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

    Before I turned 29, my parents moved to Queensland, where I arrived for a visit six months later. I 1 upon my mother with hugs, and for the first time in my life I said, “I love you, mom!” Then I gently 2, expecting some kind of reciprocation. But it never came. Instead, she appeared 3 in horror.

    When I was back at work, I overheard a workmate on a call to her mother and she concluded it with “I love you, Mum.” As 4 as that. Why wasn't it like that in mine? Something had to be done about this 5situation once and for all.

    My 6 came the next Sunday during my weekly phone call to my mother. After we had shared our usual pleasantries and7, I took a deep breath and asked, “Do you love me, Mum?” After a short 8, she replied, “I love you. Don't be silly. You know we never said things like that in my family.”

    “Well, I want it to be said in ours. From now on I want to 9 our conversations with 'I love you.'”

    In May 2000 my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was 10 to hospital, and I phoned every day to 11 her. One evening when I rang, a nurse answered the phone and regretfully informed me that my mother's condition had rapidly worsened. She wasn't expected to 12 it through the night.

    Knowing I couldn't get a flight in time, I asked the nurse to put the phone next to my mother's ear so I could talk to her. “She's 13 conscious,” the nurse replied. “It's unlikely she'll hear you.” But I didn't care. I wanted to do it 14.

    15 she'd placed the phone by my mother's ear, I started 16 and telling Mum over and over again that I loved her. At first, all I could hear was “Hmmmm”—but then, like a miracle, with a deep 17she said, “Love you … love you, darling.” It was the last thing she said before drifting into 18.

    Although I was overwhelmed by her death, the surprising part was how well I 19. Of course, losing a parent is extremely painful and I shed many tears, but receiving those lovely last words made it much more 20. I had closure in the best possible way.

    When I was a law professor, a student reported that I made an error in grading his exam by giving him too many points. He was 1 and after thanking him for his honesty, I changed the 2 in my records. His beaming (欢笑的) face turned to 3. “You're lowering my grade?” he said angrily. “I would never have come in 4 ……”. He didn't finish the 5, but it was obvious that his display of honesty was false. He thought he'd have it all— praise and the 6 grade. Several colleagues thought I should have let the higher grade 7 because all I'd accomplished was to discourage him from being 8 in the future. And every time I tell this 9, some people agree with this remark. But I can't see how I could give good 10 for worsening my mistake in grading by undermining (损害) the honesty of all my grades by failing to 11 an error. The grade itself would be a dishonest 12 of his knowledge and it would have been 13to other students. How could I possibly give a student a gift of an14 grade? I know 15 reporting an error in one's favor is unusual, but, like 16 extra change, it's clearly the right thing to do. People of character, those with real honesty, hate to give up benefits as 17 as anyone else. The difference is that for them a good conscience and reputation is 18enough to give reason for the cost of doing the right thing. Perhaps lowering the student's grade did 19 him from being honest in the future, but bribing (贿赂) him to be honest so that he does the right thing when it's cost-free would have 20him even more. The duty to be honest is about right and wrong, not risks and rewards.

    We know children should grow up, knowing the right sense of values. Here is a good example to teach them a good lesson.

    One day, a young man who was dressed poorly begged1door to door along the street.2an old wallet in hand, he was asking for a few coins to buy something to eat. He kept complaining about his bad3and kept wondering why those who had so much money were never 4 and were always desiring more.

    "As5as I'm concerned, if I had only enough to fill my stomach and to wear, I would not want anything more."

    Just at that moment Goddess Fortune noticed the beggar among the crowd and got close to him, greeting, "Hi, young man, I have wished to 6you for a long time. If you open your wallet, I will pour my gold into it. But keep in mind that I will do that only on this 7: All that falls into the wallet will be pure gold belonging to you; but every piece falling upon the ground8become dirt, worth nothing. Are you clear?"

    "I see. Now I'm ready." said the beggar with confidence.

    "Then you should 9! It's obvious that your wallet is a 10one, so don't load it too heavily," said the Goddess Fortune.

    The excited beggar could hardly 11to have gold. He quickly opened his wallet, and a 12 of yellow coins was poured into it. The wallet became heavier and heavier.

    "Is that enough? Isn't it cracking? Will your wallet strong enough for more?" warned the Goddess.

    "Never13.It's still strong enough now" replied the beggar confidently.

