Even in the face of fire, smoke and flood, firefighter Li Shengli doesn’t draw back. He simply says it is his job as a firefighter and his duty as a member of the Communist Party of China.
Li, 51, who became a firefighter in 1991, has fought at the forefront in firefighting and rescue over the past 30 years. He has participated in over 11,000 tasks, saving about 30,000 trapped people.
In one task in May 1993, a fire broke out in a mall in Nanchang. When firefighters arrived at the scene, smoke and fire had blocked all the exits for people inside the building, leaving hundreds of people upstairs in danger. Facing smoke and flames, the then 21-year-old rushed to the front and climbed up the aerial ladder (云梯) to evacuate people from a height of more than 20 meters. Finally, about 270 people were rescued.
“Fear is a human nature, but not retreating is a kind of responsibility. With so many people waiting to be rescued, I couldn’t be afraid, let alone withdraw,” he said.
In July 2021, when several cities in Henan Province were hit by severe floods, Li joined the rescue. He and his teammates used a small boat to transfer trapped people. The boat suddenly lost power and stopped in the water. Without hesitation, Li jumped into the deep water and grabbed a rope to move them to a safe place several hundred meters away.
“The people on the boat were all villagers from my hometown. I brought my teammates to my hometown to fight the flood, and of course I needed to get down into the water first to help,” he said.
In September 2021, Li was transferred to the command center of Jiangxi Fire and Rescue Brigade due to many physical injuries. “The platform has changed, but the heart of being a firefighter is the same. You have to get to the front line when the emergency appears, then others would trust you.”
【小题1】Why was the aerial ladder used in the rescue of the Nanchang fire?| A．All the exits of the mall were blocked. |
| B．The mall was too high for people to get down. |
| C．People trapped in the mall suffered from injuries. |
| D．It was funny to carry people with the aerial ladder. |
| A．Energetic and humorous. | B．Honest and confident. |
| C．Devoted and responsible. | D．Curious and brave. |
| A．He is willing to pass his belief down. |
| B．He expects to find more favour with people. |
| C．He has benefited a lot from his career experiences. |
| D．He is determined to devote himself to serving people. |
| A．Disasters call for more firefighters |
| B．Hard work pays off, career takes off |
| C．Firefighter braves dangers to save lives |
| D．Firefighter jumps into water to save teammates |
