Excerpt from Grapes of Wrath (Cloze exercise)

The stream 1. and boiled against the bank. Then, from up the stream there came a 2.. The beam of the flashlight showed a great cottonwood 3. The men stopped to watch. The branches of the tree sank into the water and edged around with the current while the stream 4. the little roots. Slowly the tree was freed, and slowly it edged down the stream.

The weary men watched, their mouths hanging open. The tree moved slowly down. Then a branch caught on a stump, snagged and held. And very slowly the roots swung around and hooked themselves on the new embankment. The water 5. behind. The tree moved and tore the bank. A little stream slipped through. Pa threw himself forward and 6. mud in the break.

The water piled against the tree. And then the bank washed quickly down, washed around ankles, around knees. The men broke and ran, and the 7. worked smoothly into the flat, under the cars, under the automobiles.

Uncle John saw the water break through. In the murk he could see it.

Uncontrollably his weight pulled him down. He went to his knees, and the tugging water 8. about his chest.

Pa saw him go. "Hey! What's the matter?" He lifted him to his feet.

You sick? Come on, the cars is high." Uncle John gathered his strength. "I dunno," he said apologetically.

Legs give out. Jus' give out." Pa helped him along toward the cars.

When the 9. swept over, Al turned and ran. His feet moved heavily.

The water was about his calves when he reached the truck. He flung the tarpaulin off the nose and jumped into the car. He stepped on the starter, The engine turned over and over, and there was no bark of the motor. He choked the engine deeply. The battery turned the 10. motor more and more slowly, and there was no cough. Over and over, slower and slower.

Al set the spark high. He felt under the seat for the crank and jumped out. The water was higher than the running board. He ran to the front end.

Crank case was under water now. Frantically he fitted the crank and twisted around and around, and his clenched hand on the crank 11. in the slowly flowing water at each turn. At last his frenzy gave out. The motor was full of water, the battery fouled by now. On slightly higher ground two cars were started and their lights on. They floundered in the mud and dug their wheels down until finally the drivers cut off the motors and sat still, looking into the headlight beams. And the rain 12. white streaks through the lights. Al went slowly around the truck, reached in, and turned off the ignition.

Fill in the missing words: 1. current 2. dike 3. dug out 4. eddied 5. jammed 6. piled up 7. ripping crash 8 sodden 9. splashed 10. swirled 11. toppling 12. whipped