Thank you, strangers

湖南江華縣第一中學 何高倫

偶然的一次飛行經歷，讓作者認識到：緊要關頭，向陌生人求助也是可行的！

題材 體裁 文章詞數 建議用時生活 記敘文 約450 9分鐘

難詞探意

1. turbulence /'tз?bj?l?ns/ n. 騷動；渦流

2. lurch /lз?t?/ v. 突然前傾

3. blurt /blз?t/ v. 脫口而出

We were five minutes into the worstturbulenceI'd ever experienced—approaching Boston's Logan International Airport in a severe winter storm—when I turned to the woman next to me and said, “Hey, would you mind chatting with me for a few minutes? I'm really nervous.” We hadn't spoken much during the flight,other than the usual greetings. But my seatmate seemed friendly.

“Sure. My name is Sue,” the woman replied, smiling warmly. “What brings you to Boston?” I started to explain that I was on a business trip. Then the planelurchedviolently,and Iblurtedout, “I might need to hold your hand too.” Sue took my hand in both of hers tightly and patted it. Sometimes a stranger can significantly improve our day. A pleasant encounter with someone we don't know, even a non-verbal exchange, can soothe us when no one else is around. It may get us out of our own heads and help broaden our perspective.“People feel more connected when they talk to strangers and their moods improve after they have a conversation with a stranger,” said Gillian Sandstrom, a psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Essex who studies interactions between strangers. Overall, people report that they are happier on days when they have more interactions with people they don't know well. What's more, they have better emotional and physical health and live longer than those who do not.

When Sue Pernick took my hand on that scary flight to Boston, I almost wept with relief.She was so calm and reassuring. “We'll be on the ground safely soon,” she told me. I asked her what she did for a living. “I'm a retired physical teacher, and I coached women's volleyball,” she replied. Immediately, I could see what an awesome coach she must have been. Sue and I talked—about our families, our vacations, our love of the ocean—until the plane finally landed. When we said goodbye, I gave Sue a big hug and my card.

A few days later, I received an e-mail. “I have to admit that I was just as scared as you were but did not say it,” Sue wrote. “I just held your hand as hard as I could.Thank you for helping me through this very scary situation.”She added that when she'd told her friends about our conversation, they teased her because they know she loves to talk. I told my friends about Sue too. I explained how kind she was to me, and what I learned: It's OK to ask for help from a stranger if you need it.

Reading Check

1. Why did the author talk to Sue?

A. To satisfy curiosity. B. To show politeness.

C. To ask for help. D. To express excitement.

2. What does the underlined word “soothe” mean in the second paragraph?

A. Surprise. B. Confuse. C. Frighten. D. Calm.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Sue wrote the e-mail to express her gratitude.

B. Sue is often laughed at by her friends.

C. Sue felt calm during the scary flight.

D. Sue prefers to write e-mails.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

Thank you for helping me through this very scary situation.

【信息提取】thank sb for doing sth意為“感謝某人做某事”。

【句式仿寫】她向我們道別，并感謝我們的光臨。