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-Look，the boss is very angry with Alex．
-Well，he came late again．But that's no______ to shout at him．
A. excuse
B. reason
Our teacher told us that the answer was B.
There’s no further context for this question.
I chose excuse and I think That’s no excuse... conveys almost the same meaning as That’s no reason....
What's your opinion?
It is important to consider not only the phrase but where it is used, so while the phrases convey a similar message they do not necessarily fit equally well into any one sentence structure.
For example, I would use the two phrases like this:
... reason to shout at him.
... excuse for shouting at him.
.... excuse why he should shout at him.
The danger with this kind of question is that usage can vary geographically and with the kind of people using the phrases, and teachers are always at risk of refining the language too far.
My personal opinion is that the two answers are both fine, and very similar to each other. If I were forced to look for nuances between the two, I could imagine these:
REASON is more neutral. The boss did have a REASON to shout at Alex: Alex was late. Whether being late is a big problem at this workplace or not doesn't enter into it. There is no real judgment implied.
EXCUSE is less neutral, and might imply a judgment call. The boss's REASON for shouting at Alex was lateness, but if people are almost always late to work at this place of employment, then being late is normal, and while being late can be a REASON to be yelled at, it is not a GOOD one, and so it does not EXCUSE the boss's behavior.
Thus usage depends on context entirely. Was the writer adopting a neutral stance (reason) or a judgmental one (excuse)?
Imagine a judge addressing a convicted murderer: "You killed your friend because he snores too much. That is a reason for your action, but it does not excuse you from killing him, which is an act wildly disproportionate to the offense."
