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Common Heroism
——高中进阶 (2018-2019学年第15期) 1版
In a few short weeks, the world lost not one but two literary giants. Louis Cha, better known as Jin Yong, passed away on Oct. 30, and Stan Lee left this world on Nov. 12. While the two worked on opposite sides of the world and generally had different fan bases, they each pass on a legacy (遗产) that will continue to influence generations to come.
Over 60 years ago, both Stan and Louis began their writing careers. Stan worked on comic books, creating a cascade of (大量) individuals with special abilities. You may know them as the Marvel superheroes. Meanwhile, Louis wrote wuxia novels, combining ancient Chinese philosophies, history and martial arts. They were completely different from each other — in story, setting, style, etc. — but there was one thing that their characters shared, an ideal. Perhaps the best way to describe it would be by something Stan Lee said: "Another definition of a hero is someone who is concerned about other people's well-being, and will go out of his or her way to help them — even if there is no chance of a reward. That person is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero."
There is a reason why so many of us wanted to grow up to be firefighters or police officers instead of lawyers or bankers. We wanted to be heroes. Sure, only some of us become firefighters or police officers, but the idea stays with us. This central philosophy of heroism (英雄主义) as described above by Stan Lee is represented by the likes of his own Captain America and Louis Cha's Guo Jing. We simply interpret it and bring it into our everyday lives. When someone is being bullied, you choose to stand up for them because that's what Guo Jing would have done. When a stranger looks like they need help, you ask yourself, "What would Captain America do?" And you act.
Comic books and wuxia novels in some sense are like fairy tales for an older crowd. We read them to be constantly reminded of the people we want to become. Math, science and economics may help us make more money, but they don't teach us about justice, friendship and self-sacrifice. Both Stan Lee and Louis Cha may have stopped writing in the 1970s, but their works live on and will continue to change the way we think and act.
Today, we pay homage to (向……致敬) two individuals who have made the world a better place.
PRE-READING
Question 1 Who are the two men in the picture? What do you know about them?
Question 2 According to the dictionary, a "hero" means "someone who is admired by many for his noble qualities." What do you think are the "noble qualities" of a real hero?
WHILE READING
Sentences
1. Louis Cha, better known as Jin Yong, passed away①on Oct. 30, and Stan Lee left this world①on Nov. 12.
★ 当我们在谈论令人不快或尴尬的事情时，通常会使用委婉语 (euphemism)。本句中，pass away和leave this world都是“死亡”的委婉语。除此以外，我们还常用senior citizens表示“上了年纪的人”，用the physically challenged表示“肢体残疾的人”。
2. This central philosophy of heroism as①described above by Stan Lee is represented by the likes of②his own Captain America and Louis Cha's Guo Jing.
① as在这里作连词，与过去分词构成省略形式这一特殊结构时，放在名词后面作定语。
e.g. The problem as mentioned in the report remains to be solved.
② the likes of: used to talk about people or things of a particular type （口语中）同一类型的人或事物
e.g. Information is collected through the likes of the FBI and CIA.
Vocabulary
Complete each sentence using one word from the box in its correct form. Note that there is one word more than you need and you can use each word only once.
ideal concern represent interpret bully justice
1. Only a few schools have succeeded in solving the problem of __________ on campus.
2. She always stays up late. I'm a bit __________ about her health.
3. Freud was known for his attempts to __________ the meaning of dreams.
4. The movie deals with the __________ of the outdated political system.
5. The king is __________ as a villain (反面人物) in the play.
Key:
1. bullying 2. concerned 3. interpret
4. injustices 5. represented
Translation
1. 结交到一群志同道合的朋友毫无疑问是我在大学期间最大的收获之一。(doubt)
2. 上周在会议上讨论的问题尚待解决。(as)
3. 消费者买到劣质商品时，应该懂得维护自己的权利，而不是忍气吞声。(stand)
4. 地铁上特殊颜色的座位是留给像老年人和残疾人等群体的。(reserve)
Possible answers:
1. Making friends with a group of like-minded people is without (a) doubt one of the greatest rewards for me in college.
2. The problem as discussed at the meeting last week remains to be solved.
3. Consumers should learn to stand up for their rights rather than swallow their anger when they bought faulty goods.
4. The specially colored seats on the subway are reserved for the likes of senior citizens and the physically challenged.
Comprehension
Choose the best answer.
1. According to the article, what is a similarity between Louis Cha and Stan Lee?
A. Both of them lived into their nineties.
B. Both of them spent more than 60 years in writing.
C. Both of them had many young followers in the U.S.
D. Both of them created fairy tales for the older generation.
2. According to the article, a real hero ______.
① has great empathy with other people
② is always willing to help other people
③ fight with other people in an angry way
④ thinks more of other people's needs than of his own
A. ①②③ B. ①②④ C. ①③④ D. ②③④
3. According to the article, the author would most likely agree that ______.
A. reading Cha's and Lee's books helps to pass the time
B. every one of us should try to be a hero in real life
C. there is no need to study math, science and economics
D. there is a hero inside of anyone who has a sense of justice
Key:
1-3 ABD
AFTER READING
Who is your hero or heroine in real life? What do you admire in him or her? Make a presentation about his or her story in class.
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