Are you a man or a mouse? When people ask this question they want to know __1__ you think you are a __2__ person or a coward (懦夫). But you'll never really know the answer to this question __3__ you are tested in real life. Some people __4__they are brave but when they come face to face with real __5__ , they act like cowards. Other people think of themselves as cowards, but when they meet danger, they act like __6__.

　　Lenny Skutnic had always thought of himself as a __7__ person. He got worried before examinations. He worried about his job and health. All he wanted in life was to be safe and healthy. __8__, on January 15th 1982, a plane crashed into the Potamac River in Washington. Lenny went to the river to see what was happening. He saw a woman in the __9__ water. Lenny did not feel afraid. He kept very __10__ and did a very courageous thing. He jumped into the Potamac, __11__ to the woman, and kept her head __12__ the water. Seventy-eight people died that day. Thanks to Lenny Skutnic, it was not__13__.

　　When you are in a very __14__ situation and feel afraid, the body automatically (自动地) produce a chemical in the blood. This chemical is called adrenalin (肾上腺素). __15__ adrenalin in the blood system, you actually feel stronger and stronger and are __16__ to fight or run away. However, when you're absolutely (完全) terrified, the body can produce too much adrenalin. When this __17__ , the muscles(肌肉) become very hard and you find you __18__ move at all. You are then paralysed(瘫痪) with fear. That is __19__ when we're very frightened, we sometimes say we're "petrified". This word comes from the Greek word "petros", which means "stone". We are __20__ frightened we become stonelike.

　　1. A. howB. why C. ifD. either

　　2. A. braveB. real C. hardD. certain

　　3. A. whenB. until C. afterD. once

　　4. A. realizeB. find C. thinkD. agree

　　5. A. lifeB. question C. mouseD. danger

　　6. A. soldiersB. mice C. heroesD. cowards

　　7. A. uselessB. brave C. nervous D. dangerous

　　8. A. SoB. Therefore C. ThenD. Actually

　　9. A. freshB. poisonous C. warmD. ice-cold

　　10. A. nervousB. calm C. frightened D. excited

　　11. A. goB. helped　C. spokeD. swam

　　12. A. inB. underC. aboveD. from

　　13. A. an accidentB. a mistake

　　C. seventy-eightD. seventy-nine

　　14. A. dangerousB. comfortable

　　C. differentD. favourable

　　15. A. With B. Without C. ForD. Like

　　16. A. afraidB. unableC. readyD. anxious

　　17. A. getsB. disappearsC. happensD. goes

　　18. A. needn'tB. cannotC. mustn'tD. shouldn't

　　19. A. soB. howC. becauseD. why

　　20. A. reallyB. veryC. suchD. so

　　本文是叙述一个人是勇敢还是懦弱，关键是看面临危险处境时的表现。

　　1. C。根据后面的or来判断应该用if来引导宾语从句，表示你"是否"认为你是一个勇敢的人还是一个懦夫。

　　2. A。与后面的a coward相对应， 应填"勇敢的"。

　　3.B。因为前面有否定词never，相当于not，因此选until，not ... until表示"直到……才"。

　　4.C。根据下文的内容答案只能选think。

　　5.D。根据下文they act like cowards来判断，有些人自认为勇敢，当"面临危险"的时候，举止就像懦夫。

　　6.C。与上文相反进行对比论证，有些人看起来像懦夫，但当遇到危险的时候，实际行动就像"英雄"一样。

　　7.C。根据后面两句中的worried来判断，答案应该是与懦夫相近的词，只有"紧张的"人与懦夫意思相近。

　　8.C。从上下句来看是表示时间的先后，用then来承接后来所发生的事。

　　9.D。因为美国的季节与中国的相近，时间又是元月五号，所以水是"冰冷的"。

　　10.B。根据上文的不害怕可知，他应该是保持"冷静"，其余选项不符合语境。

　　11.D。因为他跳入水中，所以是"游"向那位妇女。

　　12.C。根据常识，人掉在水中，头应该在水"上"能够呼吸，不呛水，其余不符合语境。

　　13.D。根据前面的seventy-eight来判断，她不是第七十九个遇难者，而是获救了。

　　14.A。根据后面的"害怕"可判断出答案。

　　15.A。根据对后面句子的内容的逻辑推理可知，前面应是：血里如果"有"了肾上腺素，你就会感到越来越强……。

　　16.C。根据上文，血里有肾上腺素，你就会越来越强壮随时"准备"搏斗或跑开。be ready to do sth.是"准备、乐意做某事"。

　　17.C。根据上一句话，得出答案：当这种情况"发生"时。肌肉就会变得僵硬。这也是医学常识。

　　18.B。根据上文，肌肉变硬了，结果你就一点也"不能"动了。

　　19.D。根据前后的因果关系，这是说明原因的，why引导表语从句，表示"原因"。

　　20.D。该句后面省略了that, "so+形容词＋that..."是一个固定句型。

　　(文/荀景龙；　英语辅导报初三版03--04学年度第43期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)