The car doors were still locked, the windows tightly shut, and on the back seat were their two jackets. 38 , I ran to the corner of the street but there was no sign of them.
答案：(A) In a panic
語意「驚慌之下，我跑到街角」，In a panic 符合發現孩子不見後的心理狀態；With delight（愉悅地，語意相反）、Out of sorrow（出於悲傷）、Filled with embarrassment（充滿尷尬）都不符合這個「驚慌尋找」的情境。
本題大考中心未公布逐題答對率，以下不談數據，只談觀念。
這是本篇唯一一格只要填一個片語的題目，四個選項都是「處在某種情緒狀態」的介系詞片語，中文意思差很遠，照理不難分；難的是有沒有把情緒讀對——這一刻的情緒是驚慌，不是難過，也不是尷尬。
四個選項都是介系詞片語，可見這一格考的是語意，那就看前後的情節。前一句剛揭曉：兩個孩子在一輛上鎖的車裡憑空消失了。這一句是 ___, I ran to the corner of the street but there was no sign of them（我……跑到街角，卻完全沒有她們的蹤影）。一個大人發現自己看顧的幼童不見了、拔腿就往街角跑，當下的情緒只可能是驚慌，In a panic（驚慌之下）正是這個意思。往後讀也能印證：再過幾句作者寫 Feeling quite sick with fear（怕得幾乎要作嘔），恐懼的情緒一路延續下去，方向完全一致。
With delight（開心地）：方向相反。Out of sorrow（出於悲傷）：悲傷是失去之後的哀痛，而這一刻是急著找人、還抱著希望，情緒的性質不同。Filled with embarrassment（滿是尷尬）：尷尬是怕在別人面前丟臉，但這時街上還沒有人看見她的窘境，何況孩子不見了，輪不到尷尬。
in a panic（驚慌之下）、panic（恐慌、驚慌）、there is no sign of（沒有……的蹤影）、run to the corner（跑到街角）、feel sick with fear（怕得難受）、out of curiosity（出於好奇）。
Last Tuesday I took my two nieces, aged three and five, to town in the car. It began to rain heavily so I decided 36 , while I rushed into a shop. I told the girls I would be back in a few minutes and asked them not to touch anything. Then I locked all the doors and left.
I was back at the car in less than five minutes 37 ! I could hardly believe my eyes. The car doors were still locked, the windows tightly shut, and on the back seat were their two jackets. 38 , I ran to the corner of the street but there was no sign of them. I rushed up to a couple of passers-by and asked in vain whether 39 .
Feeling quite sick with fear, I sat on the driver's seat, trying to stop trembling. Suddenly, behind me I heard a tapping noise and laughter. I jumped out of the car, ran round to open the trunk and there inside 40 . They had apparently pulled out the back seat, crawled behind it, and then had not been able to push the seat forward again. I almost wept with relief!