I was diagnosed with throat cancer (被诊断为喉癌) and met with the doctor.
“You’ll probably need a feeding tube (管子). Most people lose weight during treatment. You only weigh 145 pounds. It’s dangerous if you drop below 130 pounds during treatment.”
I said, “You can’t imagine how much I’ll hate a feeding tube. I’ll make myself eat.”
The doctor replied, “But when you have second-degree radiation burns inside your esophagus (食道), you won’t be able to make yourself eat. How old are you, 64? Your blood pressure’s 82/60, and your heart rate is 52. Those numbers are great for any age.”
His assistant (助手) Jana said, “I believe you run. How long have you been running?”
“All my life. Rain or snow, hot or cold, I ran. I ran when it hurt and when it didn’t.”
“I’ll make myself eat. How bad can it be? I can stand anything for five minutes,” I told the doctor.
Three weeks later, I could hardly walk. I missed running, but the treatment took away my strength.
Two months later, the doctor said, “The treatment went really well. It was easy for you because you’re a runner. You started treatment in great condition, and you have a high level of pain tolerance (忍耐力). This treatment is harder on most people.”
Jana checked my weight after the last treatment. “138 pounds.1 remember you run. Good for you,” she said.
I said, “I can run, can’t I?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
I promised myself I’d be running in two months, but it didn’t work out the way I wanted. I walked my first mile a month after the last treatment and added a 10th of a mile every day after that. Three months after treatment, I ran three miles without stopping. At mile two, I realized I was going to finish and started to cry. It was a dusty day, and there was dust on my face. I walked in the house. My wife took one look at me and shouted, “Are you okay? I’ll call for a doctor.”
“I’m fine. I ran the whole three miles. I never thought I’d be able to do that again.”
14. How did the author respond when the doctor suggested a feeding tube?
A.He refused to use it. |
B.He found it a bit dangerous. |
C.He doubted it would be helpful to him. |
D.He said it was unacceptable to old people. |
15. What can we learn about the author before he was diagnosed with cancer?
A.He took up running to lose weight. |
B.He kept running whatever happened. |
C.He decided to run every day although he hated it. |
D.He found it difficult to keep running as he aged. |
16. What did the doctor say about the author’s treatment?
A.It was very successful. | B.It brought him little pain. |
C.It was rather hard on him. | D.It took more time than expected. |
17. Why did the author begin to cry as he was running?
A.He realized it was impossible for him to run fast. |
B.He got badly injured and experienced great pain. |
C.He was certain that he would lead the race. |
D.He was excited that he could run like before. |