B

　　It was my first day back home since starting college. In the city, I was living on my own, had a part-time job and was studying. Even the government recognized I was an adult: I had a driver's license. So here I was, on my summer vacation, walking down the main street with my father, desperate for him to acknowledge how mature I was. When his recognition failed to appear, I took matters into my own hands. "Dad," I said actually, "I'm thirsty. Let's go for a beer." It was the first time I'd ever mentioned beer in front of my father, let alone ask him to drink one with me.

　　He turned to me with a curious expression. "A beer? Well, I guess you're old enough now. Let's go to Sailors' Bar. It's where my cousin Tom, your uncle, used to drink."

　　I had only some vague recollection of my uncle. He was the black sheep of the family. We didn't talk him much. "What ever happened to Uncle Tom, Dad? I haven't seen him for years."

　　"Neither have I, unfortunately. He was a good kid once. But things changed," my father said mournfully. As a boy, he explained, there had been no better-behaved boy than Tom. But after leaving school, he started drinking in nightclubs and playing cards. Soon he lost everything and had to beg his mum to pay his debts.

　　My Dad took a deep breath and continued his tale. "Things settled down for a while. But it didn't last. He was soon back to his old ways. He was at Sailors' Bar almost every night. His poor mother died of grief and shame. His wife followed her soon after."

　　"What ruined him was alcohol. Tom warned me, 'Be cautious about your first drink!' Last year Tom sent me a letter saying he had been found guilty of stealing, and sent to prison for ten years."

　　Dad finished talking just as we reached the front door of Sailors' Bar. But I put my arm around my father and said, "I'm not thirsty any more, Dad. Let's go home."

24. Why did the young man invite his father to drink a beer?

A. Because he was thirsty while walking with his father.

B. Because he wanted to impress his father casually.

C. Because he wanted to show he was an adult.

D. Because he wanted to discuss his Uncle Tom.

25. What does the young man mean by saying "He was the black sheep of the family"?

A. The family was concerned about Tom for his troublesome character.