Coffee is our dog, dad's favourite. Five years ago, __21__ suffered strokes, and the doctors told us he would not __22__ through. Mum and we sisters took turns taking care of him, trying to __23__ him by asking questions, such as, “Are you OK？” “Do you know who we are？”．.. __24__， we never got the answers we were __25__. As the months went by, I started to miss our __26__， thinking of those funny things he would do. So one day, when I was asking dad our daily questions, without even __27__ it, I blurted out (脱口而出): “Is Coffee a tiger？” Suddenly, we saw dad move __28__， the corner of his __29__ began to turn up, smiling! It was the first __30__ in four months that dad had __31__ any awareness. Coffee called dad back to __32__！
Since then, Coffee came into our __33__. I would remind him of how Coffee __34__ walking on grass. Every time we threw a ball in our garden, Coffee would run __35__ the edge, on the brick pavers (小道), to the closest point where the ball had __36__， tiptoe onto the grass to pick it up, then run back along the pavers again.
It took one year before dad was __37__ well enough to return home, and I'll never forget the homecoming. Coffee was waiting for dad and, with no idea that he wasn't as steady on his feet as before, Coffee rapidly jumped himself into dad's __38__， almost pushing dad over. But dad didn't seem to __39__ one bit: the smile on his face was the most __40__ I've ever seen and the tears in his eyes said it all.
21．A. mum B. I
C. dad D. Coffee
22．A. pull B. get
C. put D. go
23．A. help B. comfort
C. save D. awake
24．A. Fortunately B. Sadly
C. Strangely D. Firstly
25．A. learning about B. hoping for
C. caring about D. looking for
26．A. home B. garden
C. dog D. neighbour
27．A. asking B. minding
C. hearing D. realizing
28．A. calmly B. quickly
C. slowly D. worriedly
29．A. mouth B. ear
C. face D. nose
30．A. notice B. sign
C. sight D. view
31．A. showed B. lost
C. found D. expressed
32．A. thought B. smile
C. spirit D. life
33．A. conversations B. hearts
C. memories D. stories
34．A. loves B. hates
C. cares D. knows
35．A. along B. over
C. on D. beyond
36．A. came B. left
C. hit D. landed
37．A. immediately B. only
C. finally D. hardly
38．A. hands B. arms
C. eyes D. tears
39．A. mind B. feel
C. see D. stand
40．A. interesting B. colourful
C. beautiful D. surprising