As a teenager, Simon Weston wasn’t particularly good at his studies, but he was a good football player. He could also be naughty sometimes so his mother decided Simon should join the army when he was sixteen to teach him some discipline(纪律).
She was right; Simon really enjoyed army life and became a well-respected member. However, Simon’s life was changed forever in 1982. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, which belong to Britain, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher declared war(宣战). Simon was on board a ship taking troops to the Falklands when it was attacked and set on fire. In an act of great heroism, Simon tried to save one of his friends from being burnt alive. Sadly, he failed and was seriously burnt himself. At the age of 21, Simon’s life seemed over.
Simon had 70 operations to rebuild his face and body. He was so badly burnt that his mother walked past him in the hospital without recognizing her son. Simon struggled to call out, “Mum, it’s me, Simon.” Hearing his voice, his mother broke down in tears. Many thought Simon would die, but to everyone’s astonishment, he survived. Although he experienced terrible pain, Simon never gave up hope. After months of treatment, Simon slowly started to recover and, although he would be terribly scarred for the rest of his life, he was able to leave hospital.
This was when the real battle started. The physical pain slowly disappeared; however, the emotional pain became worse. Simon started to gout but was wounded by the stares of people who looked at him like he was some kind of freak(畸形的人). He felt like saying, “I wasn’t born like this you know. I was injured defending my country.” It took great courage for Simon to continue to go out.
Eventually, Simon became involved in charity work and met his wife Lucy with whom he has three children. Life has never been the same for Simon but his Bravery is an example to us all.
Simon’s mother wanted him to join the army because ________.
A.he liked the life in the army |
B.she wanted him to be fit |
C.he was very good at playing sports |
D.she felt it would change his behavior. |
What can we infer from the text about Simon?
A.He succeeded in saving his friend in danger. |
B.he became an excellent professional soldier. |
C.he didn’t get along with other soldiers. |
D.he found life in the army very terrible |
What does the underlined part “the real battle started ” in Paragraph 4 refer to ?
A.Fighting against the physical pain. |
B.The struggle to come out of hospital. |
C.The misunderstanding by Simon’s mother. |
D.Dealing with people’s unfriendly attitudes. |
Which of the following can best describe Simon?
A.Aggressive and strong. |
B.Calm and kind |
C.Brave and generous |
D.Strange and selfish. |