美国大兵,你妈喊你回家过圣诞!

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Thousands of troops have been returning to bases in the United States as Washington completes its drawdown of forces in Iraq. Planeloads of soldiers have been arriving ahead of a December 31 deadline to withdraw from Iraq.

Home for the holidays, with a hero’s welcome.

This was the last of several deployments in Iraq for U.S. Army Major Mike Williams.

“It’s a sensational experience and the feeling is, I guess, of euphoria,” said Williams.

Williams is one of the tens of thousands leaving Iraq after President Obama’s decision to bring home the troops by the end of the year.

After eight years and with more than 4,000 Americans killed, troops are back on home soil.

Thousands are returning to Fort Hood alone, turning in their guns, and preparing for life at home.

The smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies, and hugs from his children mean for Williams that he is home, and this time he can plan to stay for some time.

His wife, Royann, has been on her own with the children. She says she is not sure if this was the right time for U.S forces to leave Iraq but she savors the moment of her husband’s return.

“It’s wonderful, “she said.” We haven’t been able to stop smiling and get the house decorated for Christmas because we waited for him and it’s been wonderful.”

She reflects on the suffering and the sacrifice that her family has had to make in the past eight years and says that for her, none of it was in vain if it means her children will live in a safer world.

“I would rather try to fight the terrorists on another soil than our own and if he had to go back as many times as he did, for our children hopefully not to have to go back over there,” said Royann Williams. “As long as it was done right this time, it’s definitely worth it.”

Williams came under fire several times in Iraq. But he says the biggest reward is knowing that he did his part to make his country safer by ridding Iraq of Saddam Hussein and fighting terrorist groups like al Qaida.

“It was a great accomplishment in terms of, we’ve liberated a nation, we’ve taken care of the enemy on his soil, versus having him coming to the United States and attacking us again,” said Williams. “And I think in the long run I think it has saved a lot of soldiers and a lot of civilians in our country from having to make the ultimate sacrifice and having another 9/11.”

Williams, like thousands of others returning to Fort Hood, is going through a reintegration program and getting ready for his new role as a soldier at base.

“［My］ personal plan now is to reintegrate with my family, get reset, refit, go back to my unit after the holidays and start getting our unit going through that whole refit process that you do when you reset all your equipment, get back into soldiering again,” he said.

Williams says the war against terrorism is not finished and his job now is to get ready for the next engagement, whenever and wherever it may be.

For his family, this homecoming marks the advent of a new period of peace at home.

原创试题

1. What mood do Williams and his family have when he becomes one of soldiers leaving Iraq soon?

A. ExcitedB. Smiling

C. SadD. Exciting

2. What’s the cost of the US troops stationing and fighting against terrorism in Irag?

A. Eight years and 4，000 killed

B. More than eight years and less than 4，000 Americans killed

C. More than eight years and more than 4，000 killed

D. Eight years and over 4000 Americans killed

Man errs so long as he strives.(Johann Wolfgang Goethe)

3. Guess when Williams will get home probably after President Obama made the decision to bring home the troops ?

A. On the last day of this year

B. On the last day of this month

C. one day in Christmas holidays

D. one day after Christmastime

4. What’s the meaning of the underlined part in the sentence “She reflects on the suffering and the sacrifice that her family has had to make in the past eight years”?

A. showing the image of sth./sb on the surface of sth such as a mirrow, water or glass

B. throwing back light, heat,sound,etc. from a surface

C. showing sb’s attitude or feeling

D. thinking carefully and deeply about sth

5. According to the passage, what does the US troops’ withdraw from Irag mean to the families like Williams’ ?

A. A new life arrives.

B. A happy life arrives.

C. A peaceful life arrives.

D. A comfortable life arrives.

完美答案

1. A。该题为细节题。 从全文中多次提到的“wonderful”以及“It’s a sensational experience and the feeling is, I guess, of euphoria,” “We haven’t been able to stop smiling and get the house decorated for Christmas because we waited for him”等话语可见Williams 和他全家处于非常激动兴奋地一种精神状态。

2. D。该题为细节题。从After eight years and with more than 4,000 Americans killed可知。

3. C。 该题为细节题。从The smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies, and hugs from his children mean for Williams that he is home,可以猜出Williams将在圣诞节期间的某一天到家。

4. D。 该题为猜测题，猜测词义。四个选项均为reflect的几种常见用法的词义。但根据具体的语境可以判断出其词义应为to think carefully and deeply about sth。

5. C。该题为判断题。 注意是 according to the passage和 the families like Williams’ (像 Williams一样的军人家庭)。 全文的最后一句For his family, this homecoming marks the advent of a new period of peace at home.便可以说明是一种a peaceful life。

素材观察

本文中有不少的单词是《2012年江苏省考试说明》中的重点词汇。 笔者精选了return， experience， prepare， mean， whenever等5个高频词汇作简要的讲解。

return

v. 返回， 回来； 归还。如：

We must return to Beijing within three days. 我们必须在3日内回到北京。

Don’t forget to return my keys. 别忘了还我钥匙。

Good education is an investment for your future and will return substantial rewards.

