close
Sometimes it's hard to look past your own handicap in times of need.
有時在需要人幫助時真的很難忽略自身的殘疾。

  I am used to needing help. I am used to not being able to do things for myself or for others. This is because I am disabled. I have a disease that affects my nerves and impedes the functioning of the right side of my body. Even with thisdisadvantage, I drive to work every day with the help of special equipmentinstalled in my car. On one particular night last year, I was driving home throughgusty winds and harsh rain. I was on a deserted road when I heard a loud popand felt the front end of my car slam into the pavement. One of my front tires had blown out.
  I pulled over and contemplated all of my options, but the truth of the matter was that with my handicap, there was no way I could change a tire by myself. I also knew that there was little chance of a motorist passing by and stopping to help. I decided to drive on, and my car slowly crept along the rain-slicked shoulder until I saw a faint light. I turned down a dirt road and approached a small farm house. A small girl and a man welcomed me, and they immediately got to work changing my tire while I sat inside their toasty place. While I wasappreciative of their help, it took them so long that I was starting to feel irritated. Finally, the girl came over and announced that they had finished. Only then did I realize that the girl was no older than eight and the man looked about 80. When I offered them money, the man ignored me and the girl explained that he couldn't see the money because he was blind. I sat there stunned as disturbing feelings of shame and horror overcame me. Who was the one with the real handicap here?

1. Why is the driver NOT able to help other people?
(A) He doesn't like helping strangers.
(B) He thinks he is physically unable to.
(C) He is too proud.
(D) People never help him in return.
2. Where did most of this story take place?
(A) In a city.
(B) On a highway.
(C) In the countryside.
(D) On a bridge.
3. Why didn't the old man accept his money?
(A) The little girl said she wanted it.
(B) He didn't think it was enough.
(C) He didn't need it.
(D) He couldn't see it when offered.
4. Why did the driver feel ashamed?
(A) He should have never asked a girl for help.
(B) He was embarrassed about thinking badly of the people that helped him.
(C) He was embarrassed that a girl could change a tire and he couldn't.
(D) He didn't have any money to pay the man.

 
  1. handicapped a. 有生理缺陷的
    handicap n. 缺陷;不利條件
  2. affect vt.(疾病的)侵襲;影響
  3. disadvantage n. 不便之處,劣勢
    advantage n. 有利條件,優勢
  4. equipment n. 設備,裝備;器材(均作集合名詞,不可數)
  5. gusty a. 颳風的
  6. harsh a. 惡劣的
  7. deserted a. 罕無人跡的,荒涼的
  8. pop n. 爆裂聲
  9. pavement n. 人行道(英式用法)
    sidewalk n. 人行道(美式用法)
  10. motorist n.(汽車)駕駛人
  11. rain-slicked a. 雨後溼滑的
  12. shoulder n. 路肩
  13. faint a. 微弱的,模糊的
  14. approach vt. 接近,靠近
  15. toasty a. 溫暖舒適的
  16. announce vt. 大聲宣告,通知
  17. stunned a. 受到驚嚇的
  18. disturbing a. 令人不安的
  19. physically adv. 身體上
  1. look past  忽視∕忽略……
  2. blow out  突然爆裂
    burst vi.
  3. pull over  把車靠邊停
  4. come over  過來;從遠處來
  5. in return (for + 名詞)  以回報(……)

Only then did I realize that the girl was no older than eight and the man looked about 80.
注意
Only 引導的片語或句子放在句首時,均可視為否定副詞片語,通常採倒裝結構。
Only then did I realize my mistake.
那時我才意識到我犯錯了。
Only in this way can you solve the problem.
只有透過這個方式,你才能解決問題。
歷屆考題 (考古題源自歷年考題原句並做部份刪減)
_______ in the world's leading museums can these objects be fully appreciated. 【93 年學測】
(A) Also (B) However
(C) Only (D) Besides

  1. disabled a. 身障的
    the disabled  身心障礙者
    = the physically challenged
    disable vt. 使(手腳等)失去能力;使無法正常運轉
    Ivy broke her foot, which disabled her for a few weeks.
    艾薇摔斷了腿,使得她好幾個星期都無法走路。
    No one knew there was a fire until it was too late because someone had disabled the smoke detectors.
    因為有人把煙霧偵測器弄壞了,所以沒人知道發生了火災,等到發現時已經太晚了。
  2. impede vt. 阻礙
    The mudslide impeded the progress of the rescue workers trying to go up the mountain road.
    土石流阻礙了救難人員設法上山救援的進度。
  3. functioning n. 運作
    function vi. 運作,運行
    Despite the power outage, the hospital continued to function normally because of the generator.
    儘管電力中斷,但這家醫院因為有發電機,所以還是能繼續正常運作。
  4. install vt. 設置;安裝
    We have installed central heating in the entire building.
    我們在整棟大樓內安裝了中央暖氣系統。
  5. slam into...  猛力撞上……
    David slammed into a stranger coming round the corner.
    大衛在街角撞上一名迎面而來的陌生人。
  6. contemplate vt. 仔細考慮,思量
    contemplate V-ing  考慮……
    Jennifer contemplated dyeing her hair blonde.
    珍妮佛考慮將頭髮染成金色。
  7. creep vi.(緩慢且安靜地)行進
    (動詞三態為:creep, crept, crept)
    Mandy crept into the room and kissed her sleeping son on the forehead.
    曼蒂悄悄地走進房間,在她熟睡兒子的額頭上吻了一下。
  8. appreciative a. 感謝的
    be appreciative of...  感激……
    Kevin was very appreciative of his classmates' concern during his illness.
    凱文非常感激同學們在他生病期間對他的關懷。
  9. irritated a. 感到惱怒∕煩躁的
    irritate vt. 激怒;惹惱
    Tom was irritated about having to wait so long for his food.
    湯姆對於餐點讓他等這麼久覺得很火大。
    Billy loves irritating his sister by repeating everything she says.
    比利喜歡重複他姊姊所說的每一句話來惹她生氣。
  10. overcome vt. 戰勝;克服
    = conquer vt.
    I could not overcome the difficulty of learning Spanish, so I dropped the course.
    我無法克服學西班牙文的困難,因此我退選了這門課。
  11. ashamed a. 羞愧的
    be ashamed of...  因……而感到羞愧∕丟臉
    I was ashamed of my behavior at the party last night.
    我對自己昨晚在派對上的行為感到羞愧。

