Lightning flashed through the darkness over Sibson's bedroom skylight(天窗)．Sibson was shaken by a clap of thunder 1 he knew what was happening．The storm had moved directly 2 his two-story wooden house．Then he heard the smoke alarm beeping．
Sibson rushed down the stairs barefoot to 3 ; he opened the door to the basement(地下室), and flames 4 out．Sibson ran back upstairs to call 911 from his bedroom．“I felt 5 because the room had a separate outdoor stairway,” he explains．
But the phone didn't work, and when he tried to go down the outdoor stairway, he was 6 by a wall of flames．Sibson realized he was trapped(困住)．
Sibson's house was three kilometers 7 the main road and was so well hidden by trees that he knew calling for help would be 8 ．
Up a hill nearby lived Sibson's neighbor, Huggons．He was lying in bed when something like a smoke alarm 9 his ears．He jumped out of bed, took his 10 and flashlight, and headed down the hillside toward the 11 ．That was when he saw the rolling heavy smoke．
Huggons dialed 911, and the operator warned him not to 12 the house．But Huggons said, “There is no way I am going to listen to Sibson 13 and die in that fire．”
“Anyone there?” Huggons called out．Then he heard “Help! I'm trapped!” coming from the second floor balcony(阳台)．He entered the house, but soon had to run back to catch his 14 ．
After one more 15 inside the house, Huggons gave up and 16 around back．
The wind parted the smoke just 17 for him to catch sight of Sibson．But there was no way to get to him．He 18 the flashlight into the woods and noticed a ladder．He took it over to the balcony and 19 Sibson down just as the second floor of the house fell off．
Sibson is still 20 when he tells the story．“ I was alone that night,” he says．“Then I heard the most beautiful sound in my life．It was Huggons．”
Alone in the light at the dining-room table, I sat in tears．
Finally, I'd succeeded in getting both kids to bed．I got them both washed, 1 by cries of delight, crazy running around, laughing and throwing things． 2 calmed down, they lay in their beds as I gave each the five minutes' back rubs as usual．Then I began the night time routine of a song, both kids' 3 ．I sang it over and over until they seemed fully engaged in 4 ．
A recently 5 man with full custody(监护权)of his children, I was determined to give them as 6 and stable a home life as possible．I 7 a happy face for them．Everything was just as it had always been with the exception 8 their mother was now missing．There, another night successfully 9 ．
I rose slowly, tiptoed out of their room and went downstairs．
Sitting at the 10 room table, I realized that this was the first time since I came home from work that I'd been able to 11 sit down．
Then it all crowded in on me：the fatigue(疲惫)，the 12 of the responsibility, the worry about bills I wasn't sure I could pay that month and 13 ．I felt as though I were at the bottom of a great sea of loneliness．I sat there, silently sobbing．
Just then, a pair of little arms went around my middle and a little face peered up at me．I looked down into my five-year-old son's 14 face．
I was 15 to be seen crying by my son．“I'm sorry, Ethan, I didn't know you were still awake．I'm sorry．I'm just a little 16 tonight．”
“It's okay, Daddy．It's okay to cry, you're just a 17 ．”
I can't express how happy he made me, who gave me 18 to cry．He seemed to be saying that I didn't have to always be 19 , that it was occasionally possible to allow myself to feel weak and 20 my feeling．Somehow, it was possible for me to get to sleep that night．Thank you, my son．
People often say that the Englishman’s home is his castle(城堡)．They mean that the home is very important and personal．Most people in Britain live in houses 1 flats, and many people own their homes．This means that they can make them individual(个人的);They can 2 them and change them in any way they 3 ．In a crowded city the individual knows that he or she has a private space which is 4 for himself or herself and for 5 friends．
People usually like to mark their space．Are you sitting now in your home or in a beach or a train?If you are on the beach you may have spread your 6 around you; on the train you may have 7 your coat or small bag on the seat beside you; in a library you may have one corner or chair which is your own．
Once I was traveling on a 8 to London．I was in a section for four people and there was a table between us．The man on the 9 side to me had his briefcase on the table．There was no 10 on my side of the table at all．I was made rather 11 ．I thought he thought that he owned the 12 table．I took various papers out of my bag and put them on 13 !When I did this he stiffened and his eyes nearly popped out of his head．I had invaded(侵犯)his space!A few minutes later I took my papers 14 his case in order to read them．He immediately 15 his case to his side of the table．(Of course, it is possible that he just wanted to be helpful to me!)
