Use of English · Test 4

Starting Your Own Business

At NatWest we (0) know how hard it is to get your business (1) ____ and running. Understanding your difficulties - and then (2) ____ you through them - has made us the number one bank for small businesses for each of the last 10 years, with more people turning to us for (3) ____ than any other bank. Our Start-Up service gives you the support you need to (4) ____ up on your own. There are over 4000 Small Business Advisers (at (5) ____ one in every high street branch) who (6) ____ help, information and a wide (7) ____ of services specifically designed to help things go that bit more (8) ____ .Since last year, we've offered 12 months' free banking (9) ____ you go overdrawn or stay in credit. We have also introduced another special scheme to help you keep your costs down for even longer. (10) ____ us with a certificate from a NatWest recognised start-up training (11) ____ that you have completed and there will be no account (12) ____ for the first 18 months.

A whether

B. whatever

C. however

D. although

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve had been a very tiring day for all the Bensons, (0) except Mr Benson. The head of the house usually got off lightly (13) ____ Christmas - lightly, (14) ____ is, where personal effort was concerned. Where money was (15) ____, no; Mr Benson knew that Christmas was an expensive time of the (16) ____. And later, when he got out his cheque book to give his usual presents, the expense (17) ____ be greater. But he could afford (18) ____. He could afford it better (19) ____ Christmas than at any other Christmas in the history (20) ____ his steadily increasing fortune. And he didn't (21) ____ to think, he didn't have to choose. He just had to look at a list and add one or (22) ____ names, or remove one or two. There was something quite big to leave (23) ____ this year, though it didn't show on the list or in his cheque book.If he felt (24) ____ it, he would add the amount so saved to his children's cheques. Tim and Helen would then think that he was even more generous than he really was.

New (0) technological advances are making life more difficult for (25) ____ as police are making progress on crime (26) ____. Such is the level of expertise among (27) ____ today that a (28) ____ thief is bound to be caught. There are also more (29) ____ that can be taken by (30) ____ to ensure the safety and (31) ____ of their homes. People can now mark their (32) ____ so that if they are stolen by an (33) ____ thief they can later be identified. It is like having your (34) ____ on all your personal treasures.