Exercise #2
Fill in the blanks.
1. Rachel was nervous before her audition for the school play, but her parents and friends all told her to [good luck, typically before a performance or presentation]. She took a deep breath and gave it her best shot, and was thrilled when she found out that she had been cast as the lead.
2. When Alex saw the price of the new smartphone he wanted, he realized it [is very expensive]. He decided to save up and wait until it went on sale before buying it.
3. Sarah's friend challenged her to a baking competition, and Sarah decided to make a layer cake for the first time. She was worried that it would be difficult, but with the help of a good recipe and some careful measuring, it turned out to be [very easy thing to do].
4. When Maria's coworkers planned a surprise baby shower for her, they were careful to keep it a secret. But one of them accidentally [revealed a secret accidentally or unintentionally] when she mentioned the shower in front of Maria's husband. Maria was still surprised and touched when the shower took place, despite knowing about it ahead of time.
5. Ben was known for his practical jokes, and his friends were always on the lookout for when he was [teasing or tricking them in a playful way]. When he told them that he had won the lottery, they were skeptical and asked for proof. Ben chuckled and admitted that he was just joking.
6. Emily had been looking forward to her beach vacation for weeks, but when she arrived at the beach, it was pouring rain. She was disappointed that the weather had [ruined her plans or good mood], but tried to make the best of it by spending the day exploring the local shops and museums instead.
7. Jake had planned to propose to his girlfriend at their favorite restaurant, but when the moment came, he [lost confidence or courage just before doing something important] and couldn't go through with it. He decided to wait until he felt more confident and sure about their relationship before popping the question.
8. When the new neighbor moved in, the entire block threw him a welcoming party. One of the neighbors, Sarah, [made a lot of effort to help or accommodate others] to make sure everything was perfect, from the decorations to the food to the music. The party was a huge success, and the new neighbor was very grateful for Sarah's hard work.
9. When Chris started his new job, he was excited to take on as many tasks as possible and prove himself to his boss. But he soon realized that he [took on more tasks or responsibilities than he could handle] and was struggling to keep up with all of his responsibilities. He had to ask for help and delegate some tasks to his coworkers.
10. The planning committee for the school fundraiser had been meeting for weeks, but they were having trouble deciding on a theme and making any progress. The committee chair decided to [start the process or activity] by assigning tasks to each member and setting deadlines. This helped to get the planning process moving forward, and the fundraiser ended up being a success.