B
My family is still recovering (恢复) from the terrible times of the past couple of years. They began when my teenage stepson (继子) became ill. His autoimmune disease (自身免疫性疾病) led to kidney (肾) failure and an ongoing need for treatment.
As anyone who has cared for a sick child knows, the stress doesn't go away. My husband and I were too tired, and it was like we forgot how to communicate — we couldn't have a conversation without fighting. Our once-happy home had become unhappy.
Once, my stepson and I were discussing Valentine's gifts. I remembered that his dad gave me a kazoo (卡祖笛) for our first Valentine's Day.
My reaction to this gift was embarrassment (尴尬) when I, a professional saxophone (萨克斯) player, couldn't get it to make a sound. The kazoo was finally put away and forgotten.
But he was interested and asked to see it. After some trouble, I found it.
“You couldn't get a sound?” he asked, amazed. “What's so hard about it?”
“I don't know. It just never worked.”
My husband got the kazoo — “It's easy! Look, you just do this...” — and blew. Nothing happened. Surprised, he tried again, only to produce a sound like an angry bumblebee (大黄蜂).
My stepson burst (爆发) into laughter.
Seeing his face light up like that was wonderful. Soon, we were all laughing to the point of tears.
It was as if the gloom (阴郁) had lifted, and sunshine was let in. Eyes met and hearts connected again. My stepson took a turn on the kazoo. He did no better than us. More laughing.
It was the best 10 minutes of the past couple of years. The mood stayed light for the rest of the evening. Months later, we still remembered it. It didn't solve anything. While my stepson has recently had a successful kidney transplant (移植), his life will always have challenges.
But this experience with the kazoo proved to be a turning point. It has showed us that there are still things to laugh at and enjoy and that we can still connect as a family. Thanks to a simple kazoo, we remembered that we are one.
() 4. What can we know about the writer's family from the first two paragraphs?
A. They fought a lot after her stepson became ill.
B. They all felt hopeful about her stepson's future.
C. They didn't have enough money to treat her stepson's disease.
D. They supported each other while taking care of her stepson.
() 5. Why was the writer embarrassed by the gift?
A. She didn't like the gift at all. B. She was not able to play it.
C. She forgot where she had put it. D. Her stepson wasn't interested in it.
() 6. What does the underlined word “lifted” in the passage mean?
A. Grew deeper. B. Got lost. C. Went up. D. Went away.
() 7. After playing the kazoo together, the writer's family ____.
A. fell in love with music B. felt reconnected with each other
C. solved the challenges they faced D. understood the meaning of gift-giving
() 8. What's the best title for the passage?
A. The First Valentine's Gift. B. A Kidney Transplant.
C. A Simple Kazoo. D. The Stress of a Family.