Unit 6  The Man in the Water

The Content

Background Knowledge Theme of the Text In-class activities. Language Points Difficult Sentences Exercise

I. About the Author

Roger Rosenblatt is a journalist, author, playwright and professor. As an essayist for Time magazine, he has won two George Polk Awards, and awards from the Overseas Press Club and the American Bar Association, among others. His television essays for the “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” have won him a George Foster Peabody Award and an Emmy. He is also the author of six books.  

Roger Rosenblatt      Professor of English      Professor of Writing    AB, New York Universi

tyPh.D, Harvard University

II. About the Air Crash

One of the worst snowstorms in the history of Washington, D.C. hit the city 20 years ago on Jan. 13, 1982.  Just about everything closed down — the government, businesses, schools, the airports.

By about noon, the skies cleared and Washington’s National Airport reopened for business.  The crew of Air Florida Flight 90 began preparing for a nonstop trip to sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At 3:59 p.m., the twin-engine Boeing 737 was cleared for takeoff and began rumbling down the runway on its final flight.

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.

Minutes later, the plane smashed into the

14th Street Bridge, only 1,200 yards from the Pentagon, destroying four automobiles and killing five people.  The jet then fell into the ice-covered Potomac River , bringing all the passengers to their instant death except five —four passengers and one flight attendant — from the tail section, who found themselves gasping and struggling in the icy water.

These five people however survived and they were able to survive because of four heroes. The author wrote this essay in praise of these heroes, three of whom had risked their lives to rescue the survivors and were able to live to tell the story, but the man that really held the whole nation’s attention was the fourth one who had kept pushing his lifeline and flotation rings to others until he went under.

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Moments After the Crash

At 3:59 the plane shuddered as it took off and tried to gain altitude. It cleared two of the bridges on the Potomic River, but was losing altitude. The crew and passengers knew they were in trouble before it struck the 14th Street Bridge and it tore in half as it slammed through cars and railing ( 栏杆） then plunged into the cold, icy, dark waters.

Moments later only the tail section remained afloat, 79 people were aboard Flight 90, six were to survive the crash, but only five would live.

Huddled together in the cold icy waters ， the survivors waited for the rescue helicopter to arrive. Treading （踩，踏） water, the survivors held on, some with broken arms and legs, two with collapsed lungs caused from the impact. "We're all going to die," someone said.

Aboard Flight 90 was Arland K. Williams Jr., who always sat in the tail section of the plane, “the safest part of the plane, he said.” Not long before, Williams had just discussed his marriage  with the woman he loved, “I think we’re going to marry soon. ”

It was 4:20 before the helicopter arrived at the scene, dropping the first lifeline delivering Bert Hamilton 100 yards to shore. It would be ten minutes before the helicopter returned, dropping the line to Williams. He caught it, but instead of wrapping it around himself, he passed the line to flight attendant Kelly Duncan, the only crew member to survive. She took the line, wrapped it under her arms and held tight as she was carried to shore

With room for only one helicopter at a time between bridges, it returned with two lifelines, and again Williams caught it and handed it off to yet another survivor, Joe Stiley, the most seriously injured passenger.

Tirado , who also clung to Stiley and her life line, however, exhausted, in pain and shock, soon lost her grip and plunged back into the cold icy waters of the Potomac. Rescuers again tossed her a life line but she was unable to grasp it to save her own life.

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Upon seeing this and as Tirado was about to go under, an onlooker, Lenny Skutnik, plunged from the banks of the river into the freezing water and brought her safely to shore.

By 4:30 p.m, Williams had been in the freezing water for 29 minutes, and his turn had finally come. The helicopter turned once more toward the sinking tail, its two-man crew eager to meet the man in the water, "to tell him they had never seen such selfless courage.

They strained ( 竭尽全力） for signs of the hero of Flight 90. But the balding man was gone. "He could have gone on the first trip," pilot Usher wept, “but he put everyone else ahead of himself. Everyone.”

