unit4 A Fan’s Notes

1.Doyouknowanydisabledpersonswhoareverysuccessful?2.What’syourfeelingwhenyouseethedisabledwhoaredoingsomethingdifficultforthem?3.Withoutusingyourhandsandfeet,couldyouimaginesomeotherwaystotypeonacomputer?4.Whatdoyouknowaboutcerebralpalsy?BeforeReading_5.1CerebralPalsyItisadisabilitycausedbybraindamagebeforeorduringbirthorinthefirstfewyearsafterbirth,resultinginalossofvoluntarymuscularcontrolandcoordination.Althoughtheexactcauseisunknown,apparentpredisposingfactorsincludediseases(e.g.rubella,genitalherpessimplex),verylowinfantbirthweight(lessthan3.3lb[1.5kg]),andinjuryorphysicalabuse,etc.•Maternalsmoking,alcoholconsumption,andingestionofcertaindrugscanalsocontributetothedisease.Mostcasesareassociatedwithprenatalproblemsandabout10%ofthecasesarethoughttobeduetooxygendeficiencyduringthebirthprocess.Theseverityoftheafflictionisdependentontheextentofthebraindamage.Thosewithmildcasesmayhaveonlyafewaffectedmuscles,whileseverecasescanresultintotallossofcoordinationorparalysis.CerebralPalsyGlobeReading.1.1PartDivisionoftheTextPartParasMainIdeas11~4Theauthorwasimpressedbyane-mailfromaDodgersfan.25~45HowdidtherelationshipbetweentheauthorandSarahMorrisstartandgoon?346~47SarahMorrishadagreatinfluenceontheauthor.GlobeReading.2.1QuestionsandAnswers1.InwhatwayswasSarah’se-maildifferentfromotherletterstheauthorhadreceived?2.InwhatwaywasSarah’se-mailsimilartootherletterstheauthorhadreceived?Itcontainedmoredetailsthantheusual“You’reanidiot.”,anditwassigned.Italsocriticizedtheauthor’scommentsontheLosAngelesDodgers.Asportswriterthinkshe’smetanothercrank.Instead,hefindsatruewinner.whatisthestoryabout?Thee-mailwasinsomerespectssimilartoothernastylettersIreceive.IttookmetotaskformycommentsontheLosAngelesDodgersandarguedthatIhadgoteverythingwrong.However,thenotewasdifferentfromtheothersinatleasttwoways.FromSarahMorrisHowdidtheauthorgettoknowSarahMorris?Whatwastheauthor’simpressiononher?Whatwastheemailabout?Thisnotecontainedmoredetailsthantheusual“You’reanidiot.”Itincludedvitalstatisticsontheteam’sperformance.ItwaswrittenbysomeonewhoknewtheLosAngelesDodgersaswellasIthoughtIdid.Andthisnotewassigned.Thewriter’snamewasSarahMorris.Inwhatwayswashercriticismdifferentfromothers’?Iwasimpressed.Iwroteherback.LittledidIknowthatthiswouldbethestartofamostunusualrelationship.MayIaskyouaquestion?FortwoyearsIhavebeenrunningmyownwebsiteabouttheDodgers.Howdidyoubecomeabaseballeditorialist?Thatismydeam.WhatwasSarahMorris’dream?ThiswasSarah’sseconde-mail,anditcamejustasexpected.EverytimeIsmileatsomeone,theyaskmeforajob.Butsomethingelsecaughtmyeye.Themisspellinginthatlastline.Thepartabout“mydeam.”WhydidtheauthorsaythatSarah'semailcamejustasexpected?MaybeSarahMorriswasjustalousytypist.Butmaybeshewastrulysearchingforsomething,yetwasonlyoneletterfromfindingit.Itwasworthonemoreresponse,Iaskedhertoexplain.WhatpromotedtheauthortogivearesponsetoSarah'ssecondemail?Whatdoweknowsofarabouttheauthor?Iam30yearsold.…BecauseIhaveaphysicalhandicap,ittookmefiveyearstocompletemyassociate’sdegree.…DuringtheseasonIaverage55hoursaweekwritinggamereports,editorials,researchingandlisteningand/orwatchinggames.WhatdoweknowaboutSarah?SarahcalledherwebsiteDodgerPlace.Isearched,andfoundnothing.ThenIrereadhere-mailanddiscoveredanaddressburiedatthebottom:’tfancy.Butshecoveredtheteamwiththeseriousnessofawriter.Still,Iwondered,isanybodyreading?Nobodyeversignsmyguestbook.Igetoneletteramonth.Soherewasaphysicallyhandicappedwoman,coveringtheDodgersasextensivelyasanyreporterinthecountry,yetwritingforanobscurewebsitewithanimpossibleaddress,withareadershipofabouttwo.That“deam”wasmissingalotmorethananr,Ithought.Istartedmyownwebsiteinhopesoffindingajob.Noluck.SowhatifmymaximumtypingspeediseightwordsperminutebecauseIuseaheadpointertotype?Mybrainworksfine.Ihavededicationtomywork.Thatiswhatmakespeoplesuccessful.Howdidshetypeandhowfastcouldshetype?DidSarahlosehopebecauseshewashandicapped?Why?Aheadpointer?Iaskherhowlongittookhertocomposeoneofherusual400-wordfilings.Threetofourhours.IdidsomethingI’veneverbeforedonewithanInternetstranger.IaskSarahMorristocallme.Whatdidtheauthordoafterhelearntaboutherphysicalhandicapandherhopes?Ihaveaspeechdisabilitymakingitimpossibletousethephone.Thatprovedit.Thiswasobviouslyanelaboratehoax.Thiswriterwasprobablya45-year-oldmaleplumber.WhatkindofpersondidtheauthorassumeSarahwaswhenshetoldhimshecouldn’tmakeaphonecall?Idecidedtoendthecorrespondence.ButthenIreceivedanothere-mail.Mydisabilityiscerebralpalsy.…Itaffectsmotorcontrol.…Whenmybraintellsmyhandstohitakey,Iwouldmovemylegs,hitthetable,andsixotherkeysintheprocess.WhathappenedafterhedecidedtoendhiscorrespondencewithSarah?Whenmymomexplainedmyhandicap,shetoldmeIcouldaccomplishanythingIwantedtoifIworkedthreetimesashardasotherpeople.ShewrotethatshehadbecomeaDodgerfanwhilegrowingupinPasadena.InhersophomoreyearatBlairHigh,ajuniorvarsitybaseballcoachaskedhertobetheteamstatistician.Shedidit,withatypewriterandaheadpointer.Herinvolvementinbaseballhadkeptherinschool,sh