55、Much as( ), I couldn't lend him the money because I simply didn't have that much spare cash.

29. Ten soldiers were ambushed and ( ) injured after the gunmen attacked the camp late at night .

28. The editor of Merriam - Webster pointed out that there are many reasons to look up a word in the dictionary ( ) than learning its meaning .

27. Through the story of two boys , this haunting and ( ) tale demonstrates the importance of preserving our humanity at all costs .

26. Few are spared from suffering in The Kite Runner, and the author ( ) from offering a simplistic happy ending .

25. Both official and unofficial records indicate that the war ( ) over 6 million people, resulting in the creation of the largest refugee population worldwide today .

24. The archaeological dig is almost without ( ) the most revelatory of its kind , and it has begun to transform our knowledge of life in the Bronze Age.

23. Unable to continue at her job and to pay rent , Vicky and her family were ( ) from their home.

22. Ecologists have been analyzing more than 500,000 plant ( ) and finding 11,676 different tree types in the rainforest.

21. The ( ) conclusion by scientists until recently had been that rising air temperatures were causing the Antarctic Peninsula to melt.

20. In which of the following sentences does the preposition " beneath " carry a metaphorical sense? ( )