___ efforts to combat it, drug abuse is on the increase.
A.throughout
B.in the event of
C.despite
D.instead of

Some people tell you what they think you want to hear, ___ it is true.
A.whether or not
B.no matter what
C.regardless
D.however

___ the traffic was bad, I arrived on time.
A.although
B.in spite of
C.despite
D.even

Mr. Browning had always liked the sea and ___ they moved to the South Coast when he retired.
A.as
B.since
C.so
D.such

We’re going to lose this game ___ the team doesn’t start playing better soon.
A.although
B.unless
C.if
D.whereas

She was unhappy ___ her childhood.
A.while
B.during
C.for
D.as

Some snakes are poisonous, ___ others are harmless.
A.despite
B.so
C.for
D.but

They left the room ___ they had finished their exam.
A.while
B.once
C.soon
D.during

The string ___ they tied the parcel up with was so weak that the parcel came to pieces when I got it.
A.as
B.because
C.what   
D. that

Some English words have the same pronunciation ___ they are spelled differently, for example, dear and deer.
A.unless
B.only if
C.since   
D.even though