The following is an interview with Ricardo Lima, who fell from the fourth floor of a building when he was two years old- and survived.

Reporter: How on earth did you fall out of the window? Ricardo: I was pretty mischievous when I was a kid. I was always up to something. Reporter: Were you alone when it happened? Ricardo: No. I was sitting with my mother in the living room playing with my toys. My sister started crying in the bedroom, and my mom went to take care of her. So I pushed a chair near a window and climbed on top to have a look outside. Reporter: You can’t let kids out of your sight for second. Ricardo: Yeah. And while I was leaning on the windowsill, my pacifier fell out of my mouth. I tried to grab it, and I lost my balance and fell. Reporter: My goodness! And do you remember the fall?

Ricardo: It was all very quick, but I remember lying on the ground with people all around me. And then I saw my mom. She was desperate, because she thought I was dead, but all I had was broken leg. I was very lucky. I might have died. Reporter: That’s for sure. But I heard you first hit an awning, and that helped to break your fall. Is that right? Ricardo: No. I fell right onto a concrete sidewalk. Tough fall onto concrete-and survive, I guess!

After Reading A : Answer true or false. 1___The thought that Aeschylus’ head was a tortoise. 2___Graves died because his boat overturned. 3___It is common for people to be hit by meteorite. 4___The pilot fell out of his seat but was blown back into it by the wind. 5___Bob Hail’s first parachute failed, so his backup parachute saved him.

B Summarize Ricardo’s story. Discussion 1.Which incident do you think is the strangest or the most interesting? Why? 2.Irony occurs when sometime that is unexpected happens. What is the irony in the story about man in boat? 3.Do you know of anyone who almost died or was injured in an accident? What happened? 4.Why do you think people are interested in stories of other people’s disasters?