Rescue workers arrived on the scene instantly. Their searchlights revealed a frightening sight. Many of the passengers could be seen still strapped in their seats at the bottom of the river. Only six passengers survived the accident. They clung to a piece of the tail section that was above water. One of the survivors was a balding man with a large mustache. He seemed to be more alert and less severely injured than any of the others.
Speed was essential if the six people were to be saved. A person can survive only a few minutes in such cold water. The rescue was made difficult by the fact that there was only room barely enough for one helicopter to get between the Fourteenth Street Bridge and another bridge nearby.
A helicopter arrived and quickly lowered its lifeline and flotation ring (救生圈) to the balding man. He grabbed it, but instead of using it himself, he passed it on to one of the other passengers. As that person was lifted out of the freezing water, the balding man fought to keep his grip on the tail section. His body temperature was dropping, and his strength was going. When the rescue helicopter returned, the lifeline was again dropped to him. People on the bank watched in amazement as the man once again passed the lifeline on to someone else. For the second time, he gave up the chance so that another person could be saved.
Ten minutes later, the three other passengers had been taken safely to the shore. Only the balding man was left in the river. But when the helicopter returned, he was gone. He had been in the icy water too long.
For several days, the selfless man was known simply as “the man in the water.” No one knew who he was. But when the passenger list was compared with the description of the man, it was determined that he was Arland Williams, a 46-year-old bank examiner from Atlanta, Georgia.
When Arland Williams boarded Flight 90, he was an ordinary person on an ordinary flight. There was nothing special about him. But at 4:01 P.M. on a stormy January day, when his plane crashed, Williams chose to risk his life to save the lives of others. The “man in the water” became a national hero.
56. What delayed Air Florida Flight 90 from taking off earlier?
A. The runways had to be cleared of snow.
B. The plane had to be refueled.
C. The plane needed some engine repair.
D. The wings of the plane had to be cleared of ice.
57. Flight 90 crashed into the Potomac River _____.
A. as it was landing
B. as it was flying
C. 5 minutes after takeoff
D. as it was taking off
58. The rescue was made more difficult because there ______.
A. weren’t enough rescue workers
B. were no rescue boats available
C. was only enough room for one rescue helicopter
D. was hardly any room for a rescue helicopter
59. Arland Williams died because he ______.
A. had suffered head injuries in the crash
B. had been in the icy water too long
C. did not know how to swim
D. wanted to become a hero
60. Which of the following best states the main idea of the selection?
A. Arland Williams became a hero when he died after saving all the survivors. |
