完形填空。 I was not quite seventeen when I decided to join the US Army. My mother tried her best to 1 me out of my dream, then finally signed the papers that would allow me to be a solider. One day, nearly two years after the Philippines (菲律宾) became my 2 , I was told to go to the office of Lieutenant Colonel (中校) Boyd. He seemed to be a kind man, but I was pretty sure that he hadn't called me in to 3 the time of day. Standing before his desk, I waited 4 as he read through some paperwork. Then he looked up. 'Why, Private (二等兵), haven't you written to your mother for more than six months?' I felt weak in my knees. Has it been 5 long? I thought. 'I don't have anything to say, sir.' Lieutenant Colonel Boyd told me that my mother had got in touch with the American Red Cross, which in turn informed me about that. Then he said, 'Go to that desk, and you'll find some paper and a pen. Sit down right this minute and write to your mother, Private?' 'Yes, sir.' When I finished a short letter, I stood before him again. 'Private, I'm 6 you to find something to say to your mother at least once a week. Do you understand?' I did. Some thirty-five years later, my 7 mother's mind was not as good as it used to be, and I had to place her in a convalescent home (疗养院). As I 8 her own things in a big old strong box, I found some letters tied with a bright red ribbon (缎带). They were the letters I had 9 from the Philippines. I sat on the floor of her room that afternoon reading each one, tears (眼泪) running down my face. I now realized how deeply I, as a 10 , had made her worried by my careless thoughts. The lesson I learned may have been too 11 to help my mother, but it's still 12 me good. These days I don't need an officer standing over me to write my loved ones on a regular basis (定期). (     )1. A. talk (     )2. A. space (     )3. A. lose (     )4. A. worriedly (     )5. A. that (     )6. A. ordering (     )7. A. angry (     )8. A. looked for (     )9. A. written (     )10. A. son (     )11. A. early (     )12. A. made B. carry B. home B. take B. excitedly B. very B. asking B. sad B. went through B. heard B. soldier B. late B. kept C. push C. country C. waste C. nervously C. quite C. telling C. aged C. put away C. brought C. young man C. long C. done D. take D. dream D. pass D. unhappily D. too D. saying to D. sorry D. brought out D. saved D. grown-up D. short D. given