He has recently _____ chess to provide himself with some relaxation.

A. taken up                B. taken on            C. held on         D. held up

The room was so quiet that she could hear the _____ of her heart.

A. hitting                 B. beating             C. tapping         D. knocking

I'd like to take _____ of this opportunity to thank you all for your cooperation.

A. profit                   B. benefit              C. advantage       D. interests

There was a good _____ of the countryside from the front of the bus.

A. sight                     B. view               C. scene            D. scenery

 Stressful environments lead to unhealthy behaviors such as poor eating habits, which _____ increase the risk of heart disease.

A. in turn                    B. in return           C. by chance        D. by turns

He thought this was the first pair of shoes that had fitted him _____.

A. perfectly                B. justly             C. fairly           D. rightly

 The microphone enabled them to keep in touch, in other words, it made it _____ for them to contact each other.

A. likely                 B. capable            C. possible          D. probable

 It was _____ by the railway board that the cost of rail fares would be increased by ten percent.

A. noticed                B. stated             C. suggested         D. noted

Our Party has always devoted great attention to raising the living _____ of the working people.

A. cost                   B. situation          C. level             D. standard

The open university was started in order to help those who _____ having a university education when they were young.

A. stopped              B. failed             C. missed             D. paused