介绍:
Unit 4 Heroes of our time
Text A Heroes among us
1 Who's a hero these days? In an era of heightened['haitn] heroism, the word hero has become more common. We use hero to describe both victims and survivors of all kinds of difficulties and tragedies. Who are the heroes among us?
2 In the days subsequent to a mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, many described 20-year-old political associate Daniel Hernandez as a hero. During the horrible shooting, he courageously ran through the danger to save the life of one of the victims, his boss and friend, congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Daniel held her head up so she could breathe and applied pressure to her wounds. He spoke tender words of sympathy, telling her that he would find her husband and her parents and that everything would be fine. And he never left her side, staying beside her in the ambulance all the way to the hospital.
3 Another hero from the mass shooting in Tucson was Dory Stoddard. Dory gave his life for his wife, Mavy. Dory and his wife had been friends since childhood and when Dory heard shots ring out he immediately fell on top of his wife to shield her from the hail of bullets. At the memorial service, the priest said: "Dory didn't die a hero; he lived a hero." Long known for his remarkable spirit and love of humanity, Dory Stoddard died as he had always lived, assisting others.
4 These are civilian heroes, who acted instinctively with courage and grace when caught up in extraordinary circumstances.
5 But what about first responders , whose job is, in the words of the widow of a fallen police officer, to "rush toward danger"?
6 In Toronto, Canada, downtown life stopped when more than 11,000 police and other emergency responders marched solemnly through the streets to honor Sergeant Ryan Russell, a 35-year-old "good man and good cop", who believed deeply in his commitment to protect and serve. Sgt. Russell moved quickly to protect others from harm. He tried to stop a drunk driver in a stolen snowplow with only his police automobile and his goodwill to help others. Sadly, Sgt. Russell was unable to stop the drunk driver and was killed in the effort.
7 It used to be that the word hero was reserved for those who performed acts of distinct courage beyond the call of duty. A soldier who runs through gunfire to rescue other military personnel is seen as a hero. So are larger-than-life leaders such as Nelson Mandela, who emerged after 27 years of jail, confined in a solitary chamber. He made the choice not to be bitter, and worked hard as South Africa's first black president to establish harmony and helped society reconcile its conflicted past.
8 But today, our heroes are average men and women, "everyday heroes" to whom we can relate, people like us.
9 However, while many people honor Sgt. Russell, some people raise this question when they try to make sense of a tragedy like Sgt. Russell's: "Some first responders do not succeed in helping others and they get injured or die in their efforts. Do these people become heroes because of what happens to them as they try to help others — instead of what they actually make happen?"
10 I asked road safety advocate Eleanor McMahon whether she thought Sgt. Russell was a hero. Ms. McMahon's late husband, a police officer, was killed by a drunk truck driver in a 2006 off-duty bicycling accident. Through grief and rage, Ms. McMahon founded Share the Road, a cycling association, and worked tirelessly until the government established "Greg's Law", legislation that gave authority to police to immediately seize the automobiles of drunk drivers caught on the road.
11 Ms. McMahon replied that she thought Sgt. Russell was indeed a hero. "Just imagine, in the middle of an intense snowstorm this policeman thinks: I've got to stop this snowplow before it hurts others." Ms. McMahon summed up why she considered many police officers to be heroes: "It's natural to be afraid of danger. It's natural for that fear to cause most people to rush toward safety and away from danger. Heroes do just the opposite. They rush toward danger to help those in need."
12 We count on first responders to rush toward danger, especially when it involves us or those we love. We expect nothing less. So when one of them dies doing that, we should recognize the heroic action even though we may doubt our own capacity to be heroic ourselves.
13 The inspiring stories of heroes help remind us that ordinary people can do extraordinary things, whether it is in the fulfillment of their duties or as part of everyday life. We honor the fireman, the policeman, and the average citizen by recognizing their heroism. Perhaps, even more importantly, we honor them by working to change the circumstances that led to their death. By honoring them we can be inspired by them. Will we be heroes when circumstances call on us to act heroically? Hopefully, we will!
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