Time was running out, and Mark Dickinson wasn't sure whether he'd get to see his dying 2－year－old grandson one last time. A long line at Los Angeles International Airport's security checkpoint had kept him from getting to his gate on time.
His grandson Caden would be taken off life support in a matter of hours in Denver, Colorado, with or without his grandfather's presence, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
“I was kind of panicking because I was running late, and I really thought I wasn't going to make the flight，” Dickinson told KABC.
That's when a pilot from Southwest Airlines stepped up and held the flight at the gate until Dickinson arrived. The pilot was standing by the air bridge waiting for him when Dickinson arrived in socks, so rushed that he just grabbed his shoes at security and ran through the terminal.
“I told him, ‘Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.’ And he said, ‘No problem. They can't leave without me anyway，’”Dickinson told KABC.
Authorities say Dickinson's grandson, Caden Rodgers, suffered a head injury after his mother's boyfriend threw him across the room. The boyfriend reportedly told police he was drunk and high on marijuana(大麻) at the time. The child later died and the boyfriend has been charged with first－degree murder, according to the Aurora Sentinel.
Thanks to the pilot, Dickinson made it to Colorado in time to say goodbye to his grandson. Most airlines would punish any staff member who holds up a flight, according to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who broke the story of the sympathetic pilot on his blog. However, a Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot's actions were praiseworthy.
“You can't hold a plane for every late customer, but I think we would all agree that these were extenuating(可以原谅的) circumstances and the pilot absolutely made the right decision，” Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said. “I don't think you could ask for a better example of great service for our customers.”
1.According to the passage, which is the correct order of the following events?
a. The pilot held the plane for Dickinson.
b. People read the story of the pilot on the Internet.
c. Caden suffered a head injury.
d. Dickinson was waiting in line at the security checking point.
d. Marilee McInnis praised the pilot's actions.
A. d，c，a，b，e B. c，a，d，b，e C. c，d，a，b，e D. d，a，b，c，e
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. The security staff prohibited Dickinson from getting to his gate on time.
B. The plane couldn't leave without Dickinson according to the regulations.
C. Dickinson made it to see his grandson one last time.
D. Christopher Elliott holds the view that all the airlines should advocate similar actions.
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The boyfriend of Caden's mother hates him very much.
B. The boyfriend has been accused of first－degree murder.
C. Many pilots enjoy writing blog.
D. Dickinson had to take off his shoes at the security cheekpoint.
4.In writing this passage, the author mainly tells us a story about ________．
A. an unlucky man from Los Angeles making his flight
B. a poor boy being killed by his mother's boyfriend
C. Southwest Airlines' decision not to punish a pilot who held up the flight
D. a pilot holding the flight for a man going to see his dying grandson
“Good night, Yammine.”
“Good night, Chief，” I reply.
The cell door __36__ and I hear Chief's keys clinking as other doors clang shut further down the row. I step into my little cell and sit down. I glance up at the window, covered in mesh(铁网)，and think to myself, “This isn't a life, it's just a(n) __37__．”
Being __38__ makes me feel as though I'm being buried alive. I am a puppet(木偶) with people __39__ strings so that I eat, sleep and wake when they want me to.
I lie on my bed as night __40__ and think the same thoughts __41__. I think about how it all went so wrong, and imagine how I will __42__ for all the time I've lost.
Every day I live the same routine and nothing changes except the people. Prisoners depart for other prisons, or get __43__. Others __44__ from different prisons, or fresh from custody. It's a __45__ revolving(旋转) door.
When I committed my __46__， I was a lost young boy, but now I am __47__. Walking around the yard, I would notice my fellow prisoners reading books and writing letters to friends and family, which upset me as my __48__ at school was limited.
I longed for the day when I'd be able to sit in the sun, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper or book __49__ my choice. I also longed to write letters to my friends and family, sharing my thoughts and feelings.
I decided not to waste my time inside and, __50__， make the most of all the resources available to me. I started to learn and was __51__ to realize my dream.
Now, after five years' persistence, heartache and hard work, I have __52__ my goal. Having __53__ a course as a reading adviser, I can now help others to read and write. And I have even started a creative writing workshop at Junee Correctional Centre. Learning to read and write at a highter level has given me the inner strength to present myself in a more __54__ manner.
And the day I've dreamed about has come true: I now enjoy my cup of coffee with a book in my other hand. Learning to read and write has changed my life and this article is my first piece of “proper” writing, and it won't be my __55__．
1.A. opens B. closes C. breaks D. sticks
2.A. existence B. appearance C. offence D. holiday
3.A. at school B. at home C. in hospital D. in prison
4.A. pulling B. shaking C. winding D. casting
5.A. becomes B. drops C. feels D. falls
6.A. once and for all B. over and over again C. once again D. for good
7.A. do up B. make up C. fix up D. mend up
8.A. revealed B. sentenced C. punished D. released
9.A. reach B. get C. arrive D. go
10.A. continually B. occasionally C. accidentally D. rarely
11.A. mistake B. crime C. error D. fault
12.A. caught B. home C. found D. trapped
13.A. attendance B. absence C. allowance D. assistance
14.A. in B. of C. over D. by
15.A. however B. instead C. thus D. nevertheless
16.A. devoted B. dedicated C. determined D. decided
17.A. gained B. recognized C. arrived D. achieved
18.A. attended B. completed C. started D. organized
19.A. positive B. negative C. sensitive D. passive
20.A. best B. worst C. latest D. last
When we think of trees at Christmas, there is ________ that immediately springs to mind－the evergreen tree beautifully decorated.
A. the one B. that C. it D. one
—Has your brother found an apartment yet?
—No, he's still living in a room downtown, but I ________ him look.
A. help B. have helped C. am helping D. helped
—Hello, John. This is Alice. I'm calling from work. How's your mother feeling?
—________. Mum is out of hospital, but she has to stay in bed a few more days.
A. You're welcome B. That was thoughtful of you
C. What a pleasure D. By all means
—How was the professor's lecture?
—Impressive. Thank you so much for giving me a lift during the rush hours. If not, I ________ the lecture today.
A. couldn't attend B. might not have attended
C. mustn't have attended D. can't have attended
