I’d like to (1) o_____ this meeting by (2) w_______ you all. It’s good to see so many (3) p_________ here today – in fact, this is probably the best (4) a_______ we’ve had at a meeting for a long time – and I’d like to thank you all in advance for (5) s________ me.
Well, we’ve got a lot on the (6) a_______ and I want to make as much (7) p________ as possible in the next two hours or so. If we stick to the main (8) s_______ , we should 9. g______ everything and (10) a_______ all of our (11) g______ and (12) o______. I will (13) c________ the meeting, as usual, but I really hope that you will all have something to (14) c_______, and if anything needs (15) c________, please don’t hesitate to (16) i________ me (although not too often, I hope: the more (17) i_______ we can (18) a________ today the better).
I’ll be (19) b________ several important (20) m________ during the meeting, beginning with those that I feel should take (21) p_______, before (22) s________ the main (23) p________ and making (24) r_______. This will be followed by an (25) o session where you can give me your (26) o_______. And I’m sure you will all be delighted to hear that after the meeting (27) c________ , there will be drinks and snacks for everyone.
Mr Barker will be taking 28. n_______ and keeping the 29. m________ of the meeting, and I will be using these to write my 30. r________ afterwards, so if anyone has any 31. c________, I suggest you talk to him and not to me!
Now, before I get going, are there any 32. q_______ from the 33. f_______ ? No? Good. Right, well I’ll begin.
The first point I want to 34. d________ is next month’s 35. c________. As you know, the 36. v_______ we have chosen is the Royal Eynsham Hotel in Oxfordshire. We’ve invited several 37. s________ to make 38. p________ on various aspects of the trade, and we’re expecting over 200 39. d________ from our offices around Europe. Now, of course, there’s always the possibility that some major players* won’t be able to make it, so we need to make a 40. c________ plan that we can 41. i_________ if things go pear-shaped**…

(*major players: important people. **Pear shaped: if something goes pear-shaped, it goes wrong. This is an
informal expression)