High interest rates _____ people from borrowing money.

Air and the sun's rays create much distortion, and whatever tends to _____ their influence is useful to the astronomer.

John____Tom by a yard and____the race last year.

When he saw we were upset, he began to ____ us for hours with his stories and jokes.

The city ________ 6 billion yuan to preserve the character of the old town, mainly to divert water from the Taihu Lake and the Yangtze River to supply the waterway systems of the old town.