As a young girl growing up in rural Alabama, I never understood why my mom spent so much time baking. And she always made my brother and me   36   her. A whole day every other week was devoted to making bread. It always made our small arms tired.

Despite our best efforts, the flour dust always went everywhere. I   37   to be outside with my playmates, and never   38   my mom’s desire for quality family time with her children, at least when it came to spending it in the   39  . Years have gone by, and I have become a mother myself. I prefer to leave most of the cooking to my husband and he loves it. He’s quite   40   at doing it, too.

On one occasion my husband was   41   dinner, and I was at the kitchen table going through the day’s mail when our little son, Cody, asked if he could help   42  . My husband said yes, and I sat there amused, watching them.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Helping dad cook.” he replied with a big   43   on his face. I thought back to those   44   when my mom asked me to help her bake bread, and I was   45  , but obeyed. Per­haps she was trying to create something more than just fresh bread­—maybe a few lasting   46  .

As I watched Cody do it with all his attention, I realized that he had   47   a lasting moment for me, a moment filled with a deep sense of family. I wanted to hold the moment and make it longer, and appreciate the memories my mom had given me years ago in her kitchen.

1.A.copy       B. help          C.notice           D.admire

2.A.improved   B.encouraged     C.longed          D.blamed

3.A.wondered   B. appreciat      C.judged          D.challenged

4.A.kitchen     B. restaurant      C. bedroom        D. school

5.A.unhappy    B.weak          C.astonished       D.skilled

6.A.preparing   B.choosing       C.making          D.having

7.A.play       B.work          C.cook            D.make

8.A. get uptear  B. surprise       C. smile           D. mark

9.A. dreams    B.time          C. mysteries        D.accidents

10.A. excited    B.regretful       C. confident        D.unwilling

11.A. memories  B.choices        C.opportunities     D.goals

12.A. continued  B.created        C.failed           D.served