参考答案 - 必修第三册第二单元
UNIT 2 MORALS AND VIRTUES
Reading and Writing
① Read the story and answer this question: Why will the writer never forget the taxi ride?
TAXI
THE TAXI RIDE I'LL NEVER FORGET
(adapted from the story of the same name by Kent Nerburn)
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi. One time, I was called at midnight to pick someone up. When I arrived, the building was completely dark except for one light in a window.
I walked to the door and knocked. After a long wait, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took her suitcase and give her my arm. We walked slowly to the street. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
It's nothing," I told her. "I try to treat my passengers how I want my mother treated."
"You're such a good boy," she said. When we got in the taxi, she gave me an address. Then she asked, "Could you drive through the downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered.
"I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice (临终安养院)."
I saw her eyes shining with tears.
"I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."
I quietly turned off the meter. "What road do you want me to take?" I asked.
For hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked. We drove through the neighbourhood where she and her husband had lived. Sometimes she asked me to just slow down while she sat staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the sun was coming up, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the hospice. As we pulled up, two nurses were waiting for us. They helped her into a wheelchair.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked me, reaching for her purse.
"Nothing," I said. Without thinking, I leaned down and gave her a hug. She hugged me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."
I squeezed her hand and then walked back to my taxi. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.
I believe I have never done anything more important in my life. We usually think that our
lives are defined by great moments. But I now realise that great moments catch us by surprise, because they often seem quite small.
② Analyse the story by filling in the table below.
Where does this story happen? mostly in a taxi
Who are the main characters in the story?
What are the main events in the story?
What is the main point of the story?
③ Discuss the following questions with a partner.
1 What is the author's purpose in writing this story? Do you think he succeeded?
2 What did you like about this story? What did you not like? Why?
3 Would you recommend this story to others? Why or why not?
④ Write your own inspiring story about an act of kindness that you have seen or experienced.
Once upon a time...
Story planner
Beginning
Use an interesting sentence to catch the attention of your readers.
Body
Describe how the events developed.
Use specific words to describe the characters' feelings and the scene.
Ending
Finish your story with one or two clear, strong sentences that tell readers the main point of the story.
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第二单元 道德与美德
Suggested Answers
Activity 1
He'll never forget the taxi ride because it reminded him of the importance of taking time for other people.
Activity 2
Where does this story happen?
mostly in a taxi
Who are the main characters in the story?
a taxi driver and an old woman
What are the main events in the story?
The taxi driver ferries a woman around the city, allowing her to see the places that she used to know for one last time, before taking her to a hospice to die.
What is the main point of the story?
The main point of the story is that we need to take time for others, and that sometimes even a very small action can mean so much to another person's life.
Activity 3
1 The author's main purpose in the story is to get people to slow down, pay attention to, and talk with others. I think he succeeded admirably in getting his point across.
2 The story is wonderful in the way it makes us feel for the old woman, and in how it introduces the topic of being in the moment and thinking of others. The main drawback to the story is that it is too out of the ordinary for most people to be able to see how it might apply to their own lives, even if it makes a deep impression on them.
3 I would certainly recommend this story to others, as it is an instant classic which will make them stop and think about the importance of the small moments in their lives.
Activity 4
Sample Writing
We were lost alone in a big city, where we could not read or speak the language.
"Can't you just ask someone the way to our hotel?" my wife asked.
"How? I know the name of the hotel in English, but not Chinese." I then turned and asked the nearest passer-by, "Excuse me. Can you speak English?" He mumbled something I didn't understand, and then walked away.
"Why didn't you get a card with the name of the hotel in Chinese?" my wife implored. "Then we could show it to a taxi driver."
"I did get a card from the hotel," I answered. "But I can't find it! It must have fallen out of my pocket."
"What are we going to do, then?"
"How should I know what to do?" I snapped. "Do you have any bright ideas?"
"No, but we can't sleep here!"
I whirled around to ask another passer-by if he spoke English, but the sight of an angry and impatient foreigner frightened him, and he quickly turned and rushed away.
"What are we going to do?" my wife whispered weakly.
"I don't know," I whispered under my breath.
Just then, I heard over my shoulder a voice calling out,"Wei!"
I turned to see the waitress of the restaurant we had just eaten at. In her hand was the card with the name of the hotel on it. I must have dropped it at the restaurant. We were saved!
To her, it was just a small piece of paper, but to us it was a night in a warm bed, the comfort of our belongings, the safety of room to sleep in, and the knowledge that in this dark city, someone cared.
