阅读理解。
"I Went Skydiving at 84!"
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was
almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001,when my husband
arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be
very dull. Around that time,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement
community(社区)announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an
experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Bush Sr. did it at age 80.
Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But
then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just
couldn't believe it.Inspired by this,I decided to realize my dream,even though some of my family
members and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I
would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience.
The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn't frightened-I was really just looking
forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out
of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a
second I thought, "What have I gotten myself into?" But then everything got calmer. We were in a
free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute(降落伞), then we just floated downward
for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I
have ever felt-much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at
me and realize that you don't stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there's something you want to experience, look into it. If it's something that is possible, make it happen.
1. What happened to the author in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane.
B. She entered a competition.
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.
D. She moved into a retirement community.
2. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to________.
A. build up her own reputation
B. show her admiration for him
C. compare their health condition
D. make her argument persuasive
3. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A. Excited.
B. Scared.
C. Nervous.
D. Regretful.
4. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A．The beautiful clouds.
B. The wonderful view.
C. The company of Jay.
D. The oneminute free fall.
