A
When I was in seventh grade, I was a candy striper (护士助手) at a local hospital in my town. I volunteered about 30 to 40 hours a week during the summer.
Most of the time I spent there was with Mr. Gillespie. He never has any visitors, and nobody seemed to care about his condition. I spent many days there holding his hand and talking to him, helping with anything that needed to be done. He became a close friend of mine, even though he responded with only an occasional hold of my hand. Mr. Gillespie was in a coma (昏迷).
I left for a week for a vacation with my parents, and when I came back, Mr. Gillespie was gone. I didn’t have the courage to ask any of the nurses where he was, for fear they might tell me he had died. So with many questions unanswered, I continued to volunteer there through my eighth-grade year.
Several years later, when I was a junior in high school, I was at the gas station when I noticed a familiar face. When I realized who it was, my eyes were filled with tears. He was alive! I got up the nerve to ask him if he was Mr. Gillespie, and if he had been in a coma about five years ago. With an uncertain look on his face, he replied yes. I explained how I knew him, and that I had spent many hours talking to him in the hospital. His eyes welled up with tears, and he gave me the warmest hug I had ever received.
He began to tell me how, as he lay there comatose (昏睡的), he could hear me talking to him and could feel me holding his hand the whole time. He thought it was an angel, who was there with him. Mr. Gillespie firmly believed that it was my voice and touch that had kept him alive. Then he told me about his life. We exchanged a hug, said our good-byes and went our separate ways.
Although I haven’t seen him since, he fills my heart with joy every day. I know that I made a difference between his life and his death. As importantly, he has made a great difference in my life. I will never forget him and what he did for me: He made me an angel.
21. When the author volunteered at a local hospital, she .
A. mainly helped the nurses with their paper work
B. made up her mind to become a nurse herself one day
C. spent most of her time taking care of a man in a coma
D. became friends with Mr. Gillespie’s visitors
22. Judging from the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The author met Mr. Gillespie at a gas station several years later.
B. Mr. Gillespie recognized the author’s voice the moment he met her.
C. The author continued her volunteer work in the hospital until eighth-grade.
D. No one in the hospital believed that Mr. Gillespie would recover from his coma.
23. Which of the following statements best summarizes the point of the story?
A. Kindness is loving people more than they deserve.
B. Those with faith in themselves will succeed.
C. Respect people and they will try hard to improve.
D. If you spread happiness you will be happy yourself.
