Thank you for persuading my mother _______ the army.

______ for the breakdown of the school computer network, Alice was in low spirits. 

Mr. Jenkin regretted ______ his secretary for the mistake, for he later discovered it was his own fault.

The speech ____________ by Professor Smith was so interesting that the students talked about it all that day.

(2013·山东省胶东示范学校二模)More children in Beijing will reach school age next year, ________ a shortage of primary school teachers in the capital.