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。

    A white-bearded ancient man was walking over the hills and valleys of the world. On his back he carried a bag which moved uneasily as if something was trying to escape from it, but he 1 it between his shoulders and walked on.

    He was Father Time, travelling forever, and the bag he 2 was filled with Tomorrows, all struggling to get out.

    Each 3 at twelve o'clock, he opened the bag and 4outa Tomorrow, just one, with its wings of5, and its shining feathers rose with hope. All the rest were kept 6 by Time's strong hands and pushed7 in the bag.

    Down flew the Tomorrow 8 its lovely feathers, but as it touched the 9, off fell its blue wings and it changed to a(n) 10 white bird which could not fly. It had become a Today. Everyone knows that Today isn't as 11 as Tomorrow , for Today can be held in one's12, accepted, unloved, but Tomorrow is full of mystery and beauty. It is 13 by all the world. Even those with 14 hope sigh, “Tomorrow may bring a(n) 15. Tomorrow's life will be different.”

    Everybody tried to16 the Tomorrow before it fell to the ground. They thought if they17 beforehand what the Tomorrow carries, they could 18 for it. So they put great nets on the trees, seeking to catch one 19 it changed his feather. Yet although they tried every means, the birds 20 and flew to the ground as Todays.

    I have been in love with China since 2010.

    After one year in Zhejiang University,I got a great1—to work as an assistant manager in a big hotel.The best part of this job was that I was the only2,so I got a good chance to understand Chinese culture and practice my3.

    Actually,I have got 4I supposed to.I have got valuable experience,devoted friends and the feeling that I am not laowai anymore.

Guests were pleasantly surprised to see me there,because I was an interpreter,trip adviser,and5guide at the same time,which made their life much6.I met people from all over the world,who came to China for the first time, 7who knew China better than me.8my Chinese colleagues,who had answers to all the questions about9,I could explain why you should10before you buy,why Chinese don't let guests11dinner,why it is not common to book a taxi and why it is better to catch12on the street.I also had chances to13the development of China.

    The waiters and managers were not only my teachers,but14my friends.If I needed help,they were15to help me.I enjoyed our small conversations16they were kind and educated.I was very proud and happy of the fact that all of them17me and I don't feel18anymore.

    The best part of my job was to see people coming19the hotel.When they recognized me,they20share their adventures,burdens,even thoughts with me.It means the world to me.I spent there 8 months and it was a period when I was proud to be who I am.

    One summer evening I was sitting by the open window, reading a good but rather frightening mystery story. After a time it was too dark for me to read easily, so I put my book down and turned on the light.

    I was just about to draw the 1 as well when I heard a loud cry “Help! Help! ” It2to come from the trees at the end of the garden. I looked out but it was too3to see anything clearly. So I decided to go out and have a look in the garden, just4someone was in 5. I took the torch and picked up a strong walking stick, 6 that this might come to be useful, too. 7 with these, I went out into the garden. 8 I heard the cry. There was no 9that it came from the trees at the end of the garden.

    “Who's there?” I 10 as I walked, rather11, down the path that 12 to the trees. But there was no13. With the help of my torch， I 14the whole of that part of the garden and the lower15 of the trees. There was no sign of anybody or anything. I came to the 16that someone was playing a rather silly joke on me.

    17feeling rather puzzled, I went back to the house and 18 away the torch and the stick. I had just sat down when I was startled by the cry of “ Help! Help! ”, this time from19 my shoulder. I dropped my book and climbed up. There, sitting 20of the mantelpiece ( 壁炉 ), was a parrot!

    A Commitment to Life

    The snow was falling and the roads had become dangerous. The schools were dismissed early, but much to my surprise, my1wasn't canceled. So I went, feeling especially heroic. As far as I could see, I was risking my life to keep my2. Snow or no snow, I would be on time for my scheduled donation at the local 3 center.

    When I got there, I discovered I wasn't4. Four more “hero-types” were already lying back in donor chairs with lines5to their veins, and machines quietly pumping away to6their lifesaving gifts.

    Seeing my fellow donors honoring their own commitments, I realized why I was there. I lay back in my donor chair, ready to make a difference in the life of someone I would never7.

