The woman at the airline ticket counter in Munich, Germany, just shook her head. “I’m

The woman at the airline ticket counter in Munich, Germany, just shook her head. “I’m sorry, but there’s no more availability on this flight,” she said. God, I thought. My husband, Bob, and I had enjoyed every moment of our dream vacation, two weeks in Europe, but I was ready to go home to Shreveport, Louisiana, and sleep in my own bed. Bob could see how frustrated I was. “We’ll just have to try to get on the flight tomorrow,” he said. “Let’s enjoy the extra day.”

My son Joe, a First Lieutenant (中尉) in the Army 82nd Airborne Division (空降师), would be returning to Ft. Bragg in North Carolina for a short rest and recovery from his tour of duty in Baghdad, and we weren’t sure we’d be able to see him in the little time he’d be stateside. Plus, the time was so up in the air! Back at our hotel, I checked my e-mail to see if our daughter-in-law Monica had any news on when Joe was due to arrive. Sure enough, there was a message. “Joe’s been delayed again,” it read.

The next morning we made it onto our flight back to the States. Unfortunately, we had to stop in Atlanta. Our connecting flight there was delayed because of bad weather. The hours passed. I felt the frustration building. “That’s it!” I finally said. “I just want to get home!”

That’s when I saw a group of soldiers coming down the ramp(通道) from one of the gates. I thought of Joe. They’re coming back from a war, I reminded myself, while I’m coming back from vacation. What right do I have to be frustrated? Maybe the troops were God’s way of reminding me to trust in his time. Bob grabbed my arm. “Look at those soldiers coming down the ramp.”

“I see them,” I said. Bob persisted, “Do you see who’s in front?” Suddenly, all those delays across all those miles made perfect sense. I rushed toward my son Joe’s open arms.

73. Why did Bob say “Let’s enjoy the extra day”?

       A. To stay one day more.                           B. To cheer his wife up.

       C. To visit other attractions.                       D. To meet his son there.

74. In the second paragraph the author mainly tells us        .

       A. her son was a First Lieutenant in the Army 82nd Airborne Division

       B. when her son would return to the US for a short rest and recovery

       C. she didn’t know the exact time when her son would return to the US

       D. she saw if her daughter-in-law Monica knew when Joe would arrive

75. The author felt frustrated because        .

       A. their flight couldn’t land as a result of bad weather

       B. the bad weather caused their flight to be put off an hour

       C. they didn’t wait for their son Joe to match on the airport

       D. the bad weather had made their connecting flight delay

76. Where did the author happen to run into her son Joe?

       A. At the airport of Atlanta.                         B. At the airport of Shreveport.

       C. At the airport of Ft. Bragg.                     D. At the airport of Baghdad.