 

Comments on the Event The following are a few words his mother Vi

rginia Williams used to describe her son. "He was average," she said. "Just average." Others’comment: “It‘s people like these that

are heroes. Those people who step out of he norm （规范 , 准则） and put their life second in consideration of others in a crisis.”

“For isn't it, in times of danger, the average man who saves us all?”

  　” .

Theme of the Text

Heroism Heroism of course has been admired. But this

man’s heroism was unusual. People usually expect revolutionaries to die martyrs; true believers to be willing to die for their faith; people ready to lay down their lives in performing their duty; even people to show courage in their attempt to win power, influence, money or to save their loved ones. But the man in the water did not fit any of these descriptions.

The man in the water did not have to give his rings to others; he did not even know these people. He was extraordinary precisely because he was ordinary. He showed what everyone of us could do. The display of his heroism was a song to the beautiful human character.

This is true heroism.  

III. Related Information

Presidential Monuments:Washington Monument

In recognition of his leadership in the cause of American independence, Washington earned the title "Father of his Country". With this monument, the citizens of the United States show their enduring gratitude and respect for the first president in the United States.

Presidential Monuments:Jefferson Memorial

Thomas Jefferson — political philosopher, architect, musician, book collector,

horticulturist （园艺学家） , scientist, diplomat, inventor, and third President of the United States, also author of the Declaration of American Independence, and Father of the University of Virginia.

Presidential Monuments: Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln and the nation he fought to preserve during the Civil War (1861-1865). The Lincoln Memorial was built to resemble a Greek temple. It has 36 Doric columns, one for each state at the time of Lincoln’s death. A sculpture by Daniel Chester French of a seated Lincoln is in the center of the memorial chamber.

 

The Potomac River

The Potomac River is often referred to as the "Nation's River," because it flows through the nation's capital, where the magnificent monuments of the Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln memorials are reflected in its waters. It is one of the most beautiful and bountiful rivers on the East Coast and is known for its historic, scenic and recreational significance. It begins as a small spring at the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia, and winds its way through the mountains and valleys of Appalachia, past battlefields and old manufacturing towns. The river flows more than 380 miles and grows to more than 11 miles wide as it reaches the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout, Maryland.

 

IV. In-class activities.

Describe what happened during the whole air crash, and try to use the words and phrases you’ve just met!

Discussion: Why? Why did the hero in the story do this? What did he do this for?

Language Points

1. As disasters go, this one was terrible, but not unique… 

    as…goes… : compared with sth. average l As writers go, Oscar Wilde was not the most          talented. But he was among the most popular.    和一般商人相比， 人们认为他是非常诚实的。 l   As businessmen go, he is considered pretty hon

est.

 2.  Washington, the city of form and rules, turned chaotic by a blast of real winter and a single slap of metal on metal. (para 1)

chaotic:  adj.   in a state of disorder and confusion  chaos:   n. l         The room was in a chaos.  blast: strong , sudden movement of wind or air l         When the window was opened, an icy blast came int

o the room.  slap : strike with the palm of the hand, used figuratively he

re.

3.  And there was the aesthetic clash as well -—blue and green Air Florida, the name of a flying garden, sunk down among gray chunks of ice in a black river. (para 1)

aesthetic: 审美的；有审美能力的    aesthetics: 审美学；美学    anaesthetic / anesthetic: 麻木的；麻醉的；麻醉剂    chunk: thick, solid piece or lump   一厚块，一大块                 a chunk of meat / ice

  clash:  V. 1. make a loud, broken, confused noise (as /when metal objects strike together)

                Their swords clashed.                  2. meet in conflict o        The two armies clashed outside the town.                 3. (of events) intefere with each other because                     they are to be at the same timeon the same date o       It’s pity that the two concerts clashed. I want to go to both.                 4. be in disagreement with o        I clashed with him at the meeting. o        The color of the curtain clashes with the of the carpet. n.  the clash of weapons / views / opinions            

