I jumped out of the car, ran round to open the trunk and there inside 40 .
答案：(B) were two red-faced and excited children
結尾揭曉真相：孩子們躲在後車廂裡，臉紅興奮地笑（呼應前文聽到的笑聲，因為她們在玩躲貓貓），were two red-faced and excited children 符合這種「惡作劇被發現」的歡樂結局；were two scared and shivering little girls（跟前文聽到笑聲矛盾）、was one of the passers-by（不合）、was nothing at all（跟後文解釋找到孩子矛盾）都不合。
本題大考中心未公布逐題答對率，以下不談數據，只談觀念。
故事到這裡是找不到孩子的高潮，情緒一路緊繃，所以「兩個嚇壞了發抖的小女孩」讀起來最合乎預期。但作者早在兩句之前就把謎底的線索埋好了，只要往回讀一句就會發現方向反了。
往前讀兩句：Suddenly, behind me I heard a tapping noise and laughter.（突然，我聽到身後傳來敲擊聲和笑聲。）laughter 這個字是決定性的證據——被困住而驚恐的孩子不會笑。再往後讀：They had apparently pulled out the back seat, crawled behind it, and then had not been able to push the seat forward again.（她們顯然是把後座拉開、爬到後面去，然後就推不回來了。）這是她們自己爬進去玩的，不是意外受困。最後一句 I almost wept with relief!（我幾乎要喜極而泣。）——是鬆一口氣，不是心疼。三個證據都指向同一個結論：兩個孩子紅著臉、興奮得很。順便看這一句的結構：there inside were two red-faced and excited children，表地方的副詞 there inside 擺到句首，主詞就跑到動詞後面去了，這是倒裝。同型的句子這一篇前面才出現過一次——on the back seat were their two jackets（後座擺著她們的兩件外套），兩句可以對照著看。
were two scared and shivering little girls（兩個嚇壞了發抖的小女孩）：與前面的 laughter 直接矛盾，也與結尾的 wept with relief 對不上。was one of the passers-by I had asked（是我剛問過的路人之一）：情節上說不通，而且後面那句明說是「她們」把後座拉開爬進去的。was nothing at all（什麼都沒有）：那敲擊聲和笑聲從何而來，故事也就沒有結局了。
open the trunk（打開後車廂）、weep with relief（喜極而泣、鬆一口氣落淚）、crawl behind（爬到……後面）、pull out（拉出、抽出）、push sth forward（把某物往前推）、red-faced（滿臉通紅的）。
Last Tuesday I took my two nieces, aged three and five, to town in the car. It began to rain heavily so I decided 36 , while I rushed into a shop. I told the girls I would be back in a few minutes and asked them not to touch anything. Then I locked all the doors and left.
I was back at the car in less than five minutes 37 ! I could hardly believe my eyes. The car doors were still locked, the windows tightly shut, and on the back seat were their two jackets. 38 , I ran to the corner of the street but there was no sign of them. I rushed up to a couple of passers-by and asked in vain whether 39 .
Feeling quite sick with fear, I sat on the driver's seat, trying to stop trembling. Suddenly, behind me I heard a tapping noise and laughter. I jumped out of the car, ran round to open the trunk and there inside 40 . They had apparently pulled out the back seat, crawled behind it, and then had not been able to push the seat forward again. I almost wept with relief!