Budget forecasts are the ultimate lesson in taking things （ ）in hindsight, most forecasts look worse than random guesses.

A.with a stroke of the pen B.with a whip of scorpions C.with a grain of salt D.with all due submission

There is no doubt that dishonest or （ ）acquisition of information is usually overwhelming evidence that information was confidential and not part of the defendant’s skill and knowledge.

Crimea is a center of pro-Russian sentiment, which can （ ） separatism. The region---a peninsula on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast---has 2.3 million inhabitants, most of whom identify themselves as ethnic Russians and speak Russian.

Ms. Turkle can sound primly （ ）, complaining that the sight at a local cafe of people focusing on their computers as they drink their coffee bothers her.

The challenges these super-tall buildings face are plentiful, requiring enormous financial resources, sophisticated engineering skills, a （ ） will amongst all parties involved to make it happen and finally people willing to work, live, use and pay for them on a daily basis.

He had a clear picture of a sad and lonely man, deeply concerned about his health which seemed to promise only a fairly rapid decline into （ ）.