"Are you okay?" My brother Matthew asked from the driver's seat. At that moment, we hung upside down, trapped by our seat belts and1 in sand. Off-roading (越野驾驶) on 85, 000 acres of dunes (沙丘) in California had become our 2 and we enjoyed ourselves every time. But this time, I felt the blood 3 to my head, my heart beating like a loud bass (低音吉他). It reminded me of the four bass-loving brothers who lived across from us. As a little girl, I often wondered if Matthew and I would ever have their 4 .
When Matthew found out he was to have a baby brother, he was very 5 . But to everyone's surprise, "It's a girl!" His disappointment was clear.
As soon as I could walk, my big brother was 6 to me, my idol. However, to him, I was an annoyance (令人厌烦的人), 7 he found pleasure in tormenting (折磨) me. Yet, I put up with it. Waiting for moments when he'd 8 from his loneliness.
The sibling (兄弟姐妹) relationship often lasts the longest in our lives. After learning that I missed him, Matthew unexpectedly invited me to 9 him at university.
In his room, he handed me a drink. We didn't need many words: as siblings, we had a/an 10 way of chatting.
Years later, when I was left out from the family Thanksgiving, he refused to 11 without me. Instead, we had dinner just the two of us.
My big brother, once a tormentor, had become my 12 and friend. After our off-roading accident, I saw him13 —easily hurt and unprotected.
"Are you okay? Are you bleeding?" I checked him. The man I'd seen as14 was now human, fragile (脆弱的).
As we got ourselves 15 upright, I realized it was time for me to be his protector. I looked at my big brother, and we both smiled. Without him, my life would be unimaginably different. It was my turn to protect him. Thankfully, our shared bond had grown even deeper.
