Complete each set of three sentences with one word.

26 a The youth club was a shabby room, but at least there was a(n) ... table with the nets intact and a couple of cues.
b At the end of the path, there was a(n) ... of crystal clear water, so we stripped off and jumped in.
c Our manager feels he's finally got a good ... of technical staff who can work on any project.
27 a The current economic and financial crises ... disaster for the retail industry.
b William was convinced his sister had put a(n) ... on him.
c I knew most of the words in the dictation, but I wasn't sure how to ... them all correctly.
28 a The manager told Ela he'd taken ... of her reluctance to work with Bob.
b I wanted to play the flute when I was younger, but when I tried, I couldn't get a(n) ... .
c When Miriam walked out on her husband, she only left a short ... of explanation.
29 a Oh, why don't you just relax a bit and take it ... ?
b Dave never seems to be busy with work, but he's always got cash. If you ask me, it's ... money.
c Catherine didn't like to boast, but she'd always found Physics rather an ... subject.
30 a Mix the dry ingredients, then add the milk and make a(n) ... dough.
b It was a beautiful still evening with a(n) ... glow coming from the moon as it rose behind the clouds.
c Gino's has the best range of ... drinks in any bar I know.