Mangoes are a _____ fruit here in Taiwan; most of them reach their peak of sweetness in July.

• usual 

• seasonal

• mature

• particular

If we work hard to _____ our dreams when we are young, we will not feel that we missed out on something when we get old.

• distribute

• monitor

• convince

• fulfill  

Becky _____ her ankle while she was playing tennis last week. Now it still hurts badly.

• dumped 

• slipped  

• recovered

• twisted 

The new manager is very _____. For instance, the employees are given much shorter deadlines for the same tasks than before.

• tolerable

• demanding

• suspicious   

• persuasive

After delivering a very powerful speech, the award winner was _____ by a group of fans asking for her signature.

• surrounded

• deposited

• vanished 

• reserved   

After the first snow of the year, the entire grassland disappeared under a _____ of snow.

(A) flake                          (B) blossom                   (C) blanket                     (D) flash

• blossom

• flake 

• flash

• blanket 

At the beginning of the semester, the teacher told the students that late assignments would receive a low grade as a _____.

• penalty

• comment

• hardship

• bargain

Intense, fast-moving fires raged across much of California last week. The _____ firestorm has claimed the lives of thirty people.

• reliable

• massive

• adequate

• efficient 

Various studies have been _____ in this hospital to explore the link between a high-fat diet and cancer.

• improved

• confirmed 

• conducted 

• implied 

Writing term papers and giving oral reports are typical course _____ for college students.

• situations

• requirements

• techniques 

• principles