John and Mary had a nice home and two lovely children, a boy and a girl. John had a good ____and had just been asked to go on a business trip to another city and it was ____that Mary needed an outing and would go along too. They____a reliable woman to care for the children and made the ____, returning home a little earlier than they had planned.

____they drove into their home town, they found a home in flames (火焰). Mary said, “Oh well, it isn’t our____, let’s go home. ”

But John drove closer and exclaimed, “That home belongs to Fred Jones who works at the plant. He wouldn’t be ____work yet, maybe there is something we could do. ”

John drove up and they were both ____-stricken to see the whole house in flames. A woman on the lawn was in hysterics ____, “The children! Get the children! They are in the basement. ”

____Mary’s protests, John grabbed the water hose and soaked (浸湿) his clothes, put his____hand-kerchief on his head and dashed for the basement which was full of ____. He found two nearly suffocated (窒息的) children and after carrying them to ____, he asked how many more children were down there. They told him two more and Mary____his arm and screamed, “John! Don’t go back! It’s ____! That house will cave in (坍塌) any second!”

But he shook her off and went back by ____his way down the smoke filled hallway and into the room. It seemed a long time ____he found both children and started back and at last when they came out into the____and fresh air, he found that he had just ____his own children.

The baby-sitter had ____them at this home while she did some shopping.