11.   Goaltending remains a pleasant question, with Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon both near the top of the league in goals-against average.

12.   In fact, some investors believe that apartments are nearing the top of the investment cycle and are starting to pull back.

13.   Maybe even somewhere near the top.

14.   Nearing the top of his ascent, he beats his wings into a frenzy, and the whistling reaches a fever pitch.

15.   Nearing the top of the best-seller lists in Norway and Britain.

16.   Rohner neared the top of a rise in Inwood Hill Park, determined to find the cache despite an insistent rain that beaded up on his jacket.

17.   So, too, those who are sitting near the top.

18.   Still, Ramon lands near the top of every list of future contenders for prime minister.

19.   The bad news is that the City of Brotherly Love still nears the top of the charts on almost all statistics relating to teen pregnancies.

20.   The Cherokee scores near the top of the two-star group in the five-star ratings, while the Explorer is at the low end.