    The wallet was filled with14many coins that the beggar's hands began to shake. "Ah, if only the golden stream would 15 forever! Just a little more," said the beggar, "16 just a handful or two."

    "There! It's full. The wallet will 17." reminded the Goddess again, but the beggar insisted 18, "I know it will hold a little more, just a little more!" One more piece was added and the wallet split. The 19 fell upon the ground and became dust. The greedy beggar had now 20 but his broken wallet.

    Clara Daly was sat on an Alaska Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles. Then a flight attendant asked an urgent question over the loudspeaker: "Does 1 on board know American Sign Language?"

    Clara, 15 at the time, 2 the call button. The flight attendant came by and explained the 3. "We have a passenger on the plane who's blind and deaf," she said. The passenger 4 to want something, 5 he was traveling alone and the flight attendants couldn't understand what he needed.

    Clara had been 6 ASL for the past year and knew she'd be able to finger spell into the man's palm(手掌). So she untied her seat belt, walked 7 the front of the plane, and knelt by the seat of Tim Cook, then 64. Gently taking his 8, she signed, "How are you? Are you OK?" Cook asked for some water. When it 9, Clara returned to her seat. The flight attendant 10 again a bit later because he wanted to know the time. On her third 11, she stopped and stayed for a while.

    "He didn't need anything. He was 12 and wanted to talk," Clara says. So for the next hour, that's 13 they did. She talked about her family and her plans for the future. Cook told Clara how he had 14 become blind over time and 15 stories of his days as a traveling salesman. Even though he couldn't see her, she "looked 16 at his face with such 17," a passenger reported.

    "Clara was 18," a flight attendant told Alaska Airlines in a blog interview. "You could 19 Cook was very excited to have someone he could speak to, and she was such an angel. And Cook said it was the best trip he'd 20 had."

    When I first met my new parrot, Chico, his wings had been cut short and he was stuck on the earth just like us humans. When the weather turned nice, I would take Chico outside. I 1 him on a branch of a tree, hoping to make him happier. At first he seemed confused. He walked back and forth on the branch looking 2. He didn't even flap his wings in an /a 3 to fly. Somehow he knew he was incapable.

    One day Chico got especially excited. He paced back and forth and made an 4 amount of noise. Then all of a sudden he stopped and let out an even louder scream. He started 5 flapping his wings for the first time ever—then he lifted off the 6 like a space shuttle! I was amazed and 7. Little did I know his feathers had been growing back, and Chico had been waiting until the moment was ripe for 8!

    Two days later Chico returned. First I tried to 9 him back with food, but he would not come near me. Then I took his 10 and put it away—still he would not come. Finally, I made him a firm promise that I would let him out every day if the weather was nice as long as he did come back. 11, he flew onto my shoulder.

    From that day on, whenever the weather was good I would let him 12 early and he would fly around and be back before dark. The routine lasted for two months 13 suddenly Chico became 14. The vet said that he had been infected with a disease from the pigeons in the 15. Within a few days he died.

    I was very sad. The 16 crossed my mind that if I had not set him free to fly, he would be still alive. But what 17 is there in being a bird if you can't fly?

    Chico made his first 18 for freedom on a late Monday afternoon in April. When will you make yours? You too can take a 19 when the conditions are right, knowing you too, in your own way, were built to fly. If you don't set yourself free, what will be the 20 of your life?

After 49 years on the job, Marge Moore still mops and sweeps her bus every day and washes it on weekends. Every winter is a1for Moore, just because she needs to2her kids on time. Besides, she has to drag her blow-dryer to3 the transmission (变速器) when4 cold.

Even with vacations, Moore still gets 5 to work as a bus driver for Virginia Beach public schools. She's seeing some6students grow up and have kids, whom Moore also took to school.

"Moore's absolutely7. There's a reason she hasn't8 a day," people said," she's just 9by her love for kids." She is earning a little 10as her term of service inches closer to the half-century mark.

The COVID-19 has seriously interrupted her school11. When learning is virtual, Moore works to deliver food to 50 families, who wouldn't12 have it. Her consistency is13, and she was nominated (提名) for the " Recognizing Inspirational School Employees Award". The14 will be announced in the spring.

Moore isn't sure when she'll quit. "If I didn't 15it, I wouldn't be doing it," she said.