passage ???B ??
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Think About It:
1 ??Answer:One of the calamities the students probably know is the terrorist attack of the World Trade Center in the U. S. on Sept. 11, 2001, which resulted in the loss of several thousands of lives.
2 ??Answer:One should try to make an emergency call for help, either to the police station, or to the fire brigade, or to the medical ambulance center
3 ??Answer:Calamity is one of the critical moments to test a person’s true courage and ability to face and conquer difficulties.
Read and think
1. Work with your partner and answer the following questions.
1 ?Answer:She was not worried because they lived at the end of a dead-end street where vehicles couldn’t pass through.
2 ??Answer:Engineer Campana slammed on the train’s brake and blasted the air horn, while conductor Falzo rushed out of the cab and hung over the front of the train, waving and shouting at the kids
3 ??Answer:When she heard the air horn and the screech of the train’s brake, she was aware that something was wrong with her children.
4 ??Answer:At the last possible instant, he leaped from the train, took two giant strides and grabbed them. With one child tucked under each arm, he pressed them down into the roadbed gravel.
5 ??Answer:Open
2. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
Anwser: 1.T, 2.F, 3.F, 4.T, 5.F
Language Focus
Read and complete
3. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary.
Anwser: 1. wandering 2. unloading 3. crushed 4. slightest 5. appreciation
6. giant 7. steer 8. knelt 9. leaped 10. Slammed
Read and complete
4. Complete the following sentences with phrases or expressions from the passage.Change the form where necessary.
Anwser:1. as good as new 2. in the nick of time/in time 3. at play 4. head for/make for 5. put away
Read and translate
5. Translate the following sentences into English.
窗體頂端
1. 公共汽車放慢速度并停下，讓那位乘客上車。(slow down)
Answer:The bus slowed down and stopped to allow the passenger to get on board.
2.許多車子都駛過去了，可是沒有一輛愿意讓我們搭便車。(roll by)
Answer:Many vehicles rolled by, but no one offered us a ride.
3 .請勿踐踏草地。(get off)
Answer:Please get off the grass.
4.他按妻子的吩咐，一下班就去了市場。(make one’s way)
Answer:He made his way to the marketplace right after work, as his wife had asked him to do.
5 .值得慶幸的是，史蒂夫 (Steve) 從自行車上摔下來時沒有摔斷骨頭。(luckily)
Answer:Luckily, Steve didn’t break any bones when he fell off his bike.
Reading Skills Practice
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1 ?Answer:Katie also heard the roar of a passenger express train as it rolled by.
2 ??Answer:What the little boys didn’t know?was a second train?was heading straight?for them.
3 ?Answer:Falzo knew?right away that the train?was going too fast to stop?in time.
4 ??Answer:Frantically he waved?and shouted?at the kids, telling them?to get off the tracks
5 ??Answer:“There’s no word in Webster’s” said Katie Pritchard, “that can express?our deepest, everlasting appreciation?to
Tony (Falzo) for what he did.”
譯文：
剎那之間 1989年5月1日，凱蒂·普里查德正在把商店里買來的一包包東西從汽車的行李箱里卸下來，她的兩個兒子托德和斯科特在車道上玩得很開心。他們住在新澤西州的拉姆齊城的一個死胡同里，所以凱蒂不用擔(dān)心孩子們會跑到街上被汽車撞倒。但她經(jīng)常警告三歲的托德，不要靠近鐵路。鐵路離房子不足300英尺，只隔著一片樹叢。
凱蒂把第一批東西放好，又返回汽車旁去取剩下的袋子，她看到兩個孩子還在玩。凱蒂也聽到了一列客車飛馳而過的轟隆聲。然后她又抱著另外一批購物袋走進(jìn)屋子里。
雖然母親事先警告過，托德和1歲半的弟弟還是被飛速行進(jìn)的火車的汽笛聲所吸引。他們走過樹叢，跪在鐵軌上玩。另一列火車正朝他們駛過來，兩個小男孩卻渾然不知。
西面一個小坡上，一列19節(jié)車廂的貨車正在慢慢地爬上斜坡。司機(jī)里奇·坎帕納看見正前方的信號燈顯示“無障礙”。特快客車已經(jīng)開出很遠(yuǎn)了。因此坎帕拉拉動調(diào)速手柄重新全速行駛。同在駕駛室里的還有老乘務(wù)員安東尼·福爾佐，他在鐵路上已經(jīng)干了17年了，這時在與坎帕拉閑聊。當(dāng)火車到達(dá)坡頂?shù)臅r候，兩人注意到在前方約800碼前方的鐵軌上有東西。是什么呢？好像是兩個包袱或是兩個箱子——一個黃的一個紅的?！叭缓簏S的動了一下，”福爾佐說，“于是我們意識到這是兩個孩子。”
坎帕納猛地扳動火車剎車，拉響了警報器。福爾佐馬上意識到火車速度太快，不可能適時停下來。他立刻沖出駕駛室，沖到窄窄的踏板上。他很快地朝機(jī)車的前部跑去，然后順著鋼梯爬到最后一格。他懸在火車的前面，離路基大約兩英尺。他發(fā)狂般朝孩子們揮手大喊，要他們離開路軌。他們沒有動。福爾佐后來說，他們只是抬頭看了看，“好像我們能繞過他們似的?！?/span>
與此同時，凱蒂聽到了警報聲，也聽到火車緊急剎車的刺耳聲音。她往外跑去，心咚咚直跳。她一眼就看到出了什么事兒了。托德和斯科特不見了。她知道他們倆肯定在鐵路上。
