1. If I ______ about your problem earlier, I would have helped you.
2. The manager insisted that the report ______ submitted before Friday.
3. Hardly ______ into the room when the phone started ringing.
4. You ______ have brought an umbrella; it didn't rain at all.
5. She is completely absorbed ______ her research project these days.
6. Neither the director nor the employees ______ satisfied with the new policy.
7. The more you practice, ______ you will become at solving these problems.
8. Had it not been for his assistance, we ______ the deadline.
9. The company's profits have increased ______ over the last quarter due to efficient management.
10. The proposal was rejected because it was deemed financially ______.
11. She has a natural ______ for learning foreign languages easily.
12. The government decided to ______ the old regulation and introduce a simpler one.
13. The project was delayed ______ unexpected technical difficulties during the testing phase.
14. Not only did he complete the report on time, ______ provided valuable feedback for the next phase.
15. High inflation directly affects purchasing power; ______, consumer spending has decreased.
16. The candidate failed to impress the interviewers ______ having impressive qualifications.
17. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error: 'Despite of (A) the heavy traffic, we managed (B) to arrive at the airport in time (C) for our flight to London (D).'
18. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error: 'The information provided (A) in the report were (B) misleading and caused (C) several misunderstandings among (D) team members.'
19. Which option has the closest meaning to: 'People believe that technology isolates individuals.'?
20. Which option has the closest meaning to: 'I only realized I had lost my keys after I arrived at the office.'?