I was standing in the kitchen helping with dinner, asking my mom about my brother's doctor ' s appointment. They were testing him for autism(自闭症 ) . My brother, Captain, four years old at the time, had always been my best friend. We would wrestle, play games and have the best of times together, even though we were far apart in age. My mom told me about the appointment, but ,when she got to the point about the test, she stopped. I turned around and she had tears in her eyes. I stared at her, wishing she would say something , when I realized what that silence meant. My eyes got blurry (模糊的 ) and my breathing got very ragged. " The test was positive , sweetheart , " she said. I broke down, crying.
My mom was trying to cool me down, saying that Captain couldn't see me like this and I had to be a big girl , when the front door opened, and Captain, our three-year-old sister Cali, and my father came in. I walked out of the kitchen. I couldn't look at him. Everything had just changed. He was no longer that little baby brother who was just a normal little boy.
We had to move a while later because Captain needed treatment. One day ,I was standing in the bus line waiting when the " short bus" came and picked some kids up. The children in the other line started making jokes about the " retards(智力迟钝者) " on that bus and I felt a strange feeling in my stomach, ,which I had never felt before.
During a band class, my teacher, Mrs. Young, stopped our playing to give us some feed- back. " Guys ,we ' re playing like the kids on the short bus ! Come on!" I felt that same feeling I had in the bus line. The entire room was laughing when I raised my hand. " Yes , Alexis?" Mrs. Young asked. "I don't think we should make fun of the short bus, because there are a lot of people on that bus who have great personalities and have the same feelings as we do. And also ,I know some people on those buses and they are some of the most caring, sweetest, and smartest people , so I would appreciate it if you didn't make fun of them. "
Everyone stared at me. Mrs. Young apologized for the comment and then started the song again.
小题1: What did Alexis think her mother' s silence mean in Paragraph One?
A．There was no chance for Alexis to play games with Captain.
B．Captain was likely to miss the appointment.
C．Captain really suffered from autism.
D．Alexis had to prepare dinner quickly.小题2: Why did Alexis go out of the kitchen?
A．Because she didn't want to help with dinner.
B．Because she would be much sadder looking at Captain.
C．Because she wanted to play with Captain outside.
D．Because she wasn't willing to meet a sick brother.小题3:What Alexis said to her teacher can be seen as a kind of .
A．threat
B．approval
C．apology
D．condemnation小题4: Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A．Speaking up.
B．Giving up.
C．Looking .up.
D．Taking up.
