I have always believed that “Any man can be a father, but it 1 someone special to be a dad.” This is true. Since the2 of my son, Joshua, things have changed a lot in my life, but the3 have been good! My wife and I have been through many4 moments which have made both of us stronger.

    My son was born 5 a serious breathing problem and he couldn't keep his medicine down. He was put on several different medications, 6he did not get any better. My wife and I were both told many times by people that Joshua 7he was born early; he had not8 much weight since he was born.

    As time progressed his regular doctor advised my wife and me 9 Dr. Eid, a specialist in Louisville. He was 10by my son's condition and so we were sent to Louisville's Children's Hospital. Joshua 11many different checkups. The 12spent there was very demanding for my wife and me. But we did make it13. Our son Joshua was diagnosed (诊断) with asthma (哮喘), and with acid reflux syndrome (酸回流综合症). After the treatment, his14 began to improve slowly.

    Joshua is 1 year and 1 month old now and his progress has been15 he is up to 27 pounds now. I keep telling my wife that if he keeps16 like this he might become a football 17someday. There is a 18 that has helped me get through these troublesome times, “Problems will either 19you or break you.” When you think the20hours are upon you, remember the dawn is just in sight.

    At the age of 13, I remember that my father would take me on short outings on Saturdays. On the way 1 from these trips, Dad frequently 2 at the Dairy Queen for 10-cent ice cream. Not every single time, just often enough. I couldn't 3 it, but I could hope and 4 from the time we started heading home to that 5 where we would either go straight for the ice cream or turn and go home 6. That corner meant mouth-watering excitement or 7.

    One day, we were 8 home, and I was hoping and praying for the beautiful sound of his 9. It came. “Would you like an ice cream today?” “That sounds 10, Dad!” But then he said, “It sounds good to me too, son. Would you like to 11 me today?”

    “Twenty cents!” I thought to myself, “I can afford it. I got 25 cents' pocket money and some extra for odd jobs. Well, 12 it is enough, ice cream isn't a good use of it.” Therefore, I said, “Well, in that case, I guess I'll 13.” My father just said, “Okay, Son.”

    But as we headed home, I realized how wrong I was and begged him to 14. But he just said, “That's okay, we don't really need one.” I felt 15 for my selfishness and ungratefulness. He didn't mind, or16 act disappointedly.

    From that I 17 generosity goes two ways and gratefulness sometimes costs more than “thank you”. On that day gratefulness would have cost 20 cents and it would have been the 18 ice cream I'd ever had.

    I'll tell you one more thing. We 19 another trip the next week. As we 20 the corner, I said, “Dad, would you like an ice cream today? My treat.”

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A, B, C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

    Mr.Jones had always wanted to make a trip into the middle of Africa to shoot wild animals.1first he had no enough money, and then he was married.His wife had not wanted him to2 her.At last his wife 3 to the trip if he allowed her to go, too.

    “But it will be very uncomfortable,” Mr.Jones4 her, “ It will be very hot and we shall live in a tent, and it5 be dangerous.”“I don't care,” said his wife, “I want to go with you.” So they bought a big tent, camp beds, a refrigerator（电冰箱）which did not need 6 and many other things which would make the trip comfortable, and went off to the7of Africa.

    The first morning,8 Mr.Jones took his gun and left the tent, he9 his wife a bell and explained to her , “If you fall in10and you need me ,11this bell and I'll come at once.”

    After a few minutes, he heard the bell and returned 12to the tent.“What's the matter?” he asked.“13” said his wife, “I was only14the bell.” Mr.Jones went off, but after a quarter of an hour, the bell rang15.

    Mr.Jones hurried back to the tent, but his wife said, “I'm16.I was cleaning our tent, and I knocked the bell over by mistake.” Mr.Jones returned to his17, but soon he heard the18 once more.This time, when he got back to his19, the tent was burning and Mrs.Jones was lying on the ground, with20running from a big cut on her shoulder.“That's better!” said Mrs.Jones.“This time the bell had been used correctly!”

    Owura Kwadwo Hottish teaches computers in the school he works in. I think it is a 1 school except for the fact that the school didn't have 2.

    Owura became famous after he posted photos of him on the Internet. In the picture, people could see he was teaching his students by 3 an entire computer on the blackboard. The photos showed the 4 level of education for children in Ghana. People were 5 that Owura made sure each button (按钮)was drawn correctly.

    Owura wanted the students to 6 what life with a computer could be like someday. He would come to school half an hour ahead of the 7 every day. He drew the computer on the blackboard, but at the end of his class, it was 8 off to start the next class, so he had to 9 it the next day!

    Owura's efforts were 10 when Microsoft (微软公司)took 11 of his act. They first took him to an international educators' meeting in Singapore. He made a 12 about his teaching methods at the meeting. He 13 a standing ovation (致敬)after the speech.

    14 , Owura got the thing he always wanted for his students—some companies 15 computers to the school. Not a single child in the 16 had seen a real computer in their lives. Thanks to their teacher's 17, the world took notice and responded with 18 to them.

    "Your work has really made us feel 19 about the world. At Microsoft, we believe that educators are heroes. They 20 influence the lifelong skills of their students." said Anthony Salcito, Vice president at Microsoft.

    It was our first Thanksgiving in the new house and I wanted everything to be perfect. But my plan for everyone to do some preparation work had been1by my husband's business trip. Even worse, a project for me that week had2two days of planned vacation. By Wednesday, my task of a table with fresh flowers,3drinking glasses and various homemade desserts had already4, I just hoped that I'd find a clean tablecloth and eight5forks.

    In my perfect Thanksgiving, there wouldn't be any orange in my salad because It hadn't made the grocery list. There would be no perfect family photos to record that day because I hadn't got the broken camera6. Someone had brought home the wrong toilet paper, which was the last straw that made me7.

    I don't remember what my son asked me as he was doing some cleaning,8I do remember twisting into that mean-and-tight mom-face before making an9. This combination of noise and anger is a universal signal to kids everywhere that they might as well10me. But he didn't.

    Instead of disappearing from view, my second-grader turned11the cleaning machine and walked across the room to12me. He never said a word. He just13his arms around me, making me feel14of myself until today.

It turned out a(n)15Thanksgiving. The people I loved gathered around my table and dined just one choice of the pie. My dad used a mismatched fork without16. My daughter drew a picture of us where everyone smiled.

    My son took a(n)17to teach me that sometimes we need a hug most when we are18huggable. This is the best gift you can give: One size19all and no one ever minds if you20.