Everything from photos of ex-lovers to lousy report cards could be cut into small pieces, as the organizers had announced 28 the event.
答案：(B) prior to
prior to 是介系詞片語「在…之前」，後面直接接名詞 the event：正如主辦單位在活動前所宣布的；until 語意不合，above all（最重要的是）不合，beforehand 是副詞，後面不能接名詞。
答對率 23%。
beforehand 是最主要的陷阱——它的中文也是「事先、預先」，語意與 prior to 幾乎相同，你一看中文對得上就選了。但這一題真正考的不是語意，而是「詞性」：beforehand 是副詞，只能單獨使用、通常放在句尾（Let me know beforehand. 請事先告訴我），後面不能再接名詞；prior to 才是幾個字合起來當一個介系詞用，後面必須接名詞或動名詞。空格後面緊接著 the event（名詞），所以只能填 prior to。
遇到這種「語意都對、只有一個能用」的題目，一律回到句法：空格後面是名詞，就找介系詞；是完整子句，就找連接詞；什麼都沒有（直接句號或逗號），才可能是副詞。這個順序能解掉大部分的詞性題。
before 既是介系詞也是連接詞（before the event／before the event started）；prior to 只能當介系詞；beforehand 與 in advance 是副詞片語，放句尾。四個一起整理，寫作時才不會用錯。
本句 as the organizers had announced ___ the event（正如主辦單位在活動前所宣布的）用了過去完成式 had announced，本身就標示「更早之前」的時間點，與 prior to 的語意完全吻合。
until 是「直到」，會變成「宣布直到活動為止」，語意不通；above all 是「最重要的是」，是轉承語，與時間無關。
prior to + 名詞（在…之前）、before + 名詞／子句（在…之前）、beforehand（事先，副詞）、in advance（事先）、announce（宣布）。
A new year means a new beginning for most of us. On December 28th last year, the New York City sanitation department offered people a new way 26 farewell to 2007.
For one hour on that day, a huge paper-cutting machine was set up in Times Square so people could 27 their lingering bad memories. Everything from photos of ex-lovers to lousy report cards could be cut into small pieces, as the organizers had announced 28 the event. Recycling cans were also provided for items such as 29 CDs and regrettable fashion mistakes.
Former schoolteacher Eileen Lawrence won the event's $250 award for the most creative memory destined for 30. She had created a painting from a photo of her ex-boyfriend, who Lawrence was happy to say goodbye to.