福爾佐想過跳下火車，跑到前面去救兩個小男孩。但他知道，就算火車減速了，自己也肯定跑不過火車。所以這位35歲的前體操運(yùn)動員想出了另外一個方案。他決定在火車靠近孩子們的時候跳下火車。這樣他就可能把兩個孩子抓起來，及時把他們拖下軌道。但福爾佐得把跳車的時間計算得很精確。跳得太早，火車就會把他掀倒到孩子們身上。跳得太晚，火車就會把孩子們碾到車輪底下。
所幸福爾佐的時間可算是相當(dāng)精確。在千鈞一發(fā)之際，他跳下火車，跨了兩大步，一把抓住孩子們。他把托德和斯科特分別夾在腋下，又迅速將他們摁倒在路基的砂石里?；疖嚱?jīng)過時，其邊緣離他們的頭頂僅幾英寸。
火車終于停下來了，第三節(jié)車廂就停在他們頭頂上幾英寸的地方。孩子們安然無恙。幸運(yùn)的是，斯科特的擦傷并不嚴(yán)重?？p了13針之后，他就完全沒事了。凱蒂·普里查德說，“對托尼（福爾佐）的救命之恩，我們將永遠(yuǎn)感激不盡。韋氏大字典里也找不到一個詞能表達(dá)這種感情。” |
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語言點(diǎn)：、
Language Points |
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1.unload: remove (a load) from (something)
Examples:?
They unloaded the books from the car.
The plane unloaded the passengers at the terminal. 2.wander: move about without aim or purpose
Examples:?
After tea I wandered alone about the town.
What peculiar pleasure it is to wander through a strange city. 3.cluster: a number of things of the same kind growing or being close together in a group
Examples:?
Many flowers grow in clusters.
Here and there in the suburbs are newly built houses in clusters. 4.put away: place something tidily
Examples:
The letters were all put away in numbered files.
If you have finished with those tools, I wish you’d put them away. 5.roar: a deep loud continuing sound
Examples:
She was frightened by the lion’s roars.
The roar of airplane engines announced a coming air aid. 6.kneel: go down or remain on the knee(s)
Examples:
She knelt down to pull a weed from flower-bed.
He went into the church, knelt (down) and began to pray. 7.head for: move toward
Examples:
— “Where are you heading for?”
— “I’m heading for London.”
It’s not clear how many of them will be heading for Shang hai. 8.slam: push, move hurriedly and with great force
Examples:
He slammed the book down on the table and angrily walked out.
She slammed on the brakes and the car came to a stop. 9.steer: direct the course of (as a ship or vehicle)
Examples:
He steered the car skillfully through the narrow streets.
He steered the boat between the islands. 10.screech: a harsh, piercing sound
Examples:
The girl’s screeches brought the police.
The forest seemed full of monkeys’ screeches. 11.pound: beat repeatedly
Examples:
With a madly pounding heart he took the steps three a time.
Her heart began to pound and new life came into her limbs. 12.leap: jump over
Examples:?
When the bus slowed down the man leaped off.
He leaped six meters in the broad jump. 13.scoop: take up or out
Examples:
He scooped his books off the floor.
She scooped the baby up in her arms and ran from the flame. 14.crush: press with great force so as to break, hurt
Examples:
Don’t crush this box; there are flowers inside.
Several people were crushed to death as they tried to escape from the burning theater. 15. beneath: below
Examples:
They sheltered themselves beneath their umbrellas.
She concealed the bottle beneath her mattress. 16. instant: a moment of time
Examples:
Not for an instant did I believe he had lied.
Mr. Carey considered the question for an instant. 17.giant: very large
Examples:
He bought giant Christmas trees last year.
The giant packet gives you more for less money. 18.stride: a long step in walking
Examples:
In a few strides he crossed the room.
He reached the house several strides before us. 19.tuck: put into a convenient narrow space for protection, safety, etc.
Examples:
The bird tucked its head under its wing.
Jack tucked a napkin under his chin. 20.perch: (cause to) go into or be in the stated position (especially unsafely, or on something high)
Examples:
He would take out his spectacles and perch them on the end of his nose.
The little village perches high among the hills. 21.everlasting: lasting for ever; endless
Examples:
What is the key to everlasting happiness?
Their contributions to science have earned them an everlasting place in history. 22.appreciation: grateful feeling
Examples:
He showed no appreciation of my help.
How can we express our appreciation for your help? |
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