She was a four-year-old girl with very fine golden hair when I first met her. She was carrying a bowl of soup. I was 29 at that time and 11 from the flu.
Her mom and I had been friends for years. 12 that friendship grew into care, from care into 13 and marriage. Marriage brought the three of us together as a 14 . At first I was afraid to be a “stepfather”. Therefore, I tried not to come 15 my future daughter and her 16 father. I acted in that way in order to be liked. However, 17 she was growing up, I found it increasingly hard to 18 with her.
Once her school required the parents to individually(个别的) write an open and 19 letter to our children. I wrote a letter about a little golden-haired girl who had 20 me a bowl of soup when I needed 21 .
A week later, all the parents 22 together with our children. The students were allowed to make a few statements. I was 23 to hear what my daughter would say.
Finally my daughter 24 make her way up to the microphone. She said something like others and then 25 , “At this very moment, I just want to say …I love you, Father.”
Immediately people around me started 26 at me. For a teenage girl to say 27 in front of so many people, “I love you,” took a great deal of courage.
Since then I have 28 to understand I didn’t need to have any 29 about being a stepfather. I can still 30 honest love with the same little girl I met so many years before － carrying a bowl full of what turned out to be kindness. I can also be friends with the girl － my daughter.
11. A. hurting B. attacking C. suffering D. experiencing
12. A. Immediately B. Finally C. Especially D. Generally
13. A. like B. pleasure C. excitement D. love
14. A. union B. group C. family D. whole
15. A. between B. among C. from D. for
16. A. natural B. following C. untrue D. old
17. A. after B. as C. with D. before
18. A. connect B. share C. communicate D. argue
19. A. honest B. formal C. powerful D. responsible
20. A. taken B. shown C. shared D. brought
21. A. cure B. care C. help D. friend
22. A. presented B. invited C. gathered D. asked
23. A. glad B. hopeful C. serious D. anxious
24. A. determinedly B. independently C. patiently D. unexpectedly
25. A. lasted B. declared C. continued D. responded
26. A. hugging B. smiling C. kissing D. celebrating
27. A. quietly B. openly C. brightly D. attractively
28. A. used B. stepped C. desired D. come
29. A. courage B. fear C. happiness D. idea
30. A. exchange B. send C. expect D. fall