4. Last Wednesday the elements, indifferent as ever, brought down Flight 90. And on that same afternoon human nature —groping and struggling — rose to the occasion. (para 2)

the elements: the forces of nature 自然力；风，雨 等的力量

o        be exposed to the fury of the elements  grope: feel or search in the dark o         grope for the door-handle / light switch o         We groped our way in the dark corridor.

indifferent to : having no interest in ; not  caring for

o        How can you be so indifferent to the sufferings of  those people?

 rise to the occasion /challenge /task: prove oneself able to deal with an unexpected problem, a difficult task, etc.

o        I’m sure he will rise to the occasion when he realizes  what is at stake. ( 处于危险境地）

5. Of the four acknowledged heroes of the event, three ate able to account for their behavior. (para. 3)

acknowledge:     1. admit l        He refused to ~ that he was defeated.       He ~ having been cheated. 2. express thanks for l       We should ~ gifts promptly.     3. indicate that one recognizes sb. by  greeting     l       I passed her in the street , but she didn’t even ~ me when I smiled.     4. acknowledgement      n. l       We are sending you a small sum of money in acknowledgement o

f your help.

account for:      1. give an explanation or reason for   o        He can account for every penny in his pocket. o        Science can now account for many things that       ancient  people could not understand. 2. answer for l         You will have to account for the misprints in the article.       3. amount to     l         In that country the production of raw materials account     for a considerable proportion of the national economy.        那个国家原材料的生产在国民 经济中占相当大的比重。

6. On television, side by side, they described their courage as well in the line of duty.

line: range of activity      His line is banking.  他从事银行业。   That’s not my line.  那不是我的本行。 in line with: in agreement with o         Our foreign policy is in line with the interest

s of all the people of the world. (be) in line with       (be) out of line with

7. Skutnik added that “somebody had to go into the water, delivering every hero’s line that is no less admirable for being repeated. (para 3)

deliver one’s line : give a remark      deliver a speech      deliver a lecture

8 . “In a mass casualty, you’ll find people like him,” said Windsor.” But I’ve never seen one with that commitment. (para 4)

mass casualty: large number of people hurt or killed in an accident or battle

9 . His selfishness was one reason the story held  national attention; his anonymity another. (para 4)

anonymity      n.    anonymous     adj.       an ~ letter            an

~ gift

10. Still he could never have imagined such a capacity in himself. (para. 5)

ability     capability   &   capacity:  ability:    做某种具体事情的能力，特别是经过学习的实际

本领 ;  capability ：做某事 的才干或本领，可与 ability 通用，但

更强 潜在的能力；  capacity： 主要指接受，吸收 或容纳的能力 . He has the ability to swim like a fish.   He has the capability of solving practical problems.   The theater has a seating capacity of 300 people.   The book is within the reading capacity of young readers.

11. He was there, in the essential, classical  circumstance. (para 7)

  essential: basic typical, most important   classic: traditional or long established 12. So the age-old battle began again in the Poto

mac. For as long as man could last, they went at each other, nature and man. (para 7)

go at: attack; fight

13. The man in the water set himself against an immovable, impersonal enemy; he fought it with kindness; and he held it to a standoff. He was the best we can do.. (para. 9)

set sb. against: make sb. start to fight or quarrel with an immovable, impersonal enemy: refers to nature, which i

s indifferent and cannot be persuaded to change its attitude towards us humans

standoff: a situation in which neither side in a fight or battle can give an advantage

 

Difficult Sentences

1 ． And there was the aesthetic clash as well -—blue and green Air Florida, the name of a flying garden, sunk down among gray chunks of ice in a black river. (para 1)

When the air crash occurred, it was not just a clash of metal against the bridge, but also a clash between colors: the blue-green color of the plane and the gray and black color of the ice and river.

