Between flights, as I sat in the Denver airport, a young man, maybe half my 46 years, approached me. He tilted his head toward the chair next to mine, and then toward my suitcase blocking the chair. There were many open seats. Why did he choose this one? I thought. When he sat, I noticed the markings on his bag and his faded camouflage (迷彩服) uniform.
He told me he had just come from Afghanistan. He was going home for a few days of leave. He said it was almost harder to leave the war than to stay, leaving others behind. But he had to go back and this might be his last chance to see his mom.
I remember how he scanned the room warily (谨慎地) as he talked and when he looked at me, his eyes kept no distance. He seemed to want something from me. I could not tell what it was.
He said it was hard to stop scanning for danger. The day before, he'd been in the desert. Fellow soldiers, men under his command, had been blown into pieces around him. This day, he was in an airport trying to understand the anger over flight delays, and the rush for coffee. He didn't know how to be here in this place.
I thought maybe I understood. Only weeks before, my friend's teenage son had died suddenly. One evening, after spending still hours with a broken mother, I went to my daughter's theater performance. In the crowded lobby before the show, mothers complained about their seats and other small slights. I felt disoriented and distant. I told the soldier about this.He breathed deeply and showed a small smile. I had given him a sliver of connection.
He'd seen something raw during his military service. He knew what was real and mattered. When he returned, he found it was hard for him to experience the peace. But he did not know how to tell us. I realized this was what he needed from me. He did not want the seat beside mine. He wanted to sit with me.He needed to feel safe and understood for a brief while between here and there.
I did not know his name, and how long his tour of duty would last. I hoped his mother had a strong heart. We sat together until our flights were called and then said goodbye as the two strangers heading home.
语篇解读：本文讲述作者在飞机场偶遇一位在阿富汗战场返乡看望母亲的年轻士兵，双方通过交谈感觉到相互之间的理解与连接。
1．The young man approached the author probably because ________.
A．the seat next to the author's was available
B．he had a favor to ask the author
C．he needed to find someone to feel his feelings
D．the author was his mother's age
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第三段“He seemed to want something from me. I could not tell what.” 以及倒数第二段“He needed to feel safe and understood for ...”可知，这位士兵靠近作者是希望作者能理解他的感受。
2．The young man felt a connection with the author ________.
A．after listening to the author's experience
B．by telling the author his experiences in the war
C．by just sitting still next to the author
D．after realizing what really mattered
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第五段的“I told the soldier about this. He breathed deeply and ...” 可知，在听了作者的经历后，这位士兵感受到了作者与他之间的连接。
3．The underlined word “raw” in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to “________”．
A．original B．painful
C．strong D．moving
解析：选B 词义猜测题。根据下文“during his military service ...”以及“When he returned, he found it was hard for him to experience the peace.” 此处应是painful的意思。
4．Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A．The City and the War
B．Two Strangers at the Airport
C．Going Home
D．Sitting with a Soldier
解析：选D 标题归纳题。文章一开始就描述一位年轻士兵主动靠近作者并坐到了作者身边的位置上，后来讲述他们之间的交流以及互相之间产生的理解与某种联系，故两个关键词语“sitting with”及“a soldier”扣住了文章的大意。
