1. Modest demand growth combined with no significant supply increases has caused oil inventories to decline sharply, creating .......... in the oil forward curve, said Jeffrey Currie of Goldman Sachs; in such a market, oil for delivery in the near term is more expensive than for later shipment.

2. Should securities held in a collective deposit be repaid on the basis of a lottery, the bank shall distribute the .......... securities pro-rata amongst the holders of the securities, whereby it shall ensure that all depositors enjoy an equal treatment.

3. The Trust provides investors with the opportunity to purchase a security representing a proportionate undivided interest in a portfolio of securities consisting of substantially all of the common stocks, in substantially the same weighting, of the S&P 500 Index, each unit of which is referred to as a Standard & Poor's .......... Receipt.

4. Many consumers are unaware of the importance of retaining .......... bank checks, through which account holders have a record of who actually signed the back of the check to redeem its face value; this signature is universally required for resolving countless business transaction disputes.

5. When a claimant delays in filing an application for benefits, the .......... provisions may allow the late application to be recognized as having been made earlier than it actually was; the purpose is to allow a claimant to be put in the position he or she would have been in had the delay in filing their claim for benefits not occurred.

6. The Peer to Patent project allows people to alert the US Patent Office when material is found proving an invention is not new — this pioneering project aimed at improving the Quality of patents must be made .......... if it is to work, according to the project's manager; currently the project is only voluntary.

7. The higher the loan amount, the bigger the thud if your loan goes belly up, and reducing the .......... ratio is one way lenders cut their risk; to that end, they generally insist on more than the usual 20 percent down on jumbo loans over $500,000, reQuiring you to make at least a 25- percent cash down payment.

8. If quick growth is necessary, raising money through the sale of stock may provide the best opportunity for fast action; however, wider equity participation implies .......... of ownership, which may not be acceptable to some business owners.

9. The Roanoke Valley ranks consistently lower than the national average, according to the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association (ACCRA) Cost of Living .......... which compares groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services for over 300 urban areas.

10. The US federal income tax system is a 'pay as you go' system: you're required to pay tax over the course of the year rather than waiting until April 15, and the general rule is that you have to pay .......... tax if your withholding doesn't cover 90% of your tax liability.