After my husband died suddenly from a heart attack, my world crashed around me. I was overwhelmed (不知所措) with the 小题1: of earning a living, 小题2: the little children. One 小题3: evening I came home from work to find a big beautiful German shepherd (牧羊犬) on our  小题4: . This wonderful strong animal 小题5: to enter the house and make it his 小题6: . The children took an instant liking to “German” and begged me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement until the next day, 小题7: we could inquire around the neighborhood for his 小题8: . That night I slept  小题9: for the first time in many weeks. The following morning we 小题10: to find German’s owner, but with no results. On Sunday I took the children on a picnic and we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas at a local station, we were 小题11: to see German racing to the gas station after us. 小题12: was he going to be left behind. On Monday morning I let him out for a run when the children got ready for school. As evening came and German didn’t appear, we were all 小题13: . The next Friday evening, German was back on our doorstep. Again we took him in, and again he stayed 小题14: Monday morning. This pattern repeated itself every weekend for almost 10 months. We grew more and more 小题15: of German. We stopped thinking about 小题16: he belonged — he belonged to us. As German became part of the family, he considered 小题17: his duty to take up his position by the front door and remained there until the morning. Each week, between German’s visits, I grew a little stronger, a little braver; every weekend I enjoyed his 小题18: . Then one Monday morning we 小题19: his head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. He never came back. I believe German was sent because he was needed, and because no matter how 小题20: and alone we feel, somehow, somewhere, someone knows and cares. We are never really alone. 小题21: A．duties B．ways C．purposes D．focuses 小题22: A．caring for B．looking for C．waking up D．taking up 小题23: A．Friday B．Saturday C．Sunday D．Monday 小题24: A．gate B．street C．road D．doorstep 小题25: A．regretted B．forced C．intended D．encouraged 小题26: A．nest B．home C．kitchen D．destination 小题27: A．where B．when C．while D．as 小题28: A．advice B．gifts C．owner D．situation 小题29: A．comfortably B．smoothly C．meaningfully D．peacefully 小题30: A．tried B．managed C．succeeded D．failed 小题31: A．happy B．glad C．amazed D．pleased 小题32: A．No wonder B．No way C．No doubt D．No use 小题33: A．wondered B．lost C．worried D．disappointed 小题34: A．before B．until C．since D．once 小题35: A．aware B．sure C．fond D．anxious 小题36: A．who B．where C．whom D．which 小题37: A．it B．that C．this D．one 小题38: A．friend B．company C．factory D．story 小题39: A．beat B．hit C．wounded D．patted 小题40: A．excited B．satisfied C．abandoned D．interrupted