阅读下面短文，从下列各题所给的A、B、C三个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案。

My mother's loving hands

      Night after night, she came to help me sleep, even long after my childhood years.

      I don't remember1it first started making me a little angry 一 my mom's hands pushing my hair that way. But it really made me uncomfortable, for they2rough（粗糙的）against my young skin. Finally, one night, I 3 her, "Don't do that any more. Your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything,4 she never did it again.

      Years later I missed my mother's5and her goodnight kiss on my face. I'm not a little girl any more. My mom is6 her mid-seventies, and her rough hands are still doing things for my family and me.

      Now my own children have7. It was late on Thanksgiving Eve. As I slept in my bedroom, a familiar hand ran across my8to push the hair from my head. Then a kiss, ever so softly, touched my brow（额头).

      Taking my mom's hand, I told her how9 I was for that night I shouted at her. But my mom didn't know what I was talking about. She had forgotten it long ago.

      That night, I10with a new appreciation（感激）for my mother's caring hands. And the guilt（内疚）that I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found.

    I used to feel hopeless and frustrated. Last year my mother became 1ill and had an operation on her brain. I felt my whole world turn upside down and I had no 2what I could do to help her to reduce her pain. My eyes were filled with tears 3I was alone.

    Last month I 4a watch, which was an 18﹣year﹣old birthday gift from my father. I could not fall asleep for a couple of nights because I felt5about the loss.

    There have been many bad things like these in my life. I could never know how to deal with such tough things6I read" If You Have a Lemon, Make Lemonade".

    "When the wise man is handed a lemon, he says, 'What 7can I get from this? How can I improve my situation? How can I turn this lemon into a lemonade?'" the author wrote.

    I suddenly 8that life is full of ups and downs, so I need to stay positive all the time. Now when I think of my past, I wish I could have done with things 9. When my mother was fighting against her illness, I should have held her hands in mine, telling her things would get better10hiding and crying.

    Several weeks ago, I took part in a school singing competition. I didn't 11a prize. If I had not read this article, I would certainly have felt 12again. But instead, I smiled after the competition. I was happy that 13I had got some stage experience.

    Life is not just a bed of roses. There are thorns （刺） 14, but these thorns help us become brave and strong. When life 15us a lemon, let's try to make a lemonade.

A Meaningful Gift

    Emily was an eighth grader. To pass her Civics course(公民课程), she had to do some volunteer service in a nursing home for a week.

    One Monday, Emily went to the nursing home after school. When she arrived, she was told she would 1 an hour every weekday with an elderly lady, Mrs. Blair. She was then led into a room, where an old lady in a flowery dress was sitting on a sofa.

    Emily 2awkwardly(别扭地)in front of the lady. She cleared her throat and said, "Good afternoon. I'm Emily."

    "Good afternoon, Emily. Take a seat, please." Mrs. Blair replied.

    Then, 3filled the space between them. Emily wondered what to say.

    "Tell me about yourself, Emily," Mrs. Blair said suddenly.

    "Well," Emily started, "I don't have any grandparents, so I can't relate to elderly people much. I love the performing arts. I'm here mainly because I have to4 here to get a good grade for my Civics class."

    Mrs. Blair didn't seem to5. "Many people, especially teens, don't seem to care about old people like me. Now you are here, and I'm going to change that about you. Ask me anything."

    Emily thought for a moment, and finally decided, "What was your job?"

    "I was a Broadway star in the 1950s." Mrs. Blair answered.

    "Cool! Can you tell me about it?" Emily asked, amazed.

    Mrs. Blair smiled. "Back then, only the lead actress had the honor to wear a6 bracelet. I was the lead in almost all of the plays, so I always wore the bracelet. Till this day, I still have it."

    Emily smiled along with Mts. Blair and listened to the other stories, attentively. She had become so interested in Mrs. Blair's 7 that she decided to come earlier the next day.

    Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday passed by quickly. Then came Friday. As she was leaving, Emily was really8to say goodbye.

    "Don't be sad. You can still visit me," Mrs. Blair comforted her. She then handed a small box to Emily," It's my gift to you."

    Emily9opened the box and was surprised to see what was inside. "It's the bracelet that you wore. Thank you!" Emily said, with tears in her eyes. "I'm sure to visit you whenever I'm free."

    On the way home, Emily thought of her own love for the performing arts. She touched the bracelet and made a 10that she would keep her word to Mrs. Blair.

    Our dog named Zip always brings things home for us to keep! Many of them were toy bears, lambs and ducks. We never could 1the owners.

    One day Dad was 2 the newspaper, "Listen to this, everybody," he said. "To the person who took a Teddy bear from a child′s wagon(推车)-please bring back the toy bear. Our two-year-old son is very 3."

    "Zip does something 4again. He must have taken others′ toys," said Anita.

    "Yes," said Dad, "well, the paper gives the 5. This time I can take back Zip′s 6."

    "Do you think it is 7 to do that?" Mom asked. "If you tell others about Zip, who will believe you?"

    "I will 8 until dark  Then I′ll just put the Teddy bear at the front door and walk away. 9 will see me."

    Dad's idea 10 worked. He put Teddy at the gate. He turned to walk away and knocked into a chair!

    Dad started to 11. But he didn′t get very far. The gate light came on. A man opened the door. "12 is over here?" he called out.

    Dad kept silent and didn′t even try to 13. He just wanted to get away. Then the man saw 14.

    He shouted after Dad, "How 15 you are!" he said, "Taking toys from babies!"