One day, Raul was miles away from the small ranch（牧场）house in a large valley. Everything seemed to be all right，yet he felt strange and somewhat uneasy. The wind had picked up，and angry，dark clouds __1__ across the sky. He could smell the rain coming. And it did. __2__，the lightning flashed through the clouds, nearly __3__ Raul. The thunder（雷声）was so loud that he buried his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Then he heard it. Hoofbeats（蹄声）. He __4__. There before him stood a tall, white horse. An old man stared down at him from its back.

“Wh-wh-who are y-y-you?" asked Raul. “My name is Gray Cloud,” the old man answered__5__．"Come with me.”

Raul followed on his horse. A __6__ feeling came over him. All __7__ them the rain was pouring down，__8__ not a drop fell on them. They seemed to be __9__ back toward Raul' s home. Raul lost track of time. Then all at once he found __10__ at the ranch gate. The old man turned his horse，waved his hand, and smiled. Lightning flashed again. The old man and his horse were __11__

Raul's father ran out across the yard to __12__ him. "We have been __13__ sick about you. Are you okay? Hurry. Let's get in out of the __14__．”

"Wait,” said Raul. "Have you ever heard of an old man called Gray Cloud?"

"Can't say I…wait. I believe my great-grandfather used to tell stories about a man called Gray Cloud. He died a long time ago. They say he was __15__ by lightning during a terrible thunderstorm. Why do you ask?"

1. A. dropped       B. fell               C. rolled             D. covered

2. A. Suddenly      B. Strongly           C. Quickly           D. Hardly

3. A. beating        B. blinding           C. burning            D. touching

4. A. looked up      B. woke up           C. lay down           D. sat down

5. A. lazily         B. angrily             C. coldly             D. slowly

6. A. natural        B. common            C. strange            D. bad

7. A. around        B. beside              C. through           D. above

8. A. yet           B. for                 C. so               D. or

9. A. walking       B. leading             C. heading           D. returning

10. A. them         B. themselves          C. him              D. himself

11. A. gone         B. left                C. followed          D. lost

12. A. see           B. meet               C. beat             D. ask

13. A. waited        B. thought             C. worried          D. excited

14. A. yard          B. wind               C. grass            D. rain

15. A. defeated       B. caught             C. damaged         D. struck