For questions 1-12, read the text below and decide which answer (А, В, С or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

This week we celebrated Valentine's Day... or rather (0) C romantics and those of us who are a bit soft in the head did! The fourteenth of February always gives everyone who's anyone a chance to cast a few pearls of (1) ………………………… before their fellow sufferers about the nature of 'the universal migraine' – love. Francis Farnsworth is a case in point. I'm sure the poor old fellow has a heart of (2) ………………………… but he really does talk a (3) ………………………… of rubbish sometimes! His appearance last night on BBC 1's 'Let's Talk It Over' was no exception. He started off by having what I will politely call a (4) ………………………… of opinion with Tania Di Monte, author of 'Tell me the Truth about Love'. Ms Di Monte always expresses the most extraordinary views without any apparent (5) ………………………… of contradiction. Last night she was boldly setting out her rules for a perfect relationship when poor old Farnsworth accidentally called her Tina. Tina is of course the name of her ex-husband Darren's second wife and we all know that any mention of him - or her - is like (6) ………………………… to Tania. Farnsworth kept apologising and saying that it had been a (7) ………………………… of the tongue brought about by a momentary (8) ………………………… of concentration, but it took all presenter Greg Lazarre's skills to calm our Tania down again. Francis then started calling her 'darling', which only succeeded in making her even more furious. '(9) ………………………… of endearment,’ he stammered as she glared at him. She had been vehemently denying that there was even a

(10) …………………………of truth in rumours about her forthcoming engagement to football star Nick Perez. Nevertheless, I'm sure it is only a(n) (11) …………………………of time before we see Tania and Nick on the cover of 'Hi There!' celebrating 'the wedding of the century'. If marrying someone like Tania is what happens to you, if you're incredibly successful, as Perez undoubtedly is, I shudder to think what the (12) ………………………… of failure might be!

Dear Max,

I've decided to write to you because I've 1 …………………. to come up with a solution of my own 2 …………………. what is rapidly becoming a serious problem. I'm a successful, good looking, healthy, intelligent and likeable guy in my 3 …………………. twenties, but I regret to say I haven't been 4 …………………. to find a permanent girlfriend... or even an impermanent one!

5 …………………. no good telling me I should try to meet more girls. That's the whole problem. I've been living here for six months and I haven't 6 …………………. in getting to know more than five women I've genuinely had anything in common with. My best friend 7 …………………. taking up a hobby of some kind or joining a club. I suppose I wouldn't 8 …………………. learning more about photography or taking up a new sport, but I really don't have much time during the week and 9 ………………….Saturday night, I'm on my own again. Several friends have 10 …………………. to introduce me to eligible women, but none of them 10 …………………. out to be what I'd call 'my type' and I've realised I prefer meeting people on my own 11 ………………….. To make 12 …………………. worse I've never grown even vaguely 13 …………………. to living alone. What would you advise me to do?

Yours,

Lonely of London

Dear Lonely of London,

I'm sure you won't 14 …………………. being just a tiny bit choosy. You admit 15 …………………. meeting a number of women since moving to London, five of whom you 'genuinely had something in common with' but, 16 …………………. so, you seem convinced that only meeting more women will 17 …………………. you to find the girlfriend of your dreams. Friends have given you all sorts of excellent advice that you don't even seem to 18 …………………. following. I don't understand how you can expect to meet more women if you refuse to 19 …………………. any effort I can't 20 …………………. thinking that much of the problem is of your own creation. Why not 21 …………………. getting in touch with one of the women your friends have been kind 22 …………………. to introduce you to? If she 23 …………………. agree to go out with you, you may 24 …………………. find that she's much more your type than you first thought. Don't put 25 …………………. calling. Do it today! 26 …………………. fooling yourself. If you don't 27 …………………. now, you may be 28 …………………. to spend the rest of your life alone.

All the best,

Uncle Max