“Hey, Dad, are you going to come to my award ceremony tonight?” I   36   asked my father.

“I have to work late tonight. I doubt I’ll be able to   37   it on time. I am just too busy right now,” he replied.

    My mind could not   38   the idea that he would be too busy working late. He was also too busy to   39   my horse show and the 15th birthday party. He always used the same   40  . Why had I even bothered to ask?   41  , there was always a slight hope that tonight would be   42  .

As my mother and I arrived at school, two friends   43   me. “Jill, meet my dad. Dad, this is my friend Jill.” I shook the hand of a tall man. Camera flashes lit up the room, and claps filled the   44   as students accepted their awards. My name was finally called,   45   three others. I followed my classmates to the   46  . When I reached out my hand to shake the   47  , a big smile lit up her face. The blinding flash from my mother’s camera   48   my eyes and I knew my dad wasn’t there. I walked back to my seat   49  . I told myself he would not be   50  .      

However, a tall and strong figure suddenly greeted me as I  51   backward casually. I saw my father seated on the bench   52   at me among the audience! At that very moment I could feel my tears   53   . I showed my   54   to him, tears rolling down my face at last. I wondered  55  anybody else in the world could ever be any happier than I.

 1.A. confidently       B. eagerly      C. proudly      D. urgently

 2. A. reach                B. keep         C. take         D. make

 3. A. follow           B. support      C. appreciate       D. accept

 4.A. join              B. avoid            C. attend           D. afford

 5.A. excuse            B. reason           C. promise      D. trick

 6. A. Besides          B. Thus         C. Otherwise        D. However

 7. A. active           B. formal           C. different        D. serious

  8.A. recognized       B. greeted      C. introduced       D. welcomed

 9. A. air              B. hall         C. office           D. gym

  10.A. as well         B. other than       C. out of           D. along with

  11.A. stage               B. position     C. room         D. exit

  12. A. classmate’s    B. teacher’s    C. mother’s     D. father’s

  13.A. fixed               B. touched      C. hurt         D. inserted

  14.A. successfully        B. disappointedly   C. delightedly      D. hopefully

  15.A. loved               B. disturbed        C. forgiven     D. respected

16.A. stepped           B. noticed      C. examined     D. glanced

 17.A. smiling          B. staring          C. laughing     D. crying

  18.A. getting off         B. taking down  C. building up      D. turning around

 19.A. pride                B. award            C. reward           D. congratulations

  20.A. when                B. how          C. whether      D. that