Jerry was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say.
One day, I went up to Jerry and asked him, “You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, “Every time someone complains to me, I can choose to accept his complaints or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”
Several years later, I heard that Jerry was shot by three armed robbers. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the hospital. Finally Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. About six months after the accident, I saw him. I asked him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.
“The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I choose to live.”
“Weren’t you scared?”
Jerry continued, “The doctors and nurses were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, ‘He’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Well, there was a big, strong nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes’, I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets!’ Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.’”
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
56. Which of the following words can be used to describe Jerry?
A. Impolite. B. Concerned. C. Stubborn. D. Optimistic.
57. What did Jerry first think of when the robbery happened?
A. He might be shot by the armed robbers.
B. He shouldn’t have left the back door unlocked.
C. How he could call the policemen.
D. He might be robbed of many things.
58. From the expressions of the doctors and nurses, Jerry realized that _______.
A. they didn’t want to save his life B. he wasn’t seriously wounded
C. they thought he had little chance to live D. he was treated as a dead man
