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 iPod 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. 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.
【解题导语】 本文是记叙文，讲述了因为航班取消不同乘客的不同反应。
21．What caused the passengers’ different reactions?
A．The loudspeaker.
B．The delay of the flight.
C．The ground crew’s fault.
D．The pilot’s announcement.
D 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段的第一句“The passengers’ reactions that announcement led to were interesting.”可知，取消航班的通知使人们有不同的反应。
22．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.
C 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段的第四句“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套装的人。
23．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.
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段的倒数第二句“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，答案为B。
24．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.
D 解析：主旨大意题。根据全文大意及最后两段的内容可知，作者写本文的目的是告诉我们：当生活艰苦时，我们应该乐观、冷静。
