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1-( shrinkage in supplies/ lack of supplies )
Why not using the same preposition since both phrases mean the same thing ??
2-the country is at the cutting edge of/in this major.
Which preposition to go for ??
3- I know we say "in the summer" but what about If I'm specifying ??
Should it be "at this summer" or "in this summer"
Often, asking 'why' English does things one way or another is fruitless. In this case, the writer or speaker has to distinguish between having fewer numbers of supplies and having the supplies he has get smaller, like blocks of ice melting. Which preposition is 'better' depends on other things in the context, it is difficult to prefer one or the other just from the two 3-word phrases.
This sentence looks incomplete -- major ? Again, without the rest of the context, it is difficult to say.
"at this summer" doesn't sound right -- summer is a period of time, not a 'point in time', and so I expect the desired meaning to be during that period which we call summer which we're currently experiencing. It is possible, again from outer context, that 'at' might work.
None of these are strong idioms that always go one way or another, though I haven't thought of anything that would use "at this summer" yet.
