Directions: In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. First, read the passage over and try to understand what it is about. Then, fill blank (2) with the help of the given alternatives.

The stranger stood on the hilltop and (1) ________ the valley before him. Despite the familiarity of the scene, some things had changed in his absence. The small house where he had once lived with his mother and younger brother James lay in (2) ________ and other houses had sprung up beyond it. Cultivated land stretched where once there had only been hills and sheep. He began his journey down towards the small township, which seemed (3) ________ save for a solitary dog barking. Only the thin plumes of smoke rising from the chimneys (4) __________ that there was life in the houses. Then, he saw her. She was standing by the byre, a basket of peats balanced on her hip as she secured the door latch. As he approached, he saw that she was older than when he last saw her, and the first streaks of grey had appeared in her once raven hair. “Margaret”, he whispered, then (5) _________ her name louder as she turned and saw him. Her mouth fell open, as if she had seen a ghost, and she dropped the basket and let out a little cry.