A
Just a couple of hours ago, I was on the plane, ready to fly home from London.The flight had been delayed by a few hours so it felt good to be so close to takeoff.I had my iPad in place and a new book to read.Then, over the loudspeaker came the pilot's voice：“The ground crew has found a metal instrument in one tire.We regret that we must cancel this flight.”
The passengers' reactions that announcement led to were interesting.One man close to me began to argue with a flight attendant.A couple in another row complained loudly.A businessman in a black suit actually kicked the seat in front of him.Yet some passengers responded differently.An elderly gentleman smiled as he helped others take their bags down from the overhead compartments (隔间)．A teenager, rather than trying to rush off the plane like most of the other passengers, stopped to help a woman with a disability.The lady sitting next to me laughed and said：“Hey, it's not the end of the world ...” before she made a call to her kids and shared her adventure with them.The wisest among us have a remarkable ability to maintain grounded when times get tough.
No life is perfect; mine certainly isn't.We all must face challenges, both large and small.You and I have the power to choose to rise above the external circumstances.We always have the choice to be strong and kind when things fall apart.
That's grace under pressure.My seatmate was right—things could have been so much worse.Anyway, I am safe.I have my health.I have two wonderful children.I have work I love and so much to be grateful for.Sure I now have to wait a few hours to catch the next flight home.
语篇解读：本文是一篇夹叙夹议文。作者通过描述其乘坐的飞机航班取消时人们的不同反应而感悟到没有生活是完美的，生活艰难时，我们要积极冷静地去面对。
1．What caused the passengers' different reactions directly?
A．The loudspeaker.
B．The delay of the flight.
C．The ground crew's fault.
D．The pilot's announcement.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句可知，通知所导致的乘客们的反应是有趣的。后面写的是不同乘客的不同反应，因此是飞行员的通知引起了乘客的不同反应。
2．Who turned his anger on the seat?
A．The teenager helping the disabled.
B．The old man taking bags down.
C．The man in a dark suit.
D．The man close to the author.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第二段中的A businessman in a black suit actually kicked the seat in front of him.可知，把怒气发泄在座位上的是那个穿黑色西装的男人。
3．What did the woman sitting next to the author do?
A．She assisted a disabled woman.
B．She made a phone call to her family.
C．She helped others carry their luggage.
D．She told moving stories to her children.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第二段中的The lady sitting next to me laughed and said：“Hey, it's not the end of the world ...” before she made a call to her kids and shared her adventure with them.可知，靠近作者坐的女士给她的家人打了电话。
4．What can we learn from the story?
A．Our life is full of ups and downs.
B．It is natural to be scared under pressure.
C．We should help each other in times of difficulty.
D．We should be positive and calm when life is hard.
解析：选D 推理判断题。根据第三段内容可推知，没有生活是完美的，我们应该积极冷静地面对人生中的压力和困难。
