20. A. had B. helped C. let D. forced
C
Coming home from school that dark winter day so long ago, I was
filled with excitement of having the weekend off. But I was 1 into
stillness by what I saw. Mother, seated at the far end of the sofa, was 2,
with the second-hand green typewriter on the table. She told me that she
couldn't 3 fast and then she was out of work. My shock and embarrassment(尴尬) at finding Mother
in tears was a perfect proof(证明)of how 4 I understood the pressure on her. Sitting
beside her on the sofa, I began very slowly to understand. "I guess we all
have to 5 something,"Mother said quietly. I could 6 her pain
and the tension(紧张)of 7 the strong feeling that were interrupted by my 8.
Suddenly, something inside me lit up. I reached out and put my arms around her.
She broke then. She put her face 9 my shoulder and sobbed. I held her 10
and didn't try to talk. I knew I was doing what I should, what I could 11
was enough. At that moment, feeling Mother's 12 with feelings, I
understood for the first time her being easy to 13. She was still my
mother, 14 she was something 15: a person like me, capable of
fear and 16 and failure. I could feel her pain as she must have felt
mine on a thousand occasions when I sought 17 in her arms.
A week later Mother took a job selling dry goods at half the
salary the radio station 18.
"It's a job I can do, though." She said simply. But
the evening practice on the green typewriter continued. I had a very 19
feeling now when I passed her door at night and heard her 20 away across
the paper. I knew there was something more going on in there than a woman
learning to type.