23. What Alexis said to her teacher can be seen as a kind of　　　　 .

　　 A. threat　　　　　 B. approval　　　　　 C. apology　　　　　 D. condemnation

22. 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.

八．A

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.

21. 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.

29. [答案]D

[试题解析]推理题。根据文章第一句A decades-old tradition, illustrated in a modem children's book, links the sweetness of honey with the joy of learning to read.中的A decades-old tradition可知这是一个几十年的老传统，所以可能是几代人都这样做的一个老传统。故D项正确。

28. [答案]C

[试题解析]细节题。根据第三段第一句　 The little girl had just turned five.可知这个小女孩刚刚5岁多一点，故C正确。

30. The book entitled Thank You, Mr. Falker is about

　　　 A. the early life of Mr. Falker

　　 B. the magic power of oral words on children

　　　 C. Polacco's early experience with reading

　　　 D. how the honey on the book makes children feel happy