The branches could hardly _____ the weight of the fruit.

A. retain    B. maintain   C. sustain    D. remain

It was clear that the small grocer was _____ people he owed money to.

   A. at the expense of     B. at the risk of

   C. in the way of         D. at the mercy of

 He was not _____ to the club because he wasn't a member.

        A. allowed                          B. admitted                  C. permitted                  D. approved

. More than one-third of the Chinese in the United States live in California, _____ in San Francisco.

        A. previously             B. predominantly         C practically        D. permanently

Japan has to employ an increasing number of overseas workers because there is no easy solution to its labor _____.

A. decline    B. rarity    C. vacancy    D. shortage

A landing on Mars is within the _____ of current physical theory.

A. scheme    B. scope    C. scrap    D. scale

. Jack almost fell off the cliff, but managed to _____ until help came.

A. keep on   B. catch on  C. count on    D. hang on

 When I took his temperature, it was two degrees above _____.

A. average    B. ordinary    C. regular    D. normal

Roses are quite _____ flowers in English gardens.

   A. ordinary    B. common    C. usual    D. general

Despite their good service, most inns are less costly than hotels of _____ standards.

A. equivalent    B. uniform    C. alike    D. likely