A
I’m originally from Orange County, California, where I had the pleasure and honor of serving as a Newport Beach ocean lifeguard. Whenever I could, I got shifts working the Point. The Point was known for its massive rip currents(退潮流).
So, late in a shift, I was working Tower 15. Two blocks to my right was another guard named Mike, working Tower 17. He called me, “Hey, I got a couple of kids. I gotta go and give them a warning. Keep an eye on us.” I said, “Sure.”
And sure enough, as soon as he hung up the phone and grabbed his buoy(航标), a rip was snapped up under these two kids, and they were getting sucked out. All I saw was two small noses bobbing in the water. Mike was dashing toward the ocean.
By now, the mother of the two kids realized what was happening. She was screaming. I started rushing toward her, but before I was even halfway there, Mike reached the kids.
Mike swam sideways out of the rip current into the clear water and started bringing them in. When I reached their mother, Mike was in waist-deep water. The kids were so exhausted, so Mike was carrying them, one under each arm.
I turned to their mom
“Hey, it’s OK. They’re safe.” I saw her terror start to fade.
She glanced back and got her first good look at Mike. He had a number of really scary tattoos( 纹身), and his shaved head showed the scar he got from a broken beer bottle.Then a crazy thing happened. I saw a new kind of panic wash over her as though there was some new, equally dangerous threat on her kids’ lives. She rushed up to Mike and snatched her kids. Not even a thank-you.
Mike just glanced at me, shrugged, and jogged back to his tower.
If any other guard had worked at that night, including me, there would be a very real chance that that mother wasn’t going home with both her kids.
21. Which of the following words can best describe “ Mike’s reaction to the two kids in danger” ?
A. Rude and aggressive. B. Quick and brave.
C. Careless and risky. D. Slow and cautious.
22. Why didn’t the woman say “ thank you” to Mike?
A. He was rude to her kids.
B. She was too exhausted to say any words.
C. He got tired of being highly thought of.
D. He looked like a threatening guy with tattoos and scars.
23. What information does the author want to convey in the story?
A. Be a friendly and easy-going lifeguard.
B. Watch out for your kids playing on the beach.
C. Don’t let fear or prejudice prevent you recognizing a hero.
D. Never judge a hero by his way of rescuing.
【答案】21. B 22. D 23. C
【解析】
这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了作者的同事Mike英勇下水救起两个小孩子。却又因为外貌引起孩子母亲的偏见以至于的得不到孩子母亲的感谢。
【21题详解】
推理判断题。根据文章第4段By now, the mother of the two kids realized what was happening. She was screaming. I started rushing toward her, but before I was even halfway there, Mike reached the kids（现在，两个孩子的母亲意识到发生了什么。她在尖叫。我开始向她冲去，但还没走到一半，迈克就到了孩子们跟前）可知，在Mike看见孩子们遇险后，迅速采取行动。再根据文章第5段Mike swam sideways out of the rip current into the clear water and started bringing them in. When I reached their mother, Mike was in waist-deep water. The kids were so exhausted, so Mike was carrying them, one under each arm（迈克从激流中游到清澈的水中，开始把它们带上岸。当我联系到他们的母亲时，迈克已陷入齐腰深的水中。孩子们太累了，迈克抱着他们，胳膊下面各抱一个）可知，Mike冒着生命危险成功救起孩子们。综合分析可知，迈克既能快速下水救孩子，又能冒险勇敢成功救起小孩。故选B项。
【22题详解】
细节理解题。根据文章倒数第3段“She glanced back and got her first good look at Mike. He had a number of really scary tattoos, and his shaved head showed the scar he got from a broken beer bottle. Then a crazy thing happened. I saw a new kind of panic wash over her as though there was some new, equally dangerous threat on her kids’ lives. She rushed up to Mike and snatched her kids. Not even a thank-you”（她回头看了一眼，第一次仔细地看了迈克一眼。他有很多真正可怕的纹身，他的光头映衬出啤酒瓶砸过留下的疤痕。然后一件疯狂的事情发生了。我看到一种新的恐慌笼罩着她，好像她孩子的生命受到了某种新的、同样危险的威胁。她冲到迈克跟前，抢走了她的孩子。连一句谢谢都没有）可知，这位母亲依据迈克的外貌判断，以为他是坏人，以为对她孩子的安全又是一种新的威胁。故选D项。
【23题详解】
推理判断题。根据倒数第3段，在以为迈克是个坏人后，那位母亲的做法是“She rushed up to Mike and snatched her kids. Not even a thank-you.”（她冲到迈克跟前，抢走了她的孩子。连一句谢谢都没有）。而后迈克的反应是“Mike just glanced at me, shrugged, and jogged back to his tower”（迈克只是瞥了我一眼，耸了耸肩，然后慢跑着回到了他的塔楼）。可知迈克此时是非常无奈的。最后一段作者提到“If any other guard had worked at that night, including me, there would be a very real chance that mother wasn’t going home with both her kids.”（如果那天晚上有其他警卫，包括我在内，很有可能那位母亲不会带着她的两个孩子回家）可知，作者一语双关。在强调迈克的伟大，是个救人英雄的同时，也在表示那位母亲的以外貌取人的偏见。综合分析，故选C项。
