Starting and finishing

Exercise 51.2

1. It was such a (near) finish that no one was quite sure who had won.
2. I’ve just got to put the (ending) touches to my painting and then you can see it.
3. I expect the meeting will (go) to an end at about 5.30.
4. Everyone is here, so I think we should (do) a start now.
5. We all hope that the negotiations will succeed in (taking) the strike to an end.
6. Email marked the (start) of the end for the fax machine.
7. Our journey (finished) – as it had begun – in Cairo.
8. Have you heard yet what the (finish) result of the talks was?