完形填空
More than I realized, Dad has helped me keep my balance.
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father.He was severely disabled and very 1 , and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for 2 , people would stare.I would inwardly feel uncomfortable at the unwanted 3 .If he ever noticed or was 4 , he never showed that he knew.
It was difficult to coordinate our steps-his hesitant, mine 5 -and because of that, we didn’t say much 6 we went along.But as we started out, he always said,“You set the pace.I will try to follow you.”
Our 7 walk was to or from the subway, which was 8 he got to work.He went to work despite illness and nasty weather.He almost never missed a day, and would 9 it to the office even if others could not.A matter of 10 .
He never talked about himself as an object of pity, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or 11 .What he looked for 12 others was a“good heart,”and if he found one, the 13 was good enough for him.
Now that I am older, I believe that his idea is a proper 14 by which to judge people, even though I 15 don’t know exactly what a“good heart”is. 16 I know the times I don’t have one myself.
He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often.I wonder if he 17 I was unwilling to be seen with him during our 18 .Now that I am older, I’m sorry that I never told him how sorry I was for my feeling 19 to be with him in public and how unworthy I felt to be his daughter.I think of him when I complain about trifles(something unimportant), when I am envious of another’s good fortune, and when I don’t possess a“good heart”.
At such times I put my hand on his arm to 20 my balance, and say,“You set the pace.I will try to follow you.”