第二节 完形填空 (共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分)

   阅读下面短文，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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

After my husband died suddenly from a heart attack, my world crashed around me. I was overwhelmed (不知所措) with the   16   of earning a living,   17   the little children.

One   18   evening I came home from work to find a big beautiful German shepherd (牧羊犬) on our   19  . This wonderful strong animal   20   to enter the house and make it his   21  . The children took an instant liking to “German” and begged me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement until the next day,   22   we could inquire around the neighborhood for his   23. That night I slept   24   for the first time in many weeks.

The following morning we   25   to find German’s owner, but with no results. On Sunday I took the children on a picnic and we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas at a local station, we were   26   to see German racing to the gas station after us.   27   was he going to be left behind.

On Monday morning I let him out for a run when the children got ready for school. As evening came and German didn’t appear, we were all   28  . The next Friday evening, German was back on our doorstep. Again we took him in, and again he stayed   29   Monday morning. This pattern repeated itself every weekend for almost 10 months. We grew more and more   30   of German. We stopped thinking about   31   he belonged — he belonged to us. As German became part of the family, he considered   32   his duty to take up his position by the front door and remained there until the morning.

Each week, between German’s visits, I grew a little stronger, a little braver; every weekend I enjoyed his   33  . Then one Monday morning we   34   his head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. He never came back. I believe German was sent because he was needed, and because no matter how   35  and alone we feel, somehow, somewhere, someone knows and cares. We are never really alone.

16. A. duties                       B. ways                                C. purposes                        D. focuses

17. A. caring for                 B. looking for                 C. waking up                 D. taking up

18. A. Friday                  B. Saturday                         C. Sunday                                D. Monday

19. A. gate                          B. street                              C. road                                 D. doorstep

20. A. regretted                B. forced                        C. intended                         D. encouraged

21. A. nest                          B. home                               C. kitchen                                D. destination

22. A. where                       B. when                               C. while                                D. as

23. A. advice                 B. gifts                                 C. owner                        D. situation

24. A. comfortably       B. smoothly                        C. meaningfully                  D. peacefully

25. A. tried                          B. managed                        C. succeeded         D. failed

26. A. happy                       B. glad                                  C. amazed                           D. pleased

27. A. No wonder         B. No way                            C. No doubt                        D. No use

28. A. wondered                B. lost                                   C. worried                           D. disappointed

29. A. before                      B. until                                 C. since                                D. once

30. A. aware                       B. sure                                 C. fond                                 D. anxious

31. A. who                           B. where                        C. whom                         D. which

32. A. it                                B. that                                  C. this                                   D. one

33. A. friend                        B. company                         C. factory                                D. story

34. A. beat                          B. hit                                     C. wounded                        D. patted

35. A. excited                B. satisfied                    C. abandoned                     D. interrupted