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。

    My dad, “Mutt” Mantle is1 a father to me, sometimes more like a good judge of talent.

    He was 2 about baseball. He made his living working in mines. But he played baseball in several town teams.

    From the day I was born, Dad said he wanted me to make my living as baseball player. He named me Mickey3 a catcher he liked. He hoped I would play for the New York Yankees.

    Dad often 4 a toy baseball to my crib(摇篮). One day, 5. I caught one. Then he was sure that I'd be a ball player!

    I learned about the 6 on a ball field before I learned my ABC's. When I was three, Dad had Mama make me little uniform. He liked to 7 around town in it.

    When I five, I started school. That same day, I had my first 8 in switch-hitting(左右手都能击球)

    Dad and Grandpa were in the yard when I came home from school. They had a small bat and two9“Mickey,” said Dad, “ Grandpa and I have thought up at a new 10. Take this bat and try to hit our

    pitches(投掷).I'm left-handed. When I throw, you swing right-handed 11 you always have. Grandpa's right-handed. When he throws, turn around and swing left-handed.”

    Dad was going to make me a 12 ! He knew that a player who can bat both right and left has a good 13 of making hit.

    That day I tried and tried. But I couldn't swing left-handed. After about 15 minutes, I yelled to Mama for help. She said, “ I know it's easy. But please try.14, to make Dad happy .”

    So, every day after school we had switch-hitting 15. After two weeks, I didn't 16 it any more. My17 were getting trained. I began to hit a few.

    After a year or two, Dad and Grandpa began throwing as 18 as they could. And they put real curves(曲线)on those tennis balls. Then as I grew older, they began to use baseball 19.

    So you know20I, today's baseball star Mickey Mantle, got my star as a Switch-Hitter.

    Sitting here, I go through my mom's old journals, reading them very differently from the first time I found them.

    It was a number of years ago, when I was twelve, I found 1 just lying around her 2 room.That day I read each line with growing 3 and horror.I couldn't believe that woman who fed me as a baby and read me fairy tales had written this.I will never forget the first line I read: “They all want to take me away and 4 me！”

    5 I thought of the other day, when she was 6 around the house.I was sitting at the dining room table with my grandmother, working on a five­thousand­piece puzzle (拼图) that takes a 7 to solve.Suddenly, the front door was violently thrown open.My mother ran in screaming at the top of her lungs.

    Then she ran into the room and shoved (推) our puzzle off the table, smashing it into the five thousand pieces we had 8.It scared me.9 ， something was 10 my mother.

    My 11 ended then, when the doctor told me she had hallucinations (幻想症).I started to understand that her illness wasn't something I could 12.That was when I realized that other kids always 13 she was different when they came over to play.

    I always wondered 14 I could do but there is no solution.But dealing with my mother has given me a different outlook on life.I try not to 15 my problems.If my mom starts making strange remarks, I leave the room and call someone.Just 16 is one of the best relaxing ways in the world.If there's no one to talk to, I 17 the violin or some other hobbies to forget about things for a time.

    As I think about the past, I see that Mom was 18an entire life.Thankfully, I haven't been.To me, each day is just one piece of the 19 ， one piece among the thousands we spend our lives putting together, hoping it won't 20.

    The rosebushes were finally in full bloom on that spring morning.

    The sight of roses always brings to1Wanda's childhood memories. Then the family had no 2to buy extra things, so even a tired rose was something to 3 .

    Currently, to have a backyard full of different roses is pure 4. And her husband, Dale, devotedly 5the roses. 6that she loves the very first blooms, he picked some on this particular morning.

    But as Dale returned, he came across a neighbor who had7 for a quick visit. As the woman turned to go, Dale generously gave the 8 to her. And even though their visitor 9 she didn't want to take them, she was10 assured(确信)that the flowers were hers to keep.

    Seeing her precious first blooms go out the door11Wanda with regret, and a bit of 12. She knew it was "better to give than to receive." 13, she wished she could have kept the roses for herself.

    Later that day, the couple headed to the post office, where Wanda waited outside in the car.

    Then, without14, an older woman suddenly appeared at the open window, and gave her a bunch of fresh roses! "These are for you. They're my first blooms this spring."

    Completely 15, Wanda thanked the woman and16 for a moment to breathe in the rich fragrance. When she looked back, the mysterious visitor was gone.

That special17changed Wanda. It made her understand the true meaning of18gifts. Now, she always19her first blooms to others, as a(n)20that someone is thinking of them.

