Speaking Up
I never looked up when my friends were talking and joking about the ratarded (智障的) boy a few tables away. It didn’t even cross my mind that he might feel________when people whispered about him. So I just let them talk.
Then came the day when I learned my little brother Martin’s testing for autism (自闭症) came out positive (阳性). I had never thought about him like that. I broke ________ , crying.
Everything had just changer. He was no longer a(n) ________  little boy.
Over time, I was able to accept his________a little more. We had to ________  because Martin needed treatment. So Martin and I both started at a new school. One day, I was standing in the bus line waiting when a “ short ” bus (for the retarded) came and ________  up some kids. The children in the other line started making ________ about the “ retarded ” on that bus and I felt a ________ feeling in my heart. I said quietly that those comments weren’t very nice,________no one listened.
My family moved again. In the new school I got a________to speak up pretty soon. That day, in a band class, my teacher ________our playing to make some comments, “ …Guys, we’re playing like the kids on the short bus! Come on! ”
The entire room was laughing loudly. I felt very________  . Then, I raised my hand. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say but I wanted to be heard.
The whole class________down. My mouth opened and this came out: “ I don’t think we should make fun of the short bus, because there are people on that bus who have a lot in common with us and have the same feelings as we do.” I could feel my ________ getting louder. “ So I would ________  it if you didn’t make fun of them.”
The room was very quiet and everyone stared at me. My teacher ________  for his words and then started the song again. At the end of the class, everyone was giving me strange looks. But I didn’t ________ , because I knew three things: I had spoken the ________ , I had taught everyone something, and while everyone in the classroom was being a follower, I had ________ to take a different path since I wanted to become a ________  and a role model.

A．amazed B．hurt C．uncertain D．cold

A．off B．in C．down D．away

A．normal B．noisy C．outstanding D．impressive

A．pain B．interest C．opinion D．illness

A．change B．move C．quit D．study

A．set B．took C．brought D．picked

A．jokes B．complaints C．choices D．discoveries

A．violent B．strange C．confusing D．clear

A．because B．if C．but D．so

A．chance B．position C．topic D．point

A．encouraged B．bothered C．enjoyed D．stopped

A．bad B．embarrassed C．tense D．guilty

A．sat B．slowed C．quieted D．looked

A．pace B．voice C．pulse D．breath

A．excuse B．appreciate C．stand D．permit

A．apologized B．fought C．allowed D．argued

A．understand B．notice C．return D．care

A．wisdom B．importance C．matter D．truth

A．helped B．decided C．agreed D．hoped

A．reporter B．thinker C．leader D．trainer