On September 25, 1999, then 47-year-old Murray went on one of her skydiving trips. Having gone skydiving more than 30 times before, she thought it felt like any ordinary skydiving. She jumped from a height of 14,500 feet, rushing to the ground at a speed of 80 mph, when she found that her main parachute (降落伞) would not open. Murray continued her free fall until her secondary chute finally worked when she was at a distance of 700 feet to the ground. However, with panic coursing through her, she spun out of control while in the air, causing the chute to go down, and began her fall again.
The impact of the fall shattered (粉碎) the right side of Murray’s body when she landed. To make matters worse, she landed on a fire ant hill, where she was attacked and stung (叮咬) repeatedly by the fire ants there. More than 200 stings later, she was found barely conscious by the ambulance workers and was immediately brought to the Carolina Medical Center.
She spent 2 weeks in unconsciousness. Unlucky as she was to have suffered injuries and fire ant attacks, her doctors thought that the fire ant stings actually saved her. They believed that the numerous stings from the ants gave enough nerve stimuli (刺激) and shocks to keep her heart beating and keep her alive.
After her near brush with death, Murray spent her “second life” more positively. As she shared in an interview, “I’ve learned to spend time on the important things.” However, 2 years after her full recovery, Murray was out skydiving again and that time, she landed safely.
Just to give you an idea of her pain besides the shattered right body, fire ants are among the top ten insects in the world with the most painful stings. More than 200 stings of this insect are truly annoying, but if it is what will keep you alive as in Murray’s situation, you’ll appreciate those fire ants too!
【小题1】What mainly caused the failure of Murray’s skydiving?| A．The strong wind. | B．Her feeling of fear. |
| C．Her lack of skydiving experience. | D．The improper use of the secondary chute. |
| A．They seldom attack people actively. | B．They are too dangerous to touch. |
| C．They were helpful to Murray. | D．They can cure heart disease. |
| A．She picked up her hobby again. | B．She was considering a career shift. |
| C．She learned the value of protecting herself. | D．She taught others survival skills here and there. |
| A．To let people have a better idea of Murray’s situation. |
| B．To correct people’s misunderstanding about fire ants. |
| C．To educate people to be grateful to every creature. |
| D．To encourage people to show love for fire ants. |