    To be honest, I'd never really thought about why I donate. I just do it. But a few months ago, during one of my8donations I learned that my blood was specifically for a cancer patient and for a newborn baby—both patients needed what I would give in order to live. I've viewed my visits to the blood center9 ever since.

    My wife Karen is a 10  too. And more importantly, she has been on the bone marrow (骨髄) list for fifteen years, ever since she signed up to provide bone marrow to a kindergartner with leukemia (白血病). That little girl died before Karen's bone marrow could help her, 11Karen was called again recently. Her test results were still on file, and it turned out she was a potential 12 for someone else. The caller asked Karen if she would still be willing to become a bone marrow donor. “Yes,” she said and then immediately began answering questions on the pages of paperwork for further testing. It was a race13time.

    I wish I could say that this 14was won. It wasn't. The caller later thanked Karen for her participation and asked a few more questions—including whether or not she'd15 on the donor list. “Of course,” Karen answered.

    Last week Karen gave blood and next week I'll make my usual donation. I'll16an afternoon from my schedule and make an appointment. I don't know whose life my donation may 17 .Most likely it will be a 18  but on any day the person needing a blood product could be you or me or maybe a loved one. It is worthwhile to 19our time to donate.

    I really do feel 20 every time I donate. And I like the feeling.

    As a child, I started learning to play the piano, my favorite musical 1,but I was forced to give up when I started my middle school 2 I could concentrate more on my studies.

    It's one of my biggest 3to stop practicing the piano when I recall sadly today. During the following years, I kept telling my piano teacher that I would4. However, I didn't keep my promise because I was 5 with my study.6 I lost touch with my teacher. Some years later, my teacher died. I was very sad because I lost such a good teacher. She was a very warm and gentle person. It hurts me to think she may have been 7 that I never returned. I haven't taken lessons since then but to be honest, I 8 to. Sitting at the piano, I couldn't help recalling many9-- times of my practising at home and playing before my teacher and one time my teacher 10 me after I played entire pieces of music wrong in front of her colleagues. I was so11 that I could hardly say anything. But her12 helped me ease my shame. These memories, 13, good or bad, never caused my 14 for playing the piano again.

    This thought then led me to think that15is like music, and that we all try to play different 16 in the instrument of our life. Sometimes the pitch(音高) is 17when we play it well, but sometimes we are out of tone. However, we all continue to create our own 18style of music. No matter what style our music is, it is 19 that we sing the songs of joy, quietness and love. Though I may never make it back to piano lessons, it doesn't20 that I've stopped making music.

Hope in my arms

    Last year, I was invited to participate in a carnival（嘉年华） for Tuesday' s Child, an organization that helps children with AIDS.

    All the children that had 1 at one special room could paint a square on a piece of cloth. Later the squares would be sewn(缝) together to2 a quilt. The quilt would be presented to a man who had devoted his life to the   3 and would soon be retiring.

    The kids were given paints in bright colors and asked to paint something that would make the quilt beautiful. As I looked around at all the squares, I saw pink hearts, blue clouds, orange sunrises and red flowers. The pictures were all bright and 4. All except one.

    One boy was painting a heart, but it was dark and lifeless. It lacked the bright colors that his fellow artists had used. I asked why. He told me that he was very5 and so was his mom. He said that his sickness was not ever going to get better and 6 was his mom's. He looked7into my eyes and said, "There is no hope in my life."

    I told him I was sorry and I could understand why he had made his heart a dark color. I told him that8 we couldn't make him better, we can give 9, which can really help when you are feeling sad. I told him that if he would like, I would be happy to give him one so he could see what I meant. 10, he crawled(爬上) into my lap（大腿）. I thought my own heart would burst for this sweet little boy. He sat there for a long time. Finally he slipped 11to finish his coloring.

    As I was getting ready to12 home, I felt a tug (猛拽) on my jacket. Standing there was the little boy,13. He said, "My heart is changing14. It is getting brighter. I think those hugs really do 15." On my way home I felt my own heart. It too had changed to a brighter color.