Nick Vujicic was born with no arms or legs, but the brave 32yearold man plays football and golf, swims, and surfs. Nick has a small foot on his left side, which helps him balance and enables him to kick. He uses his one foot to type, write with a pen and pick things up between his toes.
“I call it my chicken drumstick，” joked Nick. “I'd be lost without it. When I get in the water I float because 80 per cent of my body is lungs and my drumstick acts as a propeller (螺旋桨)．”
When Nick was born, his father was so shocked that he left the hospital room to vomit. His distraught mother couldn't bring herself to hold him until he was four months old.
“It was so hard for them, but right from the start they did their best to make me independent. My dad put me in the water when I was 18 months old and gave me the courage to learn how to swim，” said Nick.
Throughout his childhood Nick dealt with the typical challenges. At the age of seven, Nick tried out some specially designed electronic arms and legs, in the hope that he would be more like other kids. During the short trial period of the electronic arms and legs, Nick realized that even with them, he was still unlike his peers at school, and they turned out to be much too heavy for Nick to operate, affecting his flexibility quite significantly.
“When I was 13 I read a newspaper article about a disabled man who had managed to achieve great things and help others，” said Nick. “I realized why God had made us like this — to give hope to others. It was so inspirational to me that I decided to use my life to encourage others and decided to be thankful for what I do have, not get angry about what I don't.”
“I tell people to keep on getting up when they fall and to always love themselves，” he said. “If I can encourage just one person then my job in this life is done.” By now, he has visited 35 different countries, touring the world as a motivational speaker.
语篇解读：本文讲述了演说家Nick Vujicic身残志坚的故事。
1．What makes it possible for Nick to swim in the water?
A．His small size. B．His small foot.
C．His light weight. D．His big lungs.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第一段的第二句“Nick has a small foot on his left side, which helps him balance and enables him to kick”并结合第二段中的“my drumstick acts as a propeller (螺旋桨)”可知，Nick的小脚使其游泳成为可能，故选B项。
2．The underlined word “distraught” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________”．
A．coldblooded B．badtempered
C．really crazy D．extremely upset
解析：选D 词义猜测题。根据第三段的第一句“When Nick was born, his father was so shocked that he left the hospital room to vomit”可推知，Nick刚出生时的样子吓到了父母，当时Nick的母亲应该是很难过的，故选D项。
3．Nick abandoned the electronic arms and legs because ________.
A．his family couldn't afford them
B．his classmates didn't like them
C．they were too heavy to handle
D．they affected his appearance
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第五段最后一句中的“and they turned out to be much too heavy for Nick to operate, affecting his flexibility quite significantly”可知，电动的胳膊和腿太沉了，使他的灵活性大受影响，因此在尝试一段时间后，他不再使用它们了，故选C项。
4．Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Nick's parents were very strict with him.
B．Nick's family accepted his disability at his birth.
C．Nick's mother was to blame for his disability.
D．Nick learned to be independent at a young age.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第四段的内容可知，在Nick 18个月大时，他的父母就开始培养他的独立性，故选D项。
