A
I have learned something about myself since I moved from Long Island to Florida three years ago. Even though I own a home in Port St. Lucie just minutes from the ocean, every winter an uncontrollable urge （冲动）wells up to fly back to Long Island even as others make their way south. I guess I am a snowbird stuck in reverse（反向）.
Dulled by Florida’s mild winters, I willingly suffer the cold weather on Long Island, the place I called home for 65 years. I’m like a bird that has lost its sense of timing and direction, my wings moving against reason.
So what makes me fly against the habits of snowbirds? The answer has a lot to do with my unwillingness to give up the things that define （给…下定义）who I am. Once I hear that the temperature on Long Island has fallen into the range of 40 to 50 degrees, I begin to long for the sight and sound of a wood fire. I also long for the display of colors --- first in the fall trees, and then in the lights around homes and at Rockefeller Center. Floridians decorate, too, but can’t create the special feel of a New England win ter. Moreover, when I return I can celebrate the holidays with people I haven’t seen in months. What could be better than sitting with family and friends for a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, or watching neighbors’ children excitedly open gifts on Christmas? Even the first snowfall seems special.
While these simple pleasures are not unique to Long Island, they are some of the reasons I came back. Who says you can’t go home? I know I will be ordering a ticket this very night and cured of homesick （思乡病）tomorrow.
21. Why does the author compare himself to a snowbird stuck in reverse?
A. He has lost his sense of direction.
B. He’d rather go north in winter.
C. He hates traveling by plane.
D. He likes snow very much.
22. The author uses Paragraph 3 to _________.
A. describe his hometown’s fall scenes
B. show how he loves family gatherings
C. explain why he wants to return to his hometown
D. compare the difference between Florida and Long Island
23. What is the author going to do tonight?
A. Book a flight B. Go to the doctor’s C. Eat with his family D. Check into a hotel
