My 16-year-old son, Anton, had gone to the local swimming hole. Most of the kids who swim there are fit and strong teens, and there are plenty of rocks for them to use as safe harbors, so I had no fears for his well-being. Still, the firefighter’s first words, “You need to come up here to the Stillwater River,” made me catch my breath.
When I got to the river, I saw Anton sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine, with a towel wrapped about his shoulders.
I hurried over to him. “You OK?” I asked.
“Yeah,” was all he said. But my eyes begged for an explanation. I didn’t get it from my son.
The story was this: A couple in their 20s, unfamiliar with the Stillwater, had gotten caught in the current and began screaming for help. Without hesitation Anton and his friend dived into the water, swam out to the drowning(溺水的) woman, and brought her safely to shore.
In an age in which the world “hero” is broadcast with abandon(随意）and seemingly applied to anyone, I realized the real thing in my son and his friend—the disregarding of personal safety for the sake of another human being. I know that teens are headstrong and self-centered, but this didn’t lower the gravity of the event and the desire to do good.
Along the way home I tried to get some more information from him, but the only words were, “What’s for supper?”
I thought twice about the tragedy(悲剧) that might have been. Questions flew across my mind like a flight of swallows: Would I have risked my life to save a drowning person? Or would I have chosen to dial 911? Would I have told the story over and over to anyone who’d listen?
The next morning, when Anton got up, I half expected him to tell me the story from his point of view, now that he had some distance from the event. But all he did was to toast a pie, pull himself together, and head for the door to begin the new day.
1.The writer caught her breath when she heard the fire fighters’ first words because______.
A. her son saved a woman
B. she was scolded by fire fighters
C. she was anxious about her son’s safety
D. her son was to blame for a fire
2.We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. firefighters always turn up in case of emergency
B. parents are always worried about their children
C. it’s dangerous to swim in an unfamiliar river
D. teens are more responsible than expected
3.Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. My Mother, My Love B. My Son, My Hero
C. A Narrow Escape D. A Silent Boy
4.Anton kept silent about his deed because_______.
A. he was still in fear
B. he was annoyed with mother
C. he regarded it as a normal thing
D. he was afraid of being scolded
Martha Graham received many awards during her lifetime. Time magazine her as the “Dancer of the Century” in 1998. The Martha Graham Dance Company still performs her dances.
After fourteen, Martha’s family moved to California. Along the way, Martha enjoyed the wide, open spaces of . So the free, expressive movements of modern dance were influenced by the beauty of nature.
Earlier in her life, however, Martha did not know she would become a . Her family was very religious. The upper class did not accept dance as an art form.
, in 1910, Martha’s father took her to see a dance performance, which then her.
Martha’s parents, however, did not her sudden desire to dance. Martha just followed her of dancing. She attended the dance school, working hard as to improve her ability to dance. She her body to become strong enough to meet the difficult demands of dance. In order to herself freely, she decided to set up her own dance and school, called the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance.
Martha enjoyed having her students to perform her dances. She a dance called “Heretic” in 1929. She wore all white and danced a wall of dancers wearing all black. In 1936, her dance “Chronicle” expressed sadness and loneliness. Showing strong in dance then was very rare. At first, people did not well to her style of dancing with strong and sharp movements, and very different from European ballet. Some of the movements contracting(收缩) and releasing parts of the body.
In 1938, President Roosevelt’s wife invited Martha to 55 at the White House. A dance “American Document” was created. She later danced there for seven other presidents.
1.A. hired B. listed C. appointed D. fostered
2.A. turning B. growing C. counting D. clicking
3.A. imagination B. interest C. hope D. nature
4.A. clearly B. strangely C. badly D. hardly
5.A. teacher B. manager C. dancer D. writer
6.A. Instead B. Still C. Therefore D. Otherwise
7.A. disappointed B. astonished C. motivated D. sacrificed
8.A. approve of B. appeal to C. fight against D. give up
9.A. advice B. dream C. manner D. style
10.A. less B. very C. too D. so
11.A. forced B. tested C. bent D. trained
12.A. fancy B. enjoy C. express D. refresh
13.A. company B. gym C. stage D. hall
14.A. discovered B. produced C. polished D. filmed
15.A. for B. over C. against D. beyond
16.A. muscles B. energy C. desire D. emotions
17.A. refer B. turn C. react D. contribute
18.A. powerful B. traditional C. classical D. significant
19.A. quitted B. balanced C. involved D. deserved
20.A. work B. perform C. speak D. live
—With the machine going on and on, I just can’t focus on my study.
—_______. Let’s go outside and play football instead.
A. I don’t think so B. Please be more patient
C. Same here D. Don’t push me too hard
—Oh, darling! If you want a necklace, I’ll buy one for you at once.
—No, a necklace is not _______ that I need most.
A. anything B. everything C. nothing D. something
Had he predicted the disaster, he _______ his girl friend to the 2015 New Year’s celebration at the Bund, Shanghai.
A. wouldn’t take B. wouldn’t have taken
C. needn’t take D. needn’t have taken
Deep reading is a process in which people _______ reflect in addition to trying to understand the words on the page.
A. critically B. negatively
C. approximately D. casually