接受教育是对自己的投资,接受优质教育是对自己的高回报投资。

n. 归还, 返回。如：

I’m afraid I have to insist on the return of my books at once. 对不起,我要求你立即归还我的书。

构成词组：in reutrn，作为回报；in turn for 作为……的回报。如：

If you give me your photo, I will give you mine in return. 你如送我一张照片， 我就回赠一张给你。

人只要奋斗就会犯错误。(歌德.J M.)

I gave him some books in return for his assistance. 我给了他一些书,作为对他所提供的帮助的回报。

adj. 返回的。如：

Would you please help me to get two return tickets? 你帮我买两张往返票好吗?

experience 名词

1. 不可数名词，意为“经验, 体验”，后接of/in。如：

She had no experience of life at all. 她毫无生活经验。

Have you had any experience of teaching English? 你有过教英语的经验吗?

2. 可数名词，意为“经历,阅历”。如：

Please tell us about your experiences in Africa. 请跟我们谈谈你在非洲的经历。

I had a rather odd experience the other day. 前些天我有过一次相当奇怪的经历。

及物动词

1. 经历;体验。如：

The city experienced over 2,000 such incidents last year.

去年这座城市发生过二千次以上这类事件。

2. 感受;遭受。如：

He experienced a pang of sadness. 他感到一阵悲痛。

prepare 及物动词或不及物动词

1. prepare sth.表示“准备……”，后接名词或代词作宾语。

如：

Our English teacher was preparing the lessons when I came into the office. 我进办公室时，我们的英语老师在备课。

Mother was preparing dinner in the kitchen while Father was watching TV. 妈妈在做饭，而爸爸在看电视。

2. prepare sb. sth.表示“给……准备……”，也可为prepare sth. for sb.。

如：

Mother prepared us a nice breakfast.（= Mother prepared a nice breakfast for us.）

她给我们准备了可口的早餐。

3. prepare sb. for sth.表示“使某人对某事有所准备”。

如：

She said so because she wanted to prepare her father for the bad news.

她这样说是因为她想使爸爸对那个坏消息有所准备。

4. prepare to do sth.表示“准备做……”。

如：

They were preparing to go home when it began to rain. 他们正准备回家，突然下雨了。

5. prepare for sth.表示“为……做准备”。

如：

The students are busy preparing for the final exam. 学生们正在准备期末考试。

6. be prepared for sth.=get ready for sth.为……做好了准备,强调状态。如:

They were prepared for the worst. 他们已准备好了应付最坏的情况。

7. be (well) prepared to do sth. 准备、打算做某事,如:

They are prepared to supply the goods you asked for. 他们准备好供应你要的货物。

I’m not prepared to listen to your weak excuses. 我不想听你那站不住脚的借口。

其他：prepare的名词形式为preparation，

in preparation for短语； make preparations for短语，表示“为……做准备”。如：

We are getting things together in preparation for the journey. 我们正在收拾东西准备旅行。

They have made preparations for what will happen. 他们已为将要发生的事情做了准备。

Miracles sometimes occur, but one has to work terribly for them.(C. Weizmann.)

mean 动词

1. 意味着；mean doing sth.。如：

Being a student means studying hard. 作为一个学生，(意味着)你要努力学习。

Success means working hard. 成功意味着工作努力。

2. 欲做某事， mean to do sth. （mean用于过去完成时，表示“本来打算做某事而实际未能完成”）。

如：

What do you mean to do with it? 你打算把它怎样处理?

We mean to call on you tomorrow. 我们打算明天看望你。

He had meant to leave on Sunday, but has stayed on. 他本来想星期天走的，但又留了下来。

mean sb. to do sth. 打算让某人做某事”。如：

I mean you to work as our spokesman. 我想请你当我们的代言人。

whenever

wherever等引导让步状语从句，相当于由 No matter+疑问词+从句。如：

Whoever/No matter who says so, it is wrong. 无论谁这样说， 那是错的。

Wherever/No matter where he hides, I will find him out. 无论他躲在哪儿，我都要把他找出来。

Whatever/No matter what happens，don’t be surprised. 不管发生什么事，都别惊讶。

Whenever/No matter when you call, you’ll find her sitting by the window. 无论什么时候你去找她，你都会看到她坐在窗边。

However hot/No matter how it is, he will not take off his coat. 无论多热，他也不会脱掉外套。

注意，whever在名词性从句中是不可与no matter…互换。

（作者：杨定生，南京市第四高级中学）