I believe that families are not only blood relatives, but sometimes people who show up and love you when no one else will.
In May 1977, I was living in a Howard Johnson’s motel off Interstate 10 in Houston. My dad and I 1 a room with two double beds and the bathroom was too 2 for a 15-year-old girl and her father. Dad’s second marriage was 3 and my stepmother had 4 us both out of the house the previous week. Dad had no 5_ of what to do with me. And that’s when my other family 6 .
Barbara and Roland Beach took me into their home 7 their only daughter, Su, my best friend, asked them to. I 8 with them for the next seven years.
Barb washed my skirts the same as Su’s. She 9 I had lunch money, doctors’ appointments, help with homework and nightly hugs. Barbara and Roland attended every football game where Su and I were being cheerleaders. As far as I could tell, for the Beaches there was no 10 between Su and me; I was their daughter, too.
When Su and I 11 college they kept my room the same for the entire four years I attended school. Recently, Barb presented me with an insurance they _12_ when I first moved in with them and had continued to pay on for 23 years.
The Beaches knew 13 about me when they took me in – they had heard the whole story from Su. When I was seven, my mother died and from then on my father relied on other people to _14 his kids. Before I went to live with the Beaches I had believed that life was entirely 15__ and that love was shaky and untrustworthy. I had believed that the only person who would take care of me was me.
16 the Beaches, I would have become a bitter, cynical (愤世嫉俗的) woman. They gave me a(n) 17 that allowed me to grow and change. They kept me from being paralyzed(麻痹的) by my _18 , and they gave me the confidence to open my heart.
Now I 19 family. For me, it wasn’t the family that was there on the day I was 20 , but the one that was there for me when I was living in a Howard Johnson’s on Interstate
A.lived B.shared C.possessed D.bought
A.cheap B.noisy C.small D.limited
A.in trouble B.in sight C.in place D.in parts
A.struck B.took C.kicked D.knocked
A.plan B.choice C.chance D.idea
A.looked after B.showed up C.turned over D.came across
A.so B.because C.until D.while
A.worked B.traveled C.lived D.learned
A.worked out B.called up C.watched out D.made sure
A.change B.problem C.conflict D.difference
A.set off B.left for C.entered into D.admitted into
A.paid B.bought C.had D.owned
A.all B.little C.something D.nothing
A.supply B.teach C.encourage D.raise
A.different B.unfair C.easy D.hopeful
A.Thanks to B.In spite of C.Except for D.But for
A.home B.house C.ability D.lesson
A.choice B.failure C.past D.present
A.doubt about B.call on C.center on D.believe in
A.born B.accepted C.educated D.deserted