11.   Nevertheless, everybody from corn farmers to government officials were sounding more encouraged than discouraged Thursday.

12.   On Saturday, U.S. officials sounded more hopeful, but conceded that they had no specific reason for optimism.

13.   Other Vietnamese officials sound less certain.

14.   Palestinian officials sounded less impressed with the results, saying they would wait to see whether the Israelis lifted restrictions as promised.

15.   State officials sounded a note of desperation as they sought ways to control health spending.

16.   Talks about compromise proposals on both cases have been continuing, but officials did not sound optimistic of reaching solutions soon.

17.   Suddenly, government officials sounded less positive that they were dealing with isolated episodes and more equivocal about the possibility of terrorism.

18.   U.S. officials sound unconcerned, rather casting Ukraine and Russia as partners in reform leading to more European standards of business and governance.

19.   U.S. officials sounded somewhat less hopeful Friday after the two days of meetings in Washington between the prime minister and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

20.   Wednesday, EU officials sounded stunned by the news that the United States would end its role in the effort, a move Europeans learned about through media reports.