Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence and fill in the appropriate answer above.
1-
The US Federal Trade Commission has prepared the following information to help consumers understand the antitrust laws and protect consumer ......... — the freedom to choose goods and services in an open marketplace at a price and quality that fit the consumer's needs.
A -
dignity
B -
impartiality
C -
individuality
D -
sovereignty
2-
A ......... agreement on price among competitors — where the agreement is not reasonably related to the firms' business operations — is illegal.
A -
guarded
B -
naked
C -
stated
D -
suspected
3-
Price similarities also can result from normal economic conditions: for example, ......... competition can drive prices down to a common level.
A -
fictitious
B -
uncontrolled
C -
unfair
D -
vigorous
4-
As for the appearance of uniformly high prices, ......... may not be the only basis for the situation: prices may increase if consumer demand for a product is particularly high and the supply is limited.
A -
coexistence
B -
collusion
C -
competition
D -
cooperation
5-
An agreement to restrict production or output is illegal because reducing the supply of a product or service ......... drives up its price.
A -
inevitably
B -
irrevocably
C -
readily
D -
steadily
6-
A group ......... — an agreement among competitors not to deal with another person or business — violates the law if it is used to force another party to pay higher prices.
A -
ban
B -
barricade
C -
bluff
D -
boycott
7-
Market division — agreements among competitors to divide sales territories or ......... customers — are presumed to be illegal.
A -
alleviate
B -
allocate
C -
deploy
D -
deviate
8-
Restrictions on price advertising can be illegal if they ......... consumers of important information.
A -
deny
B -
deplete
C -
deprive
D -
detract
9-
A professional ......... of ethics may be unlawful if it unreasonably restricts the ways professionals may compete.
A -
assertion
B -
code
C -
promise
D -
vow
10-
Vertical price-fixing — an agreement between a supplier and a dealer that fixes the minimum resale price of a product — is a ......... antitrust violation.