_________ New Year’s Day around the corner, all the salesmen were trying hard to talk customers_________ buying their goods.

Three of the town's factories have closed down ________ the space of a year.

The patient was ___of losing his life and had to be operated on at once.   

It is a surprise for me to see that these old-fashioned machines are still ________ in the big city.

I like Mr. Miner’s speech; it was clear and       the point.