The Brown Bear

My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly.

Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, "Dad! The bear is right behind us!" An aggressive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back — the sign (迹象) of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger.

I held my camera tripod (三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.

Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.

The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break.

Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five or six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling (扭打) with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back towards the forest, before returning for another attack — the first time I felt panic.

Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I'm proud that my family remained clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome.

【小题1】The brown bear approached the family in order to   _______.

A．catch shore birds	B．start an attack
C．protect the children	D．set up a barrier for itself

【小题2】The bear finally went away after it   _______.

A．felt safe	B．got injured
C．found some food	D．took away the camera

【小题3】The writer and his family survived mainly due to their_______   .

A．pride	B．patience
C．calmness	D．cautiousness

   Alfred Carlton Gilbert(1884-1961) was a man of many ideas and talents. As a small boy, he kept trying new things. At age 12, he started a sports club for his friends and got their school to have a field day with active games and prizes. As he grew and practiced, Gilbert became skilled at pole vaulting(撑杆跳高), pull-ups, the long jump and football.

Gilbert broke the world record for pull-ups in 1900 and the distance record for running long dive in 1902. And he won a gold medal in the pole vault at the Olympic Games in 1908. By that time, he had nearly finished medical studies. Choosing not to make medicine his career, Gilbert co-founded Mysto Manufacturing, a manufacturer of magic sets, in 1907. Gilbert had amused his friends and earned college money by doing magic tricks, so he knew what was needed. One day, Gilbert saw workers using steel girders(钢梁) to build towers for power lines. That gave him the idea for the Erector Set, a popular construction toy.

In 1917, the Council of National Defense thought no toys should be produced for Christmas because the country was fighting in World War I. Gilbert and other men from the Toy Manufacturers of America went to Washington, with about 40 different toys. They had 15 minutes to speak. This meeting was at the end of a long, hard day. Gilbert told the government men at the meeting how toys helped children learn. His helpers brought out the toys. Soon, the tired government men were on the floor, playing with building sets, models of navy ships, and other toys. The time limit was forgotten; so was the Christmas toy ban(禁令).

Gilbert spent the rest of his life improving erector sets. His company made and sold the sets, plus chemistry and other science sets and toy trains. He made items for homes, businesses, and the army. When he died in 1961, he had 150 patents (专利)for his many inventions. But his main joy was in helping children learn and have fun at the same time.

【小题1】What’s the right order of the events about Gilbert?

a.He argued against a ban on toy production.

b.He broke the world record for pull-ups.

c.He set up a manufacturer of magic sets.

d.He started a sports club for his friends.

e.He won a gold medal in the pole vault.

A．b, d, e, a, c	B．b, a, e, d, c
C．d, b, c, e, a	D．d, c, e, b, a

【小题2】The story mentioned in paragraph 3 shows that   _.

A．Gilbert’s toys interested not only children but adults

B．toys could help children learn about World War I

C．toys were a danger to the Council of National Defense

D．Christmas toys were not popular during wartime

【小题3】According to the text, Gilbert was known as   .

A．a teacher, boy-maker and businessman	B．an athlete, inventor and businessman
C．an athlete, writer and businessman	D．a magician, writer and toy-maker

【小题4】What would be the best title for the text?

A．An easy way into the sporting circle.	B．The man who saved Christmas.
C．Influenced of toys on children	D．The amazing Mr. Gilbert.