It was late, about 10:15 p.m., when Janice Esposito arrived at the Bellport, New York, train station. She jumped into her car, and began the 20-minute drive home. Having traveled the route so many times, she practically drove on autopilot. But suddenly, out of nowhere, a car crashed into Esposito’s minivan, pushing her backward onto the railroad tracks. She sat in the minivan, totally shocked by the impact and by the vehicle’s airbags.
As it happens, Pete DiPinto was getting ready for bed when he heard the high-pitched noise of the crash. A volunteer firefighter and retired teacher, DiPinto, never stopped to think. He ran out the door, still clad in his pyjamas.
The first car he came upon, 2, 000 feet from his front yard, was the one that had hit Esposito. Once DiPinto concluded the driver was OK, he looked around and spotted Esposito’s minivan lying on the railroad tracks. And then he heard an unpleasant sound: the bells signaling an oncoming train.
“The gates were starting to come down,” he told Newsday. “I see the headlight of the train.” DiPinto sprinted to Esposito’s minivan and banged on the driver’s side window. She just looked at him, her eyes unfocused. “I don’t know where I am,” she said. She seemed unhurt.
“You’re on the railroad tracks,” DiPinto shouted. “We have to get you off right now!” He pulled the handle, but the door was smashed in and jammed shut. The heavy train, traveling at 65 miles per hour, was running toward them. DiPinto ran to the passenger side and threw open the door. He grabbed Esposito’s arms, and managed to pull her out across the passenger seat. Within six seconds, the train plowed into the minivan. “It was like a Hollywood movie,” DiPinto told reporters the next day.
But this one had a twist. “Last night,” South Country Ambulance chief Greg Miglino told CBS New York, “the hero arrived in pajamas, not in a fire truck.”
【小题1】Where did the accident happen?| A．In the train station. | B．Near Esposito’s home. |
| C．Near the railroad tracks. | D．In front of DiPinto’s house. |
| A．She was badly hurt. | B．She was totally stuck. |
| C．She was extremely anxious. | D．She was completely unconscious. |
| A．By encouraging her to open the door. | B．By dragging her out through the door. |
| C．By pulling her out across the passenger seat. | D．By breaking the window of the driver’s side. |
| A．DiPinto is a real hero for he didn’t care about himself when helping others. |
| B．It was easy for DiPinto to save Esposito for he just did it in pajamas. |
| C．DiPinto didn’t have a fire truck when he tried to save Esposito. |
| D．DiPinto shouldn’t have worn pajamas because it was not safe. |
