By the time he was twelve, Edison ________ to make a living by himself .

By the time you arrive in Liverpool, we ___________ in France for two weeks.

In the past twelve months the research members ______ the effectiveness of many materials in a home building.

He complained that this was the third time he _________ of the changes of the meeting.            

And the horses _______up to the finish line. They’re neck and neck ... and neck all the way. Oh, the Italian horse Mamma Miu _______ the race!

Many a time，the Chinese government urged that American government stop selling advanced weapons to Taiwan，but it__________ listen，__________Sino-US relations.

---Didn’t the neighbour see the man breaking into the house?
---No, she ______ in the other direction.

  —— We didn’t find Smith attending the lecture.
—— No one ____ him about _____  a lecture the following day.

The film you’d like to ________ quickly won’t be ready until tomorrow.

As ________ clear from his manners, he seems to be much of a scholar.