26. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?

14. Our relationship ____________over a financial dispute.

13. The government’s new program will _______ a lot of new jobs for the local residents.

12. This scandal was all the more alarming because the companies involved in were mostly trusted ______ names and the perpetrators were their top executives.

11. Luck is on investigators＇ minds， too. With scant (不足的) leads， _______ of previous serial-killer manhunts (追捕) say police may have to wait to get lucky.

10.Noise is unpleasant，_________ when you are absorbed in reading.

9.The little girl________ her mother’s hand in the crowd.

8. By _____ computation， he estimated that the repairs on the house would cost him a thousand dollars.

7. The scientists have absolute freedom as to what research they think is best to _____.

6. The massive _____ readership， the almost free publication， and the ease in putting words online， combined， mean that literary magazines， which are practically profit-free in printed form， are blooming across the Web.

5. Now the cheers and applause _____ in a single sustained roar.