A. while  　　　　    B. as 　　　　　　　　   C. when 　　　　　　　　　　 D. then

I was about to phone him________ he appeared at the door.

A. while  　　　　    B. as 　　　　　　　　   C. when 　　　　　　　　　　 D. then

I was about to phone him ________ he appeared at the door.

[　　]

A few months earlier I had been painting two portraits for each of my parents．I'd planned to give them the portraits as Christmas gifts．This would be a   36   for everyone，as I had not studied  37  ．

While painting one day, I was surprised by a knock on the door. Quickly having put all my  38 materials out of sight, I opened the   39  . To my astonishment, my father came in .

Immediately I wanted to show him the paintings, but I was   40  to destroy his Christmas surprise. Yet something  41  me to share the gifts with him. After making him promise to keep it secret, I   42   he keep his eyes closed until I had the portraits set on easels(画架). “Okay, Daddy. Now you can   43  !”

He appeared dazed at first. Finally , he said, “I don’t believe it. The eyes are so  44 that they follow you everywhere—and look how   45   your mother is. Will you let me have them  46 ?”

Excited with his response, I happily volunteered to   47  them to the frame shop the next day. Several weeks passed. Then one night the   48   rang—my father had a stroke(中风). He died the next day, and it seemed all   49    escaped from the life of my mother and me .

I finally remembered to  50   about the framed portraits. I was surprised when the shopkeeper told me my father had visited the shop,   51 for the framing and had them gift-wrapped.

 52 we had lost our loved people, everyone gathered on Christmas Day making an effort to be   53  . As I looked into my mother’s sad eyes and unsmiling face, I decided to give her Daddy’s and my   54  . After she saw it, with a wide smile, she quickly said, “I knew Daddy would be with us on Christmas Day!”

I glanced at the gift card written in my father’s   55 . “ Mother—Our daughter reminded me why I am so blessed. I’ll be always looking at you.—Daddy.”