Unit6TheManintheWater

Unit6TheManintheWaterTheContentBackgroundKnowledgeThemeoftheTextIn-classactivities.LanguagePointsDifficultSentencesExerciseI.AbouttheAuthorRogerRosenblattisajournalist,author,playwrightandprofessor.AsanessayistforTimemagazine,hehaswontwoGeorgePolkAwards,andawardsfromtheOverseasPressClubandtheAmericanBarAssociation,amongothers.Histelevisionessaysforthe“MacNeil/LehrerNewsHour”havewonhimaGeorgeFosterPeabodyAwardandanEmmy.Heisalsotheauthorofsixbooks.RogerRosenblattProfessorofEnglishProfessorofWritingAB,NewYorkUniversityPh.D,HarvardUniversityII.AbouttheAirCrashOneoftheworstsnowstormsinthehistoryofWashington,D.C.hitthecity20yearsagoonJan.13,1982.Justabouteverythingcloseddown—thegovernment,businesses,schools,theairports.Byaboutnoon,theskiesclearedandWashington’sNationalAirportreopenedforbusiness.ThecrewofAirFloridaFlight90beganpreparingforanonstoptriptosunnyFortLauderdale,Florida.At3:59p.m.,thetwin-engineBoeing737wasclearedfortakeoffandbeganrumblingdowntherunwayonitsfinalflight.Pictures.Minuteslater,theplanesmashedintothe14thStreetBridge,only1,200yardsfromthePentagon,destroyingfourautomobilesandkillingfivepeople.Thejetthenfellintotheice-coveredPotomacRiver,bringingallthepassengerstotheirinstantdeathexceptfive—fourpassengersandoneflightattendant—fromthetailsection,whofoundthemselvesgaspingandstrugglingintheicywater.Thesefivepeoplehoweversurvivedandtheywereabletosurvivebecauseoffourheroes.Theauthorwrotethisessayinpraiseoftheseheroes,threeofwhomhadriskedtheirlivestorescuethesurvivorsandwereabletolivetotellthestory,butthemanthatreallyheldthewholenation’sattentionwasthefourthonewhohadkeptpushinghislifelineandflotationringstoothersuntilhewentunder.PicturesMomentsAftertheCrashAt3:59theplaneshudderedasittookoffandtriedtogainaltitude.ItclearedtwoofthebridgesonthePotomicRiver,butwaslosingaltitude.Thecrewandpassengersknewtheywereintroublebeforeitstruckthe14thStreetBridgeandittoreinhalfasitslammedthroughcarsandrailing(栏杆）thenplungedintothecold,icy,darkwaters.Momentslateronlythetailsectionremainedafloat,79peoplewereaboardFlight90,sixweretosurvivethecrash,butonlyfivewouldlive.Huddledtogetherinthecoldicywaters，thesurvivorswaitedfortherescuehelicoptertoarrive.Treading（踩，踏）water,thesurvivorsheldon,somewithbrokenarmsandlegs,twowithcollapsedlungscausedfromtheimpact.We'reallgoingtodie,someonesaid.AboardFlight90wasArlandK.WilliamsJr.,whoalwayssatinthetailsectionoftheplane,“thesafestpartoftheplane,hesaid.”Notlongbefore,Williamshadjustdiscussedhismarriagewiththewomanheloved,“Ithinkwe’regoingtomarrysoon.”Itwas4:20beforethehelicopterarrivedatthescene,droppingthefirstlifelinedeliveringBertHamilton100yardstoshore.Itwouldbetenminutesbeforethehelicopterreturned,droppingthelinetoWilliams.Hecaughtit,butinsteadofwrappingitaroundhimself,hepassedthelinetoflightattendantKellyDuncan,theonlycrewmembertosurvive.Shetooktheline,wrappeditunderherarmsandheldtightasshewascarriedtoshoreWithroomforonlyonehelicopteratatimebetweenbridges,itreturnedwithtwolifelines,andagainWilliamscaughtitandhandeditofftoyetanothersurvivor,JoeStiley,themostseriouslyinjuredpassenger.Tirado,whoalsoclungtoStileyandherlifeline,however,exhausted,inpainandshock,soonlosthergripandplungedbackintothecoldicywatersofthePotomac.Rescuersagaintossedheralifelinebutshewasunabletograspittosaveherownlife.PicturesUponseeingthisandasTiradowasabouttogounder,anonlooker,LennySkutnik,plungedfromthebanksoftheriverintothefreezingwaterandbroughthersafelytoshore.By4:30p.m,Williamshadbeeninthefreezingwaterfor29minutes,andhisturnhadfinallycome.Thehelicopterturnedoncemoretowardthesinkingtail,itstwo-mancreweagertomeetthemaninthewater,totellhimtheyhadneverseensuchselflesscourage.Theystrained(竭尽全力）forsignsoftheheroofFlight90.Butthebaldingmanwasgone.Hecouldhavegoneonthefirsttrip,pilotUsherwept,“butheputeveryoneelseaheadofhimself.Everyone.”CommentsontheEventThefollowingareafewwordshismotherVirginiaWilliamsusedtodescribeherson.Hewasaverage,shesaid.Justaverage.Others’comment:“It‘speoplelikethesethatareheroes.Thosepeoplewhostepoutofhenorm（规范,准则）andputtheirlifesecondinconsiderationofothersinacrisis.”“Forisn'tit,intimesofdanger,theaveragemanwhosavesusall?””.ThemeoftheTextHeroismHeroismofcoursehasbeenadmired.Butthisman’sheroismwasunusual.Peopleusuallyexpectrevolutionariestodiemartyrs;truebelieverstobewillingtodiefortheirfaith;peoplereadytolaydowntheirlivesinperformingtheirduty;evenpeopletoshowcourageintheirattempttowinpower,influence,moneyortosavetheirlovedones.Butthemaninthewaterdidnotfitanyofthesedescriptions.Themaninthewaterdidnothavetogivehisringstoothers;hedidnotevenknowthesepeople.Hewasextraordinarypreciselybecausehewasordinary.Heshowedwhateveryoneofuscoulddo.Thedisplayofhisheroismwasasongtothebeautifulhumancharacter.Thisistrueheroism.III.RelatedInformationPresidentialMonuments:WashingtonMonumentInrecognitionofhisleadershipinthecauseofAmericanindependence,WashingtonearnedthetitleFatherofhisCountry.Withthismonument,thecitizensoftheUnitedStatesshowtheirenduringgratitudeandre