17．Each time I see a balloon，my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl．It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died．I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven．
"Yes，honey．Of course．"she said．
"Can we write him a letter？"
She paused，the longest pause of my short life，and answered，"Yes．"
My heart jumped．"How？Does the mailman go there？"I asked．
"No，but I have an idea．"Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon．I asked
her what it was for．
"Just wait，honey．You'll see．"Mom told me to write my letter．Eagerly，I got my favorite pen，and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink．I wrote about my day，what I learned at school，how Mom was doing，and even about what happened in a story I had read．For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive．I gave the letter to Mom．She read it over，and a smile crossed her face．
She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped （缠绕） the balloon string．We went outside and she gave me the balloon．It was still raining．
"Okay，on the count of three，let go．One，two，three．"
The balloon，carrying my letter，darted upward against the rain．We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds．
Later I realized，like the balloon，that Dad had never let his sickness get him down．He was strong．No matter what he suffered，he'd persevere，dart up，and finally transcend this cold world and his sick body．He rose into sky and became something beautiful．I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditary．I prayed to be a balloon．
24．When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father，sheD．
A．jumped with surprise
B．was worried that it couldn't be delivered
C．didn't know how to write
D．became excited
25．In the eyes of the author，what was the rain like？B
A．An incurable disease．
B．The hard time her father had．
C．An unforgettable memory．
D．The failures her father experienced．
26．What would be the best title for the passage？C
A．An Unforgettable Experience．
B．Fly to Paradise．
C．The Strong Red Balloon．
D．A Great Father．
分析 本文讲述了作者小时候把给病逝的父亲的写信用气球放飞的故事，表达了对父亲的怀念和对父亲坚强精神的敬佩．
解答 24．D 细节理解题．根据"Eagerly，I got my favorite pen，and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink．I wrote about my day，what I learned at school，how Mom was doing，and even about what happened in a story I had read"我急切地拿出我最喜爱的笔，用蓝色的墨水倾诉者我六岁是的心里话．我写我一天中的事情，有我在学校学到了什么，妈妈是如何做的，甚至我读的故事里发生的事，由此可知小女孩很激动．故选D．
25．B 推理判断题．根据文章最后两段内容可知在父亲病重时，父亲依然很坚强，并没有被疾病打到，虽然最后他去世了，但他的精神还在，红色的气球就是父亲，而雨就是父亲度过的那段时光．故选B．
26C 推理判断题：通读全文可知作者用带着信件在雨中不断上升的红气球隐射这对父亲病痛中依然保持乐观精神的敬佩和对已逝父亲的怀念．故选C．
点评 故事类文章在阅读过程中，我们一直在某个线索的引导下，随着作者的思路去了解一个故事或一件事情的始末，因此会感到比较轻松．命题往往从故事的情节、人物或事件之间的关系、作者的意图和态度、故事的前因和后果等方面入手，考查学生对细节的辨认能力以及推理判断能力． 阅读故事类文章时，应注意把握主旨大意，弄清主要情节，立足文章的内容揣摩作者的态度和意图，根据文章的情节展开合理的想象，从而达到解题的目的．
