Passage 2
When the French Institute in Haiti asked me to speak on a subject of my own choice, I picked heroism. It’s a subject I know well. I’ve read many books about it.
I spoke of some well-known heroes. I suggested that I was something of a hero myself. Then I described how the hero, in face of danger, discovers all the great, lasting values of life.
When I left the platform, a gentleman came to me. “Great lecture,”he said. “I’m Doctor Bonbon. I’ve been asked to make your stay here as pleasant as possible. Would you like to go hunting sharks with me? You seem to enjoy facing danger.”
I accepted gladly. I saw myself struggling with a huge fish on my rod…
I was to speak again the next afternoon. So we agreed to start early that morning.
“By the way,”the doctor said as we set out ,“you should try out your Cousteau.”
“My…what?”
“Your snorkel. You need to breathe. I’ll show you how to work the underwater gun too. What’s the matter? Something wrong?”
I had to sit down. I tried to tell myself it wasn’t so. But there was no doubt about it. I wasn’t to fish with a rod, I was to go right down into the water. I opened my mouth to protest…
“You know,”the doctor said. “I can’t tell you how much we all enjoyed your lecture on courage.”
I said nothing. There are times when you have to protect your means of earning a living. I was known as a good speaker. If I had to be eaten by sharks to keep my reputation, I was ready. I put on my mask.
“Now put on the lead belt. It will get you down there instantly,”the doctor said. “They’ll go down with you.”He pointed to the four giants on board.
Bodyguards, I thought with relief.
“They’re the beaters,”the doctor said. “They’ll go ahead and drive the sharks toward you. Then all you have to do is shoot.”I didn’t have the courage to object. They helped me over the side.
At the bottom the first thing I saw was a big fish. I screamed.
I can’t quite remember what followed. All I know is that, contrary to what I had said in my lecture, at the moment of danger the hero does not discover the great values of life. When I opened my eyes again, the big fish was gone.
I tried to return to the surface. Then I saw a huge form above my head. I seized my gun, I closed my eyes and I pressed the trigger.
The gun was torn from me.
In seconds I was at the surface. Luckily, the boat was near. I was on board in an instant.
“Where’s your gun?”asked the doctor.
I explained that I had hit a shark. The beast had torn the weapon from my hands.
The black swimmers were climbing back into the boat now. One of them had my gun. He spoke to the doctor in Creole.
“It seems,”the doctor said to me, “that yon shot at the hull of the boat.”
He was trying to suggest that I had mistaken the boat passing over my head for a shark. The very idea!
When I stepped onto the platform that afternoon, Doctor Bonbon was sitting in the front row. But I didn’t let his mocking stare disturb me. I was determined to rise once more to the level of my subject.
“Ladies and gentlemen,”I began,“when the hero finds himself facing danger, the first thing he discovers…”
56．This story is told in a _____ tone.
A．sad
B．serious
C．humorous
D．critical
57．When told to go down into the water, the writer had to sit down probably because _____ .
A．he had more questions to ask Doctor Bonbon
B．he wanted to discuss the arrangement in detail
C．he was greatly inspired
D．he was trembling with fear
58．To save his face, the writer had no way out but to _____.
A．go down into the water
B．lecture on heroism again
C．shoot at the hull of the boat
D．protest against the invitation
59．When the writer was told that he had actually shot at the boat, _____.
A．he did not believe it
B．he felt annoyed
C．he was ashamed of his stupid mistake
D．he was relieved that nobody was hurt
60．When he stood on the platform that afternoon, the writer probably began his speech with this remark：“When the hero finds himself facing danger, the first thing he discovers _____.”
A．is his true self
B．is the great values of life
C．is the challenge from other people
D．is his strong desire to save his face
When the French Institute in Haiti asked me to speak on a subject of my own choice, I picked heroism. It’s a subject I know well. I’ve read many books about it.
I spoke of some well-known heroes. I suggested that I was something of a hero myself. Then I described how the hero, in face of danger, discovers all the great, lasting values of life.
When I left the platform, a gentleman came to me. “Great lecture,”he said. “I’m Doctor Bonbon. I’ve been asked to make your stay here as pleasant as possible. Would you like to go hunting sharks with me? You seem to enjoy facing danger.”
I accepted gladly. I saw myself struggling with a huge fish on my rod…
I was to speak again the next afternoon. So we agreed to start early that morning.
“By the way,”the doctor said as we set out ,“you should try out your Cousteau.”
“My…what?”
“Your snorkel. You need to breathe. I’ll show you how to work the underwater gun too. What’s the matter? Something wrong?”
I had to sit down. I tried to tell myself it wasn’t so. But there was no doubt about it. I wasn’t to fish with a rod, I was to go right down into the water. I opened my mouth to protest…
“You know,”the doctor said. “I can’t tell you how much we all enjoyed your lecture on courage.”
I said nothing. There are times when you have to protect your means of earning a living. I was known as a good speaker. If I had to be eaten by sharks to keep my reputation, I was ready. I put on my mask.
“Now put on the lead belt. It will get you down there instantly,”the doctor said. “They’ll go down with you.”He pointed to the four giants on board.
Bodyguards, I thought with relief.
“They’re the beaters,”the doctor said. “They’ll go ahead and drive the sharks toward you. Then all you have to do is shoot.”I didn’t have the courage to object. They helped me over the side.
At the bottom the first thing I saw was a big fish. I screamed.
I can’t quite remember what followed. All I know is that, contrary to what I had said in my lecture, at the moment of danger the hero does not discover the great values of life. When I opened my eyes again, the big fish was gone.
I tried to return to the surface. Then I saw a huge form above my head. I seized my gun, I closed my eyes and I pressed the trigger.
The gun was torn from me.
In seconds I was at the surface. Luckily, the boat was near. I was on board in an instant.
“Where’s your gun?”asked the doctor.
I explained that I had hit a shark. The beast had torn the weapon from my hands.
The black swimmers were climbing back into the boat now. One of them had my gun. He spoke to the doctor in Creole.
“It seems,”the doctor said to me, “that yon shot at the hull of the boat.”
He was trying to suggest that I had mistaken the boat passing over my head for a shark. The very idea!
When I stepped onto the platform that afternoon, Doctor Bonbon was sitting in the front row. But I didn’t let his mocking stare disturb me. I was determined to rise once more to the level of my subject.
“Ladies and gentlemen,”I began,“when the hero finds himself facing danger, the first thing he discovers…”
56．This story is told in a _____ tone.
A．sad
B．serious
C．humorous
D．critical
57．When told to go down into the water, the writer had to sit down probably because _____ .
A．he had more questions to ask Doctor Bonbon
B．he wanted to discuss the arrangement in detail
C．he was greatly inspired
D．he was trembling with fear
58．To save his face, the writer had no way out but to _____.
A．go down into the water
B．lecture on heroism again
C．shoot at the hull of the boat
D．protest against the invitation
59．When the writer was told that he had actually shot at the boat, _____.
A．he did not believe it
B．he felt annoyed
C．he was ashamed of his stupid mistake
D．he was relieved that nobody was hurt
60．When he stood on the platform that afternoon, the writer probably began his speech with this remark：“When the hero finds himself facing danger, the first thing he discovers _____.”
A．is his true self
B．is the great values of life
C．is the challenge from other people
D．is his strong desire to save his face