Use of English

A Family Trip

Family holidays often reveal more about people than everyday life does. On one recent trip, our family set (0) OFF before dawn, each of us carrying far too many bags and opinions. My sister, who always takes great pride in her appearance, had packed clothes (1) .......... for three different climates, despite the fact that we were only going away for a week. My father, by contrast, insisted on travelling light and kept (2) .......... fun at the rest of us for bringing what he called 'half the house'. As the journey went on, conversation never seemed to dry (3) .......... . We moved from discussing old family stories to arguing about where to stop for lunch. Food, in fact, became the main topic by midday, with everyone putting (4) .......... a different suggestion. My mother wanted somewhere traditional, while my brother was in favour of trying a place recommended by a friend. In the end, we came (5) .......... a small roadside restaurant that none of us had noticed before. The meal was so good that even my father, who is usually very hard to please, admitted it had lived (6) .......... to expectations. By the time we finally reached our destination, we were tired but cheerful, and all the minor disagreements had been put (7) .......... us. It was one of those journeys that reminded me how much family life, like travel itself, depends (8) .......... patience, humour and a good meal.