    I feel that l was blessed by an Angel not long ago.1 was out in town with my husband. We live in a 1town. Because of the cold, my2shrunk, causing my anniversary ring to 3. I didn't notice this until we got home. I became 4ill ached all over. I thought my husband was going to have a heart attack.

    Although it is a material item, it is yet very5 He went out and retraced our6to where we came back. I called the stores we were in and no one7it in. I thought it was8 for sure.

    Well, at around midnight last night, our dogs went mad. We have a sunroom9to our home. The door to that is usually10. But that night, we Left it unlocked. My all-terrain motor scooter(小型摩托车)was 11 out there. In its basket was a ring box-- holding my ring! Along with the ring was a diamond circle.

    There was also a 12 that told the story of this stranger13 the ring and recognizing the work, as it is a piece made particularly. The person then went to the jeweler and14 about finding the ring. The jeweler is a friend of mine so she gave her my 15 and the town is so small, we are 16 to find. The stranger who found the ring 17the ribbon(丝线)in the store in order to keep the ring around the finger when it is 18 out. And then also left a gift card for us to take our family out to the movies as a Christmas gift. The note was 19 "Santa's Elf(小精灵)". My friend is keeping her lips 20 about whom it was.

    Skydiving isn't an activity for the faint of heart, but when you do it at 101 years old, you're pretty much a superhuman. On May 13, Verdun Hayes became the 1person in the world to complete a 15,000-foot tandern jump (双人伞), 2 the Guinness World Records he once set up.

    Verdun Hayes wasn't 3. He finished the jump with eight family members and two close 4 at Dunkeswell Airport in England. As they5to make the jump, the entire family looked nervous, but6as well. Hayes' grandson–in–law Ian Honnor, the organizer of the family's jump, told TODAY, "He was probably the calmest one on the 7. He had no fear and just loved it. He just wanted everyone to8it and be healthy." Honnor, who helped 9the outing, said this wasn't Hayes' first jump! "When he was more than ninety years old, his family kept telling him he wasn't 10 to do the jump. However, he didn't give up his 11. At the age of 100, he 12realized his ambition and became the first man of such an advanced age to 13a tandem skydive."

    This time he decided to shoot for the world record. "Because it's such a big14, it was decided that as many people in the family as we could possibly get were going to go15him," Honnor said. "He had four generations(世代) of his family in the 16at the same time—they ranged from age 16 to 101." The family held a big party to 17his achievement.

    Hayes even had some18for those people hoping to 19the same thing at his age. "Just keep your mind20occupied by positive thought and keep your body as fit as you possibly can," said Hayes. "Those are the two great things."

    I thought I would never have a child－then a miracle happened.

    When I was only 29, doctors said I had too many 1challenges to have a child. Meanwhile, my best friend Colleen was pregnant and she asked me to buy a changing table with her. Focusing on Colleen's good fortune helped distract (使分心) me from my2. In the shop, a babysuit with a crab (螃蟹) caught my eyes. The crab 3 childhood memories of my pretending to be Ariel from the Little Mermaid. If things were 4, that crab would have made me laugh. Instead I said, "If I5had a son, I'd want him to have that. "Sarah, you have to get it," She said.

    I shook my head no. I didn't want a(n) 6of what I couldn't have. My husband, John, and I had talked about 7. But I worried we would get8.

    The next Sunday, we went to 9 There, I noticed a tiny baby in the arms of a woman. On his backside was the same 10 I had seen. My breath caught.

    I11 to John and whispered, "That's the babysuit I was telling you about." He cocked his eyebrows. Throughout the service, I was totally 12 by the baby. I 13 to hold him. In the end, the priest (牧师) made an announcement. "The baby needs a 14. If anyone is thinking about adoption, please see us afterwards."

    We 15 our phone numbers.

    That evening, the young mother, carrying the baby, came to our home. Before we sat down, I held her baby. He fit 16 in my arms.

    Twelve families had volunteered to adopt him. If she picked us, all she asked was that we let her be 17 in his life in some way. We agreed wholeheartedly.

    I never mentioned the crab babysuit. I wanted her to make her decision without being influenced by that 18 .

    The next morning my phone rang. "We picked you" was all I heard.

    Now our six-year-old son continues to be the best 19 thing that will ever happen to me. And that crab baby suit remains 20 folded in one of my dresser drawers, where I plan to hold on to it－forever.