Everyone, please imagine, a big explosion breaks out as the plane takes us high in the sky. The plane is full of smoke and the engine sounds scary. Two minutes later, the engines are turned off. We are now sitting in a plane with no sound. And we can see: Life is over.
That really happened. In January 2009, I had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York.
Now let me tell you the three things I learned when the silence came.
First, I thought about all the people I wanted to reach out to but didn’t. I thought about all the experiences I wanted to have but never did. I no longer wanted to put off anything in life. Second, I really regretted the time I wasted on things that did not matter. I decided to remove negative energy from my life. Third, I realized, wow, dying was not scary. But it was very sad just because I only wished I could have seen my kids grow up.
Fortunately, I was given the gift of a miracle of not dying that day. I was given another gift, with which I was to see into the future and come back and live differently.
About a month later, my wife and I were at a performance by my daughter, not much artistic talent. Yet, I’m crying. I realized that above all, the only goal in my life was to be a good father.
Audience, again, imagine the same thing happening on your plane. How would you change? What would you get done? And more than anything, are you being the best parent you can?
Thank you.
21. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Air crash is always a tragedy.
B. What I learned from the air crash.
C. Life is a miracle as we imagine.
D. How to become a good father.
22. When does the idea “Life is over” come into being?
A. Exactly during the explosion.
B. When the plane was full of smoke.
C. Before the engines sounded scary.
D. When the engines were turned off.
23. What is the author’s final goal in life?
A. Never to put off anything in life.
B. To remove negative energy from life.
C. To see his daughter grow up.
D. To be a good father.
24. What type of writing is this text?
A. A speech on one’s air travel experience.
B. An emergency crash-landing guide.
C. An introduction of an adventure novel.
D. A safety training for air passengers.