● Text Analysis

1. Theme

The man in the water did not have to give his rings to others; he did not even know these people. He was extraordinary precisely because he was ordinary. He showed what everyone of us could do at that critical moment. The display of his heroism was a song to the beautiful human character.

2. Structure

1) Part 1 (Paras. 1—3): The terrible air crash in Washington, D.C. that brought people to tears and to attention and the possible reasons for the national sensation.

2) Part 2 (Paras. 4—9): It’s the ordinary man in the water who performed the extraordinary and stunning deeds that created the emotional impact and the enduring wonder.

3. Further Discussion

Question:

1) Who are the heroes in the story?

Two police rescuers and, a young passerby and the man in the water. To be continued on the next page.

2) Who is the greatest hero? Why?

The man in the water. Ordinary as he was, he could rise to challenge when the test came. He displayed courage and noble character in human nature at its best.

3) In the author’s view, do people feel proud or sad about the disaster? Why?

They feel proud because man defeated the indifferent natural forces.

4) What is referred to as one of man’s natural powers according to the passage?

Sacrificing his life for the life of others’.

5) The fight between the man in the water and the natural forces ended up with the death of the man. Why does the author say he is not a loser?

He was the best we can do to fight against the indifferent natural forces. What’s more, he never dies in people’s heart.

●What was unusual about the air crash?

●Why does the author refer to the aesthetic aspect of the clash?

●What are the things the author mentions to be worth noticing?

●What does the author mean when he says the human nature was groping and struggling?

●Why does the author say that the man went unidentified gave him a universal character?

●How could the man in the water give a lifeline to those who watched him? What does the “lifeline” here symbolize?

●What does the greatness of the anonymous man actually lie in?

●What do you think are the strongest human powers endowed with by nature?