We always celebrated Dad’s birthday on Thanksgiving Day, even after he entered a nursing home．As years went on, these events took on a 1meaning for me: A traditional birthday party for Dad, and thanking for all that he had been doing to me in my life．When we knew it might be his 2birthday, the whole family decided to 3together for a huge birthday celebration at the nursing home．
Dad was a good story-teller and here was the 4he had had．During a quiet moment, I announced it was now Dad’s 5to listen to stories for a change．I wanted everyone to tell Dad what we loved about him．The room became 6．Then one after another, people told stories from their hearts, while Dad 7with tears in eyes．People 8kinds of stories—stories about when they were little, stories about when Dad was young, and stories that shared family treasures．
The stories 9． Everyone seemed to have more than one story．Even the little grandchildren couldn’t 10to tell Dad why they loved him．For a man who had been kind to so many people in his life, here was our 11to celebrate him．A few months later, at Dad’s memorial service, we more fully realized what we had 12Dad that night．Those are the stories people 13tell at a funeral after a loved one is no longer 14to hear the words．They tell stories, full of 15．But we had given those memories to Dad in his 16, and we had told them through laughter, accompanied by hugs and joys．He had them to 17and roll over in his mind during his last days and months．
Words do 18, and they are enough．We just need to say them or to speak them 19to the ones we love．That’s the way to 20love and our chance to celebrate a person in his or her life．
1.A．special B．valuable C．double D．complex
2.A．another B．last C．important D．gather
3.A．unite B．arrange C．move D．gather
4.A．career B．pride C．happiness D．audience
5.A．choice B．wish C．turn D．right
6.A．lively B．still C．cosy D．noisy
7.A．thought B．nodded C．listened D．accepted
8.A．understood B．invented C．recalled D．discussed
9.A．flowed B．passed C．unfolded D．differed
10.A．stop B．stand C．afford D．wait
11.A．responsibility B．situation C．chance D．desire
12.A．returned B．left C．given D．owed
13.A．sincerely B．gently C．normally D．regularly
14.A．available B．happy C．eager D．alive
15.A．tears B．feelings C．joy D．peace
16.A．mind B．life C．world D．work
17.A．hold B．share C．consider D．continue
18.A． suit B．fail C． survive D．matter
19.A．willingly B． publicly C． actually D．truly
20.A．get back B． call up C．give back D．keep up
_____ you are supposed to do _____ you don’t like a thing is changing it．Don’t complain．
A．That; what B．When; that C．What; since D．What; when
He is color-blind and can’t _____ red from green．
A．distinguish B．discover C．forecast D．recognize
_____ I accept that he is not perfect, I do actually like the person．
A．While B．Since C．Before D．Unless
I could hear their voice, but I couldn’t _____ what they are saying．
A．make for B．make up C．make out D．make off
He was not considered for the job when they _____ choosing a new manager．
A．set down B．set out C．set about D．set up
