It’s not common that a grandmother aged 89 is crowned Queen of Icebergs in north America, but when it does happen it’s quite the sight.
On a recent trip to Iceland, Judith Streng became that grandma after her son attempted to take a photograph of her sitting on an ice structure that looks like a throne (宝座) at Diamond Beach in Jokul. Shortly after Streng sat down to pose, the piece of ice broke off and floated into the water.
“I thought it was safe. One girl had been on it and then two girls at the same time, and it was very secure with them. When I got on it, it started to shake and a wave was coming in. A very large wave came in and made the throne kind of shake, and I could tell that I was slipping off,” Streng told ABC News.
Streng’s story went hot after her 24-year-old granddaughter Catherine tweeted a text message exchange she had with her father about the incident. “My grandmother almost got lost at sea in Iceland today!”
Catherine, who teaches English in Seoul, South Korea, explained via Twitter that her father described the scene vividly. He has a PhD in English, and described the event in the following words, “She climbed to the throne after a wave had pulled back and left it briefly exposed on the beach. Then a wave washed in and removed the ice throne, rocking it from side to side. When the wave left, it lifted the throne and carried her out into the sea with the tide.”
Luckily for the Streng family, Randy, a licensed boat captain from Florida with knowledge of water rescue strategies witnessed the whole thing, and was able to save the day.
1. Where was the grandma when her son was taking a picture for her?A.On a crown. | B.In an iceboat. |
C.At a throne beach. | D.On an iceberg. |
A.By drawing a vivid picture. |
B.By exchanging tweeter account. |
C.By talking with her father in Seoul. |
D.By posting the text message exchange with her father. |
A.Catherine. | B.Streng. |
C.Randy. | D.Judith. |
A.Taking Pictures Must be Very Dangerous |
B.A Grandma Floated out to the Sea on an Iceberg |
C.An Optimistic Family Who Love Iceberg |
D.The Licensed Boat Captain Went Hot Slowly |
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【推荐1】It was mid-afternoon. I looked outside my dorm window, and saw the lifeless gray sky, the snow and the trackless sidewalks. There was no one in the snow but a squirrel. The brown-gray North American squirrel,a look of terror in his shining eyes, braved the cold to throw himself over snow. In his mouth was a large acorn(橡实)—I was surprised it fit in his mouth.
I moved closer to my window, outside of which is a medium-sized tree, lacking its warm-weather leaves. The squirrel ran up rapidly, higher and higher in the tree, and his small body held onto his dear acorn.
Up he went, to the tip of one of the highest branches. I held my breath—I wondered if that slender branch could support him. I wondered if his winter food store was in this tree—squirrels are known to hide their nuts, mushrooms, and vegetation high up in trees. Outside, the squirrel firmly grasped that branch, jaw clamping(夹紧)on his acorn.
Then came the wind blowing violently, shaking the tree, the branch and the squirrel. He hung on for dear life, and both arms wrapped around the branch in the wind. I held my breath: If he fell from a height like this, then.... Seeing this little squirrel, I had my heart in my mouth. As the wind became stronger, the squirrel’s precious acorn fell to the ground. The squirrel followed its downward progress only by sight—if he let go the branch, he would fall downwards as well. I was so nervous that I didn’t take my gaze off the squirrel for one minute. Surprisingly, he then climbed down the tree and was now half-buried in the snow, searching desperately for his acorn. Finally, he made it.
The brave animal is able to survive in nature all because of its desperate efforts.The same goes for us humans. We all work hard to survive, and this is the law of nature. So effort is not something special, but a matter for all living things to do to survive.
1. What did the author discover outside the window?A.A squirrel was freezing nearly to death. |
B.A squirrel was choked by a large acorn. |
C.A squirrel was picking acorns from a tree. |
D.A squirrel was climbing to the top of a tree. |
A.Dead. | B.Straight. | C.Slim. | D.Thick. |
A.Concerned. | B.Unfriendly. | C.Uncaring. | D.Curious. |
A.Stop struggling, life is stopped. |
B.Facts speak louder than words. |
C.Failure is the mother of success. |
D.Teaching others teaches yourself. |
【推荐2】Fifteen years ago, I took a summer vacation in Lecce in southern Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic(全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.
Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.
Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, my camera scanning the sun and reviewing the shot I would eventually take, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so pleased in her observation. I didn’t want to mess with that.
Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway. And now when I look at it, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.
This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who “ruined” it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured(捕捉) and frozen on some stranger’s bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don’t even know has been immortalized(使……永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.
Perhaps we all live in each others’ spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us.
That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.
1. What happened when the author was about to take a photo?A.A woman blocked her view. | B.Her camera stopped working. |
C.Someone asked her to leave. | D.A friend approached from behind. |
A.losing her patience | B.enjoying herself |
C.waiting for the sunset | D.thinking about her past |
A.The rich color of the landscape. | B.The perfect positioning of the camera. |
C.The soft sunlight that summer day. | D.The woman’s existence in the photo. |
【推荐3】A university graduate described as a "respectable and intelligent" woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of (证明有……罪)shoplifting for the second time in six months.
Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops .
Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth£9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9.
Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting(起诉),said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies" toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms(防盗警报装置).
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying ,Mr Lemoyne said.
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.
Luz,28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October ,but Morag Duff, defending ,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that .
"She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this," Miss Duff said. "She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store .She is at a loss to explain it. She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady .She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this."
Judge David Azan fined Luz £ 50, and warned : "You"ve got a criminal record .If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have."
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain ,went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master"s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University, UK.
1. What is Ana Luz’s nationality?A.American. | B.British. | C.Spanish. | D.German. |
A.In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things . |
B.She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops . |
C.She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops. |
D.Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions. |
A.Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University ,UK |
B.Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so |
C.the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more |
D.Phillip Lemoyne is the "respectable and intelligent" woman"s defense lawyer |
【推荐1】The big fire inside her flat did not stop the brave grandmother. The 70-year-old only had thoughts of saving her mentally-unsound son as she dashed right into the sea of fire.
The fire happened in the morning at an apartment block in Hong Kong. The grandmother, identified as Madam Guan, had gone for Mandarin lessons at her local community centre. When she returned home at around 10 a.m., she heard her neighbors calling for the firefighters the moment she stepped out of the lift.
When Madam Guan realized it was her flat that was on fire, she got frightened. Inside the flat was her second son Mr. Feng, diagnosed with depression when he was 15 and also with problems with his vision.
Guessing that her son was probably trapped in the fire, Madam Guan rushed into the flat even though it was already covered in smoke. She found him moving on the floor of his room, with his face and hands badly burnt. She quickly helped her son up and half-carried him as they made their escape.
The firefighters arrived soon after and put out the fire. Mr. Feng was later sent to the hospital, with 20 percent burns on his body. Madam Guan was unhurt. Mr. Feng is the only child still living with her since her husband died more than 10 years ago. Mr. Feng is jobless, preferring to stay in his room.
After the fire was put out, she was reportedly so distraught upon seeing the scene.
“I’ve really lost everything this time.”
The fire at her flat is believed to have been caused by a short circuit(电路).
1. When did Madam Guan realize her house caught fire?A.When she went for her lessons. |
B.At about 10:00 p.m. |
C.After she stepped out of the lift. |
D.When she saw her son moving on the floor. |
A.liked to work at home |
B.had been ill for many years |
C.was only injured a little |
D.often stayed at home alone |
A.20 percent of Mr. Feng’s face was badly burned. |
B.Madam Guan’s house was seriously destroyed. |
C.With the firefighters’ help Mr. Feng escaped from the fire. |
D.When found, Mr. Feng was finding his glasses. |
A.worried | B.angry | C.happy | D.disappointed |
A.A Brave Grandmother in a Big Fire |
B.A Big Fire |
C.A Lucky Escape |
D.Granny, 70, Rescues Son from Burning Flat |
【推荐2】Lee Spargo initially set up an outdoor trail camera at his home near Mount Holly in hopes of catching a wild fox that had been hunting his chickens. But he was aware of another danger Tuesday night when the camera caught footage of his house being swallowed in flames.