 

2 ． Last Wednesday the elements, indifferent as ever, brought down Flight 90. And on that same afternoon human nature —groping and struggling — rose to the occasion. (para. 2)

Last Wednesday, the bad weather, unconcerned about the consequences it might bring about as always, made Flight 90 fall down. On that same afternoon, human nature, groping for the flotation rings and struggling in the icy water, came to prove its greatness displayed in an unexpected tragedy.

           

3. Of the four acknowledged heroes of the event, three ate able to account for their behavior. (para. 3)

Only three out of these four heroes lived to tell people what they actually had done and how they rescued the five survivors.

4. Skutnik added that “somebody had to go into the water, delivering every hero’s line that is no less admirable for being repeated. (para 3)

Skutnik gave a remark that has been said before by many people in similar situations, but it is still admirable.  

5 ．“ In a mass casualty, you’ll find people like him,” said Windsor.” But I’ve never seen one with that commitment. (para 4)

We can always find heroic people like him in a mass casualty because although not everyone is a hero, there’s bound to be a fair representation of heroes in a big crowd. But I’ve never seen anyone with such a strong sense of responsibility.

6 . His selflessness was one reason the story held  national attention; his anonymity another. (para 4)

The fact that the man in the water who had displayed such heroism did not leave his name and no one was ever able to find it out was another reason why the whole nation felt so touched by this story.

7. The fact that he went unidentified gave him a universal character. (para 4)

The fact that he went unidentified made him a representative man, like everyone of us could do. We may feel that it might have been anyone.

       

8. For a while he was Everyman, and thus proof (as if one needed it) that no one is ordinary.  (para 4)

“Everyone” echoes the title of a medieval play about a typical human being. It conveys the idea that this anonymous man really represents the best of human nature. What he did was not the act of a supernatural being, but the act of an ordinary person.

9. He was there, in the essential, classic circumstance. (para 7)

What happened that day was a typical situation in which nature and man fought each other. And when nature begins to show its power, you always find man fight back. He is always there. We can always expect to find such a hero.

10. … the one making no distinctions of good and evil, acting on no principles, offering no lifelines; the other acting wholly on distinctions, principles and , perhaps, on faith. (para. 7)

Nature is indifferent. It does not have any idea what is good or what is bad for human beings, and it does not care. It has no moral principles. Human beings, on the other hand, are different. They have moral standards. They have feelings. They care and they love. Therefore  they are able to choose between right and wrong.

11. In reality, we believe the opposite, and it takes the act of the man in the water to remind us of

our true feelings in this matter. (para. 8) Actually, the death of the man did not mean that h

uman beings had lost the battle. In a moral sense, man had won because man’s courage to defy death was also a tremendous power. Therefore, what happened to this man in the water should fill us with pride rather than sadness.

             

Vocabulary & Grammar Exercises

1. His long service with the company was ____ with a present.

              A. admitted                  B. acknowledged               C.attributed          D.accepted                  

                                                          2. Teaching students of threshold level is hard wor

k but the effort is very ____.               A. precious                   B. rewarding               C. worth                      D. challenging

5. The plane ____, its bombs exploding as it hit the ground.

              A. collided                    B. crushed               C.plunged                    D.crashed              

                                                             6. The morning news says a school bus ____ with

a train at the junction a group of policemen were sent there immediately.

              A. stumbled                  B. collided               C. crashed                    D. struck

7. Today the public is much concerned about the way ____.        A. nature is being ruined B. which nature is ruined        C. on which to ruin nature     D. of nature to be ruined  

                                                                         8. These surveys indicate that many crimes go ____ by the

police, mainly because not all victims report them.        A. to be unrecorded                       B. unrecorded        C. to have been unrecorded            D. unrecording

3. Among all the changes resulting from the ____ entry of women into the workforce, the transformation that has occurred in the women themselves is not the least important..

              A. massive                    B. quantitative               C.surplus                   D.tragic                                 

                                          4. Whether their football team will win is a matter of ____ to

me.               A. indifference              B. discrimination               C. deviation                  D. interests