I had been looking forward to my sister Patti’s visit for weeks. I had the whole thing planned. It would be one of our usual short-but-sweet get-togethers: a nice meal, some shopping, an outing with our kids.
When Patti arrived, lunch was cooking on the stove. Everything was perfect. Then, a few minutes later, a terrific clap of thunder rattled the window. A storm had sped in out of nowhere. The lights went out — for the next 12hours.
It seemed like a disaster. Our long-awaited plans! My homemade lunch! Seeing the unfinished pork, we had to eat cold food. We didn’t know what we can do next. The children asked, “Can we watch TV?” “The TV isn’t working.” I explained. So they begged, “Well, how about a video, then?” “How about computer games?” “Can’t you just microwave some popcorn?” I quickly realized just how much we all took electricity for granted.
But as the evening wore on, I also realized I had been taking something else for granted: the power of relationships. The point of my sister’s visit was not that we could go shopping. It didn’t matter whether we took our kids to the zoo. What counted were the people, not the plans.
We all sang old camp songs and put on shadow plays. After the kids eagerly went to bed with their own flashlights, Patti and I brought chairs onto my small front porch (门廊). At first we talked about our ruined plans. Then we sat back silently, listening to the rain dropping through the trees. I hadn’t sat out there in ages, and night air felt cool. We began to talk about our friends. We planned our parents’ upcoming anniversary party. Our conversation went to places it hadn’t gone in years.
I realized that what Patti and I had been looking forward to most was each other — something that often seemed vague on past short visits. Those get-togethers have always been enjoyable, but I must admit that they tend to melt together in my memory. That night the lights went out, on the other hand, they will burn brightly for a long time.

The author planned to do something for her sister’s visit except __________.

A．seeing a film	B．doing some shopping
C．cooking a nice meal	D．going out with their kids

Why did the lights go out?

A．Because thunder rattled the window.

B．Because a storm came.

C．Because someone played a trick on them.

D．Because they planned so.

It can be inferred from the passage that__________.

A．their get-togethers were usually long

B．the author prepared a party for Patti’s visit

C．the author and Patti talked a lot this time

D．the lunch was ready when Patti arrived

On the night without power, the author was          at last.

A．mad

B．grateful

C．sad

D．awful

What did the author try to convey through this passage?

A．A lot of things can be done when the electricity is cut off.

B．The plan should be more careful.

C．We should always turn off the lights.

D．What counts are the people, not the plans.