A
I was 9 years old when I found out my father was ill.It was 1994 but I can remember my mother's words asif it were yesterday：“Kerrel，I don't want you to take food from your father, because he has AIDS.Be very careful when you are around him.”
AIDS wasn't something we talked about in my country when I was growing up.From then on.I knew that this would be a family secret.My parents were not together anymore，and my Dad lived alone.For a while he could take care of himself.But when I was 12，his condition worsened.My father's children lived far away，so it fell to me to look after him.We couldn't afford all the necessary medication for him，and because Dad was unable to work, and I had no school supplies and often couldn't even buy food for dinner.I_would_sit_in_class_feeling_ completely_lost._The_teacher's_words_muffled(低沉)as_I_tried_to_figure_out_how_I_was_going_to_manage.
I did not share my burden with anyone.I had seen how people reacted to AIDS.Kids laughed at classmates who had parents with the disease.And even adults could be cruel. When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was too weak to feed himself.
I had known that he was going to die, but after so many years of keeping his condition a secret，I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days.Sad and hopeless，I called a woman at the nonprofit National AIDS Support.That day, she kept me on the phone for hours. I was so lucky to find someone who cared.She saved my life.
I was 15 when my father died.He took his secret away with him，having never spoken about AIDS to anyone，even me.He did not want to call attention to AIDS.I do.
21．What does Kerrel tell us about her father?
A．He had stayed in the hospital since he fell ill.
B．He told no one about his disease.
C．He worked hard to pay for his medication.
D．He depended on the nurses in his final days.
22．What can we learn from the underlined sentences?
A．Kerrel couldn't understand her teacher.
B．Kerrel had special difficulty in hearing.
C．Kerrel was too tired to hear her teacher's words.
D．Kerrel was too troubled to focus on the lesson.
23．Why did Kerrel write the passage?
A．To tell people about the sufferings of her father.
B．To show how little people knew about AIDS.
C．To draw people's attention to AIDS.
D．To remember her father.
