1. The firefighter's reassurances were not effective in ______ the little girl's concerns about her pet dog in the burning building.

2. The man was imprisoned after making ______ remarks and hurting the sentiments of a minority group.

3. Kelly, the head prefect, ______ confidence when she delivered her farewell speech to the graduating cohort.

4. The long-distance runner realised that he was way ahead of his competitors and decided to ______ for a bit before his final burst.

5. "Just because you have ______ in rank does not mean you can treat your subordinates badly," Maxine said to her boss.