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.

    One fall in the mid-1950s, I took some time off and got a train ticket to visit relatives in Cleveland. I was 1 out of school and had begun working as an office clerk. On my return trip, I noticed a couple across the aisle (通道) — a(n) 2 and a young woman — having a conversation.

    3 I realized the two of them weren't traveling together after all, but had just met on the train. The woman finally got off at Rochester, New York, leaving the soldier 4 I couldn't help noticing his good looks out of the corner of my 5

    He asked 6 he could look at the train timetable I was holding, and then if he could 7 next to me so we could chat. He's a fast mover, I thought. I'll have to 8 for this one. I invited him to 9the too-large lunch my aunt had 10 for my trip, and we 11 all the way to my stop in Oneida, and we 12 addresses and he said he would be in 13.

    After a week, I still hadn't heard from him and had begun to think he'd forgotten about me. Then, on Saturday, the phone rang and a 14 voice asked if I would like to see a movie with him that evening. He'd come to Oneida, and we 15 seeing On the Waterfront at the Kallet Theatre.

    We had a few more 16 during his Army leave, and then he was 17 overseas. For the next few years, we 18 and he visited me on other holidays. Today we've been together more than 55 years, raising three daughters who now have daughters of their own.

    Before taking my trip to Cleveland all those years ago, I was warned never to speak to 19 on a train. I'm certainly20 I didn't listen.

    I first went to hear a live rock concert when I was eight years old. My brother and his friends were all 1of a heavy metal group called Black Wednesday. When they 2 that Black Wednesday were going to perform at our local theatre, they all bought 3 for performance. However, at the last minute, one of the friends couldn't go, so my brother 4 me the ticket. I was really 5!

    I remember the buzz (嘈杂声) of excitement inside the theatre as we all found our 6. After a few minutes, the lights went down and everybody became 7. I could barely make out the stage in the 8. We waited. Then there was a roar from the crowd, like an explosion, as the first members of the band 9 the stage. My brother leaned over and shouted something in my ear, but I couldn't 10 what he was saying. The first song was already starting and the music was as11 a jet engine. I could 12 the drum beats and bass notes in my stomach.

    I can't recall any of the songs that the band played. I just 13that I really enjoyed the show and didn't want it to 14. But in the end, after three encores (加演), the show finished. We left the 15 and walked unsteadily out onto the pavement. I felt a little dizzy, as if I had just 16from a long sleep. My ears were still 17with the beat of the last song.

    After the 18, I became a Black Wednesday fan too for a few years before getting into other kinds of music. Once in a while,19, I listen to one of their songs and 20 I'm back at that first show.

    Each week, I give my elderly neighbor a ride to the store when I am going. She keeps trying to 1 me for the ride, and I always 2 refusing. I tell her that it doesn't cost any more for her to 3 with me and it is 4 for me to do this.

    Last week, she brought a(n) 5 and said happily, "I have something for you and you must accept it." I said, "If there is money in it, I don't want it." But she 6 it on a stand. Later, I opened it to find a "thank you" card with 7 in it. That night, I stopped at her house to give a plate of 8 fried chicken that I had. I took an envelope and put the $10 9 it along with a"10" card. When leaving, I left it 11 in her door.

    The next day, she paid a(n) 12 to my home to return my 13. She said, "Look, I know you put that letter in my door this morning, didn't you？" I had 14 forgotten about it, and I thought from the sincere 15 on my face, she believed me when I said that I hadn't put any letter in her door that morning. Actually, it was the night before, 16 I thought I wasn't lying. She went on to17 the envelope and enclosed (装入) the "smile" 18, and told me how she was blessed with so many good things lately. I told her that I was so 19 for her, and that I hope she 20 to be so blessed.

There was a knock at the door of Great-Grandma Smith's home one Thanksgiving. Since she was the 1 for this family holiday, she got up, opened the door, and shouted with delight, "Look who's here!"

She 2 a young man into the house, hugged him, and said, “It's 3 to see you again! Everyone will be so delighted!" Great-Grandma then hurried to 4 his coat and led him to the table. "Oh, just look who's here!" she 5 with joy. The families 6 to each other. She moved things around and 7 him in a seat between my uncle and herself. He was 8 by families on both sides and faced Great-Grandpa Smith across the table.

"Coralie, get us another place setting!^" Great-Grandma 9"We're so sorry that we 10 without you. No one knew you were coming," she 11. "But you're just going to love everything. We have turkey and many other 12. Oh, and Coralie made an apple and a pumpkin pie for dessert even! So, just help yourself. My dear, it's a long time since I saw you!" She patted his arm again and 13 .

No one had 14 her joyful speech from the moment she left the table to answer the door. After looking around the table at our 15, the young man turned and looked 16at Great-Grandma Smith's face, which was filled with love and joy. He said in a(n) 17 voice, "I don't 18 any of you. I just stopped at your house to get 19 !"

"But I really appreciate your warm-hearted dinner on this special day as I have lost my way here," he added with 20 in his eyes.

Even 15 years after my grandfather's death, he is still following me around, 1 in my ear on what to do. He is still the British-accented 2 in my head, giving me a nod of 3 for my right choice, and raising an eyebrow 4 he disagrees with something I'm doing. His wise and optimistic views 5 to affect my life.

My grandfather walked 10,000 steps 6 every day, and not because he had a $100 fitness tracker 7 him to do so. Instead of "exercising," he worked in his garden, 8 vegetables that kept our family through many winters and roses that were the joy of many summers.

He was good to the 9 in the way that people used to be before they had to be told it was the 10 thing to do. Actually, he never 11 a car or learned to drive, so he walked everywhere he could and took a bus the rest of the time.

After my grandmother died, I used to go and 12 with him on weekends. We walked around, chatted to the neighbors, and went to the 13 for food and milk. Occasionally I would 14 a little cake for him in his kitchen. At the end of the day, before he 15 the light, he would say, "That was a (a) 16 day. I enjoyed every minute of it." I never doubted for a moment that he 17 it.

In the morning, I'd 18 to his whistling in the kitchen downstairs (usually it was Raindrops Keep Falling on Mr Head). At the time, it 19 me—I am not a morning person—but now I'd give anything to hear that 20 one more time.