 

誰才是真正的殘疾?
有時在需要人幫助時真的很難忽略自身的殘疾。
  我很習慣要人幫忙。我也習慣了不能替自己或為他人做點事。這都是因為我患有殘疾的緣故。我患有一種會影響神經功能的疾病,這使得我右半邊的身體失去功能。即便有這樣的缺陷,在車上安裝有特殊裝置的幫助下,我還是每天開著車去上班。就在去年的某個夜晚,我在狂風大雨中開車回家。我開到一條荒涼的路時,我聽到了一聲巨響,並感覺到我車子的前端撞上人行道。我車子的其中一個前輪爆胎了。
  我把車停在路邊,並仔細想了想所有我能做的選擇,但事實上因為我的殘疾,我不可能自行換輪胎。我也知道不太可能會有經過的駕駛停下來幫我。於是我決定繼續開,我的車子沿著雨後溼滑的路肩慢慢行駛,直到我看見了微弱的燈光。我駛離這條泥濘的道路,開往那棟小農舍。一個小女孩和一名男子出來迎接我並馬上幫我換輪胎,而我則坐在他們溫暖舒適的家中。儘管我很感謝他們的幫助,但花了這麼長的時間讓我開始感到煩躁。終於那個小女孩走過來告訴我他們已經換好輪胎了。這時我才發現這個女孩的年紀不到八歲,而那名男子看起來也快八十歲了。我要拿錢給他們時,那名男子沒有理我,女孩隨後解釋道,因為那名男子是盲人,所以看不見我給他的錢。我目瞪口呆地坐在那裡,一股羞恥和恐懼的不安感淹沒了我。到底現在誰才是真正有殘疾的人?

1. 為什麼這位駕駛無法幫助其他人?
(A) 他不喜歡幫助陌生人。
(B) 他覺得以他的身體狀況無法幫助他人。
(C) 他太驕傲了。
(D) 人們從沒幫助過他來回報他的恩情。
題解:根據本文第一段第一至三句,作者很習慣要人幫忙。也很習慣不能替自己或為他人做點事。這都是因為作者患有殘疾的緣故,故 (B) 項應為正選。
2. 這個故事最有可能發生的場景在哪裡?
(A) 在城市裡。
(B) 在高速公路上。
(C) 在鄉間。
(D) 在橋上。
題解:根據本文,場景發生在人煙稀少的地方,而且好不容易才見到一棟農舍,開過的路皆是泥濘,可推論應在鄉間,故 (C) 項應為正選。
3. 為什麼那個老人沒有接受作者付的錢?
(A) 小女孩說她想要這筆錢。
(B) 這個老人認為這些錢不夠。
(C) 這個老人不需要這筆錢。
(D) 付錢時這個老人看不見。
題解:根據本文第二段倒數第二句,作者要拿錢給他們時,那名男子沒有理作者,女孩隨後解釋道,因為那名男子是盲人,所以看不見作者給他的錢,故 (D) 項應為正選。
4. 為什麼這位駕駛會感到羞愧?
(A) 他根本不該要求小女孩幫他忙。
(B) 他對這些幫忙他的人評價很低而感到羞愧。
(C) 他因為小女孩可以更換輪胎而他不行感到很不好意思。
(D) 他沒有錢可以支付給這個老人。
題解:根據本文第二段,儘管這位駕駛很感謝他們的幫助,但等了這麼久的時間讓他開始感到煩躁,而最後在想付給他們錢時卻發現熱心幫助他的竟然是一位看不見的盲人,這使他感到很羞愧,故 (B) 項應為正選。

答案:1. B 2. C 3. D 4. B

Grammar Tips  歷屆考題答案:C

資料來源:常春藤電子報

arrow
arrow
    全站熱搜
    創作者介紹
    創作者 全通翻譯 的頭像
    全通翻譯

    全通翻譯/翻譯社

    全通翻譯 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()