet was half as effective as getting out there and pounding some .......... . It was better to go in and be seen rather than be a faceless resume in an e mail attachment.

7. Justin knew he was one step away from being fired so he decided to pour the compliments on pretty .......... in a last-ditch attempt to save his job.

8. We are going to have to buy a new dishwasher. We keep paying to get this one fixed but we are pouring .......... down the drain. It is obviously going to break every month or two like it has been doing. We will actually save money by buying a new one, Steve said to Alma.

9. Thank you for listening. I wasn't planning on .......... out all of my sorrows on you. I don't know why all that came to mind. Thanks for putting up with me, Julie said to her best friend.

10. The principal of my high school used to walk around with his chest puffed out and his shoulders squared, looking every bit the authoritarian. Unfortunately for him, we knew it was all posturing. The real power behind the .......... was the vice-principal. If one got in trouble, one was not worried about what the principal would think but terrified as to what the vice-principal might do.