4. Work with vocabulary. Identify the words and word combinations from the previous exercise by the context provided.

1. Shares of Billabong have ________ after the firm launched a plan to sell new shares at a heavily discounted price and after it cut its earnings forecast. (v)

2. As the G20 meeting in Mexico continues, Asian countries are keen to see if the powerful group of leaders can come up with a plan to _______ growth amid the ongoing eurozone debt crisis. With world trade expected to expand by 3.7% in 2012, compared to 5% in 2011, many of Asia's top export-led countries continue to be affected. Among the top 20 biggest exporters in the world are China, South Korea, and India. (v)

3. A. ____________ that have prompted Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to take action against two board members isn’t expected to involve other executives or board members, the company said Wednesday. Directors Robert Stiller and William Davis are the only ones who have pledged their Green Mountain shares as collateral at brokerage houses, company spokeswoman Suzanne DuLong said. … The company’s abrupt action came after Deutsche Bank forced Stiller to sell 5 million shares of Green Mountain, apparently to cover money they had lent him. Davis sold 548,000 shares to meet __________. B. In Russia, the government is spending billions of roubles every day to provide access to credit for banks and prevent its currency from diving. But these moves have not helped to stem the sell-off in the country's shares, with the RTS index losing 10% and the Micex sinking 14% on Friday before trading on both indexes was suspended until 28 October. Analysts blame the sharp stocks falls on the huge liquidation of positions as banks, which have been using stock as collateral for loans, make a flurry of ____________. (2 words)

4. A strike by British Airways ground staff has led to the __________ of flights between London and Manchester. (n)

5. A firm in a hurry to ________ its assets may have to accept a discount on fair market value as a price for speedy execution. (v)

6. The S3 will be available in two colours, pebble blue and marble white, and the firm says that other options will be available at a later date. Not everyone at the launch was convinced by the design. "It is not an eye-catching device that will _________ consumers," said Francisco Jeronimo, European mobile devices research manager for IDC. (v)

7. Technology fans are in a frenzy. On Wednesday evening Apple will unveil its latest product or products. The ____________ is on a touch screen, tablet-style computer. If they get it right, it could change the PC market in the same way the iPhone shook up the mobile world. Of course, there's a big "maybe" hanging over all this, because Apple events are, notoriously, shrouded in secrecy. (2 words)

8. A. Relying on the conventional wisdom that stocks are not risky in the long run can be _______ to the terminal wealth goals of individual investors. An alternative approach that reduces shortfall risk combines asset/liability matching and buying insurance in the put option market.

B. Chris Morris, senior officer at Sea Fisheries, said previously fishermen could only land their catch in Cherbourg or St Quay Portrieux. He said: "Journeys to these ports, can be time consuming, costly and in bad weather, ___________. (adj)

9. Another thing about Cyprus which has gone largely unnoticed internationally is the fact that it has only remained ________ until now thanks to a loan of 2.5bn euros (£2bn; $3.2bn), at the start of this year, from Russia. (adj)

10. In September 2009, just as Elaina was about to go on maternity leave, Brian lost his job. With his income gone and hers slashed, the bills started to pile up. "We had to choose whether to pay the ______ or to eat," Elaina said. A few months later, their ________ lender re-possessed their house and the family had to move into Housing Executive accommodation. (n)

11. The numbers behind Facebook are _______ : more than 900 million users, 300 million photos uploaded every day, available in more than 70 languages and a valuation of close to $100bn (£60bn)! (adj)

12. Qatar is seeking an investment quota of $5bn (£3.2bn), five times the current cap of $1bn, according to the Xinhua news agency. This comes just days after China said it was looking to ease the entry rules for foreign investors. Qatar said it will invest the funds mostly in China's ________. China's securities regulator, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said it will help complete the application process as soon as possible and also assist the Qatari authorities in applying for the investment quota. (2 words)

13. Americans across the country are demanding comprehensive health reform and cannot afford to wait any longer for Washington to act. Businesses and families are struggling as costs continue to _______ . More and more Americans find themselves uninsured. (v)

14. The misconduct relates to the daily setting of the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) and the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor). These are two of the most important ________ in the global financial markets and directly influence the value of trillions of dollars of financial deals between banks and other institutions. (2 words)

15. Professional ________ developers buy up the old houses, put them to the wrecking ball, and construct brand-new, more functional buildings. (2 words)