CLOZE［15 MIN.］

Decidewhichofthechoicesgivenbelowwouldcorrectlycompletethepassageifinsertedinthecorrespondingblanks. Markthecorrectchoiceforeachblank.
　
Inthemorningitstartstorain. Itwasthefirstrainofthenewyearandit(26)____, inanextremelyviolentmanner, thebeginningoftherainyseason. Thedropswhichfellwerelarge, andtheyfellstraightdown, for(27)____ tropicalrainsneverdegenerateintoslantingdrizzle, thefamiliar(28)____ ofarainydayinsomanyotherpartsoftheworld. Therainfellheavily, itfellcontinuouslyanditsaturatedeverythingwhichlay(29)____ itsway.
Duringtherainmostpeoplekepttotheirhomes. Butafewwalkedabout, (30)____ tothewetnessoftheirclothesanddeterminedto(31)____ asusual. And, forthosewhowishedtokeepdryhowevermuchitcostthem, therewerealways(32)____ taxis. Theysplashedbyalongtheroad, withthewindscreenwipersrevealingonly(33)____ glimpsesofthedriverspeeringfaces. (34)____, whentherainhadstarted, thedrivershadhadonlythebigpuddlestomiss, butlateron, thenthedrainshadoverflowedandthewholeroadswamwithwateralldangerouspitsand(35)____ hadbeenhidden, andthefacespeeringthroughthewindscreenspeeredevenmoreanxiouslythanbefore. Butoftenthefacesinsidethetaxiceasedto(36)____ tolookoutatall, forwaterhadsplasheduptotheelectricalsystem, andtheenginestoppedjustassurlyandabruptlyasitwouldhavedone, (37)____ thecaractually(38)____ intooutofthedrainsithadso(39)____ missedonlyafewmoments(40)____.

(26) A. exhibitedB. markedC. showedD. identified
(27) A. brutalB. intenseC. wildD. fierce
(28) A. patternB. styleC. modelD. norm
(29) A. onB. atC. inD. over
(30) A. resigningB. toresignC. resignedD. havingresigned
(31) A. carryonB. keeponC. continueD. goon
(32) A./ B. theC. manyD. some
(33) A. fragmentaryB. suddenC. partialD. scattered
(34) A. InitiallyB. OriginallyC. FormerlyD. Firstly
(35) A. destructionsB. frustrationsC. constructionsD. obstructions
(36) A. disturbB. intendC. botherD. worry
(37) A. wasB. wereC. hadD. has
(38) A. skiddedB. swervedC. slippedD. glided
(39) A. closelyB. nearlyC. almostD. narrowly
(40) A. aheadB. beforeC. agoD. beforehand