A fire inside Lee’s home triggered (触发) the camera and sent an alarm to his phone around 2:22 a.m. Lee woke up thinking he had caught the fox, but soon realized that his house was on fire instead.
“If I didn’t set up the equipment, we’d all be dead. It saved our lives,” he said. “I got up, Thinking ‘Oh, the fox is out there and I’m going to get him’. And then I saw a big reflection in the kitchen and I was considering, ‘What’s that?’”
Lee said he quickly jumped into action and got his wife Rhonda and his two kids Jonathan and Meagan out of the burning building. The family was also able to rescue two of their four dogs from the fire. Unfortunately, Lee’s 4-year-old Lulu and 2-year-old Sampson did not survive.
“We were yelling for them to get out, but the poor things were just so scared. They were just trying to hide,” Lee said.
Lee and his family also said they lost a number of personal belongings in the fire, including a treasured clock that had survived another fire at a relative’s home years ago. “We’ve been here for a long time. We raised our kids here,” he said. “We lost all in a couple hours. But at least I still have my family.”
1. Why did Lee set up an outdoor game trail camera?A.To catch a fox. | B.To prevent the fire. |
C.To monitor his family. | D.To help him feed the chicken. |
A.The alarm. | B.The phone. |
C.The camera. | D.The wild animal. |
A.Lee’s wife. | B.One of Lee’s lost dogs. |
C.One of Lee’s friends. | D.Lee’s daughter. |
A.He lost faith in life. |
B.He had survived in another fire. |
C.He regretted living there for such a long time. |
D.He was still positive towards life. |
【推荐3】In a breathtaking incident in Berlin, a young man narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation where he became trapped beneath a bus.
The 16-year-old found himself unable to move beneath a tyre (轮胎) of the bus when he fell down during an attempt to catch the departing vehicle at a local stop on a Monday afternoon. The quick response of the bus driver, who immediately stopped the vehicle, coupled with the assistance of roughly 40 people, including both passengers and bystanders, led to a remarkable achievement. Together, they managed to lift the right side of the bus sufficiently to free the young man.
Frank Kurze, one of the courageous volunteers who participated in the rescue, recalled the messy scene, stating, “I saw the men trying to lift the bus, and it was clear to me that I also had to help lift the bus and try to pull the young man from underneath.”
Nearby medical professionals from a healthcare center in the Spandau neighborhood of Berlin instantly arrived at the scene to provide vital first aid. Michelle Rueckborn, one of the nurses on duty, shared their response, saying, “We were at work when we heard screams, and our coworker looked out of the window and saw what had happened, and said ‘Grab the doctor’s kit and run.’”
Sandra Grunwald, another nurse present at the scene, added, “He was responsive but understandably confused, unsure of what was unfolding around him.” Despite the frightening circumstances, the young man unbelievably survived with only minor injuries, thanks to the collective effort of around 40 individuals who came together to perform a heroic rescue.
The Berlin police department praised the collective efforts of those involved in the rescue as “heroes” and expressed their gratitude on social media, stating, “Thank you, Spandau. Thank you, Berlin.”
1. What was the accident at the bus stop?A.A teenager got caught under a bus. | B.The tyre of a bus suddenly blew out. |
C.A young passenger fell from his seat. | D.The driver found the bus uncontrollable. |
A.He recorded the whole event. | B.He stepped forward bravely. |
C.He turned to medical staff. | D.He called more volunteers in. |
A.Tolerant. | B.Creative. | C.Patient. | D.Decisive. |
A.One good turn deserves another. | B.Kindness brings mental rewards. |
C.Many hands make light work. | D.Opportunity is for the prepared. |