6 . My father was an ill-humored man. I knew he loved me and his love was _______. He just didn’t know how to express it.

One evening we went out for a night on the town. We were sitting in a famous restaurant that had a small but lively _______. When there came a familiar waltz tune (曲调) I decided to invite him for a dance. “Dad, you know I’ve never danced with you. I begged you but you _______ wanted to. How about right now?”

I waited for the usual _______. But instead he considered thoughtfully and then a surprising twinkle appeared in his eyes. “Let’s hit the floor and I’ll show you just what kind of moves an _______ guy like me can still make.”

My father took me in his arms and I felt overcome by _______. As we danced I _______ my father but he avoided my gaze (注视). “Dad,” I finally whispered, tears in my eyes, “why is it so hard for you to look at me?” At last his _______ dropped to my face and he studied me. “Because I love you so much,” he said. I was struck dumb (愣住) by his response. It wasn’t what I had _______. But it was of course exactly what I needed to hear. His own eyes were teary and he was blinking.

I had always known that he loved me. I just hadn’t understood that his deep emotion had ________ him and made him mute (沉默的). “I love you too, Dad!” I said softly. He stumbled over the next few words, “I’m sorry that I’m not good at showing feelings. It’s ________ for me, but just remember how much I love you.”

When the dance ended I excused myself to the ladies’ room and during my ________ everything changed. Dad fell down ________ in his chair. Everything was really all too ________. He was gone.

Now I still remember our waltz on the dance floor and his sudden confession (坦白) to me. It was indeed the first, last and only dance that I ever had with my father. What a blessing that we had the chance to say ________ it was too late.

8 . When you encounter animals, do you wonder what they’re thinking? Seeing a newborn lamb or a cute puppy might arouse happy emotions in us, but what are they thinking? Does the look on their face and how they behave indicate how they’re feeling — or are they feeling nothing at all?

Humans have a complex range of feelings, but it’s hard to tell what’s going on inside the heads of animals. Some of us own dogs, because they are good companions, are loyal and seem to connect with us. We might even think they love us. Professor Kim Bard, an expert in comparative developmental psychology from the University of Portsmouth, told the BBC: “We have a few studies now that actually show scientifically that some dogs will respond when their owner — but not a stranger — pretends to cry.” The empathetic ability of cats, however, is harder to work out.

Other non-domesticated (非驯养的) animals might have feelings too. Giraffes and whales, for example, are known to experience sadness when someone in their group dies. It’s believed that even tiny creatures like insects might have emotions as well. Research is beginning to show they experience a wide range of feelings. Kim says: “They can be optimistic, pessimistic, or frightened, and respond to pain just like any mammal would.”

Dr Barbara J King, Emerita Professor of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary, told the BBC: “If we understand the profound depths of emotions animals can feel, this should make us question the existence of zoos and slaughterhouses (屠宰场) around the world, and rethink those systems. It does seem all creatures feel emotion, but what is not clear is whether they feel the same way as us.”

There are many respectable people around us