Iranintoastrangerashepassedby.“Oh,excusemeplease”wasmyreply.Hesaid,“Pleaseexcusemetoo…Iwasn’twatchingforyou.”Wewereverypolite,thisstrangerandI.Wewent26ourwayandwesaidgoodbye.Butat27,adifferentstor

　　Iranintoastrangerashepassedby.“Oh,excusemeplease”wasmyreply.Hesaid,“Pleaseexcusemetoo…Iwasn’twatchingforyou.”Wewereverypolite,thisstrangerandI.Wewent26ourwayandwesaidgoodbye.

　　Butat27,adifferentstoryistold.Howwetreatourlovedones,youngandold?Laterthatday,asIwas28theeveningmeal,mydaughterwalkeduptome,verystill.WhenIturned,I29knockedherdown.“Getoutoftheway,”Ishoutedwithafrown.Shesteppedawaysilently,withherlittleheart30.Ididn’trealizehowharshly(严厉地)I’dspoken.

　　Thatnight,whenIlay31inbed,myhusbandspoketome,“While32withastranger,youarepolite,butwiththegirlyoulove,youarequicktoexcite…Golookaroundthekitchenfloor,you’llfindsomeflowersbythe33.Thosearetheflowersshebroughtforyou.Shepickedthemherself—pink,yellowandyourfavoriteblue.Shestoodtherequietly,andyouneversawthetearsinhereyes.”

　　Bythistime,Ifeltsadandsmallandnowmytearsbegantofall.Iquietlywentandkneltdownbyher34.“Wakeup,littlegirl,”Isaid.“Aretheseflowersyoupickedforme?”Shesmiled:“Ifoundthemoutbythetree.Ipickedthembecausethey’reprettylikeyou.Iknewyou’dlikethem,especiallythe35.”Isaid,“I’msosorrythatImissedthemtoday.AndI36haveshoutedatyouthatway.”

　　Shesaid,“OhMom,that’sokay.Istillloveyou37.”Ihuggedherandsaid,“Daughter,Iloveyoutoo.AndIdoliketheflowers.”

　　Doyouknowthat:ifyoudietomorrow,the38youareworkingforcouldeasilyreplaceyouinamatterofdays.Butthefamilyyouleave39willfeelthelossfortherestoftheirlives.Andcometothinkofit,wepourourselvesmoreintoour40thanintoourfamilies—anunwiseinvestmentindeed.

　　26.

　　A.to

　　B.in

　　C.on

　　D.for

　　27.

　　A.school

　　B.work

　　C.home

　　D.office

　　28.

　　A.doing

　　B.having

　　C.eating

　　D.cooking

　　29.

　　A.hardly

　　B.rudely

　　C.nearly

　　D.already

　　30.

　　A.lost

　　B.beaten

　　C.cut

　　D.broken

　　31.

　　A.asleep

　　B.awake

　　C.afraid

　　D.alive

　　32.