You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his dogs.

    For many years, I enjoyed living with my dogs, Tilly and Chance. Their   41   was nearly enough to keep my loneliness at bay, Nearly. Last year. I started dating, but with   42   . When I first dated Steve, I   43   he had a dog. Molly, and a cat, Flora. While I was   44   that he was an animal lover, I   45   that three dogs were perhaps too many, and my dogs might attack   46   , the cat.

    The next week we   47   our dogs together. It was a hot day. When we paused to catch our   48   , Steve got down on one knee. Was he proposing (求婚)? I liked him too. But so   49   ? He poured water from a bottle into his hand and offered it to my dogs.   50   , I began to fall for him.

    We   51   to date, though neither of us brought up the future. And then in late November, Tilly had an operation on her   52   . I took the dogs out four times a day, and I worried that Tilly   53   climbing the stairs could reopen the wound. Then Steve   54   his house. All worked   55   . The three dogs formed a pack that, with coaching,   56   Flora's space; Steve and I formed a good team   57   for Tilly. We made good housemates.

    A year later, much to my   58   this man produced a little box with a ring and proposed to me. He did not kneel (跪) down, nor did I   59   him to. That's only for giving   60   to the dogs that brought us together.

41. A. ownership         B. membership         C. companionship       D. leadership

42. A. reservations        B. expectations         C. confidence           D. prejudice

43. A. feared             B. doubted            C. hoped               D. learned

44. A. unsatisfied         B. amused             C. terrified              D. thrilled

45. A. predicted           B. worried            C. regretted             D. insisted

46. A. Flora              B. chance             C. Molly                D. Tilly

47. A. tied                B. walked            C. bathed               D. fed

48. A. breath           B. balance            C. attention             D. imagination

49. A. calm              B. sure                C. soon                D real

50. A. By the way          B. In that case         C. By all means     D. In that moment

51. A. continued           B. decided            C. intended          D. pretended

52. A. eye                B. tail                C. ear                  D. leg

53. A. secretly             B. constantly          C. eventually          D. unwillingly

54. A. left                 B. sold               C. suggested            D. searched

55. A. late                 B. hard              C. fine                 D. free

56. A. emptied              B. respected          C. occupied         D. discovered

57. A. looking              B. caring             C. waiting              D. calling

58. A. delight               B. credit             C. interest         D. disadvantage

59. A. beg                  B. trust              C. need                 D. aid

60. A. toys                 B. awards             C. food                 D. water