"Your story about the Three Little Pythons sounds familiar and ______________, as if I have heard this tale before," remarked Mr. Johnson as he addressed the wide-eyed creative writer.

When nothing is new under the sun, the days seem long, dull, and __________________.

Speaking in _______________, Janice put her audience to sleep as she droned on and on, stringing together one overused expression after another.

_____________ screenplays will never make it in Hollywood because freshness and novelty will invariably be preferred over staleness.

For questions 6 -10: Based on the context in which each underlined word is used, identify the word usage of each sentence as either "correct" or "incorrect."

A vapid story is something new under the sun.

"As white as snow" is not an example of banality.

Cliche phrasing substantially bolsters the emotional impact of poetry.

An expression that "rings a bell" is likely to be considered hackneyed.

Trite essay titles are likely to grab a reader's attention.