1.   They glared at the screen, willing the line to flutter into life, but the trace remained persistently flat.

2.   Despite desperate attempts to revive her, the trace remained stubbornly flat, until in the end they had to give up.

3.   The UK building distribution division remained relatively flat.

4.   Also, there was still enthusiasm for a new game because Lottery sales remained flat.

5.   Although retail sales remain flat, people are warming up to the use of credit cards, spending money on travel and entertainment.

6.   Analysts expect the stock to remain flat until construction is complete.

7.   Analysts said they expect those to remain flat in the quarter, as home starts unexpectedly dropped in October to the lowest level in a year.

8.   And despite the increased traffic, its costs, excluding fluctuations in fuel prices, remained flat.

9.   And Wall Street agreed, with Microsoft stock remaining essentially flat after the announcement was made.