Over the years, thanks to my life’s obstacles, I understood the meaning of faith and the strong will to survive. It was Hurricane Ike that made me fully____ the beauty of our strength and a human’s  ____ to recover.
Mom had a two-week ____ in summer. While we enjoyed our holiday in Southeast Texas, we didn’t realize the fact that Ike ____ cause months and likely years of “labor”. By September 7^th, the “eyes of Texas” were watching Hurricane Ike more ____, making the typical mad rush for last-minute hurricane ___. Two days later, both oil and ice were in ____ demand.
In the early hours of September 11^th, some neighbors were planning to ____the storm in their homes, ____ others were making final preparations to get away. At first, we decided to stay. But that afternoon, the Houston-Galveston area would be on the more ____ side of the storm. Mom and I packed some of our most ____ belongings in the car and ____ the East Texas town of Lufkin.
As Ike pushed farther inland, we ____power in Lufkin. On Sunday, our next-door neighbor told us via cell phone that our ___ had remained well. Our hopes could not have been ____. But a few hours later, the neighbors reported that our brick chimney had ____, and it was sitting on our living room, ____ a hole in the roof between two skylights (天窗).
We wouldn’t be allowed to return home ____ September 17^th. I climbed upstairs, and looked toward the hole in the roof which showed a beautiful blue sky.
Without hesitation, I shouted, “Wow! A third skylight!”
My neighbors could not believe I was making jokes ____ crying, but ____ is always good medicine. It was with that joke that I knew, given time, everything would be okay.

A．observe B．appreciate C．explore D．improve

A．intention B．distribution C．motivation D．affection

A．vacation B．journey C．meeting D．schedule

A．must B．might C．should D．would

A．closely B．constantly C．warningly D．differently

A．adventure B．equipment C．supplies D．reports

A．basic B．high C．pure D．neat

A．get through B．put away C．test out D．suffer from

A．since B．when C．until D．while

A．dangerous B．abundant C．peaceful D．awesome

A．available B．concrete C．priceless D．valuable

A．set out B．headed for C．settled down D．watched out

A．provided B．reduced C．produced D．lost

A．garden B．house C．pool D．yard

A．clearer B．wilder C．lower D．higher

A．passed B．stood C．gone D．followed

A．leaving B．digging C．filling D．kicking

A．by B．before C．until D．after

A．in spite of B．instead of C．apart from D．in terms of

A．faith B．will C．strength D．laughter