Fill each of the blanks with a suitable word or phrase.

1. Linda didn’t tell Charles the truth .......................................................... upsetting him.

2. It was so quiet that one ............................................. a pin drop.

3. My car is at .............................................. whenever you like.

4. The parcel .................................... to her house by the time Rossie arrived home from the shop.

5. Don’t get too down-hearted try and ............................................ bright side.

6. If only I ........................................ spent so much money yesterday.

7. Although we were ............................................. we decided to carry on up to the summit of the mountain.

8. With a new spell-check programme on my computer, it’s virtually .................................. make a spelling mistake.

9. As it turned out, we .................................................... the fire brigade because the fire went out by itself before they arrived.

10. I’ve been ringing her all morning but so far I .............................................. through.

Over the last hundred years, (0) much of the art of using herbs in cooking and medicine has been lost, especially in industrialised societies. Until recently, (1) ………….. people in the crowded cities had the space to grow plants or vegetables, and so (2) ………….. in the country did knowledge of herbs linger on. (3) ………….. the advent of refrigeration, however, (4) ………….. meant that the strong smell of old meat no (5) ………….. had to be disguised, and the appearance of packaged food and easily available medicines, the growing of herbs declined rapidly. Nowadays there is (6) ………….. anyone who does not have a small patch of garden, or a (7) ………….. sill or balcony large (8) ………….. for a pot or two of herbs. These facts, coupled with the beginnings of a revolt (9) ………….. standardised foods and perhaps also a mistrust of the side (10) ………….. of some of today’s medicines, mean that herbs have taken (11) ………….. a new popularity. The culinary uses of herbs are endless and they can be used (12) ………….. good effect all year round, (13) ………….. dried form or cut fresh. (14) ………….. aids to beauty and for medicinal (15)………….., there is now a vast range available.