首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
I have never seen Mrs. Clark before, but I know from her medical chart and the report I received from the preceding shift that t
I have never seen Mrs. Clark before, but I know from her medical chart and the report I received from the preceding shift that t
admin
2013-01-18
65
问题
I have never seen Mrs. Clark before, but I know from her medical chart and the report I received from the preceding shift that tonight she will die.
The only light in her room is coming from a piece of medical equipment, which is flashing its red light as if is warning. As I stand there, the smell hits my nose, and I close my eyes as I remember the smell of decay from past experience. In my mouth I have a sour, vinegar taste coming from the pit of my stomach. I reach for the light switch, and as it silently lights the scene, I return to the bed to observe the patient with an unemotional, medical eye.
Mrs. Clark is dying. She lies motionless: the head seems unusually large on a skeleton body; the skin is dark yellow and hangs loosely around exaggerated bones that not even a blanket can hide; the right arm lies straight out at the side, taped cruelly to a board to secure a needle so that fluid may drip in; the left arm is across the sunken chest, which rises and falls with the uneven breath.
I reached for the long, thin fingers that are lying on the chest. They are ice cold, and I quickly move to the wrist and feel for the faint pulse. Mrs. Clark’s eyes open somewhat as her head turns towards me slightly. I bend close to her and scarcely heat as she whispers, "Water. " Taking a glass of water from the table, I put my finger over the end of the straw and allow a few drops of the cool moisture to slide into her mouth and ease her thirst. She makes no attempt to swallow; there is just not enough strength. "More," the dry voice says, and we repeat the procedure. This time she does manage to swallow some liquid and weakly says, "Thank you. "
She is too weak for conversation. So without asking, I go about providing for her needs. Picking her up in my arms like a child, I turn her on her side. Naked, except for a light hospital gown, she is so very small and light that she seems like a victim of some terrible famine. I remove the lid from a jar of skin cream and put some on the palm of my hands. Carefully, to avoid injuring her, I rub cream into the yellow skin, which rolls freely over the bones, feeling perfectly the outline of each bone in the back. Placing a pillow between her legs, I notice that these too are ice cold, and not until I run my hands up over her knees do I feel any of the life-giving warmth of blood.
When I am finished, I pull a chair up beside the bed to face her and, taking her free hand between mine, again notice the long, thin fingers, graceful. I wonder briefly if she has any family, and then I see that there are neither flowers, nor pictures of rainbows and butterflies drawn by children, nor cards. There is no hint in the room anywhere that this is a person who is loved. As though she is a mind reader, Mrs. Clark answers my thoughts and quietly tells me, "I sent. . , my family. . , home. . . tonight. . , didn’t want. . , them. . , to see. . . " Having spent her last ounce of strength she cannot go on, but I have understood what she has done. Not knowing what to say, I say nothing. Again she seems to sense my thoughts, "You. . . stay. . . "
Time seems to stand still. In the total silence, I feel my own pulse quicken and hear my breathing as it begins to match hers, breath for uneven breath. Our eyes meet and somehow, together, we become aware that this is a special moment between two human beings. . . Her long fingers curl easily around my hands and I nod my head slowly, smiling. Without words, through yellowed eyes, I receive my thank you and her eyes slowly close.
Some unknown interval of time passes before her eyes open again, only this time there is no response in them, just a blank stare. Without warning, her shallow breathing stops, and within a few moments, the faint pulse is also gone. One single tear flows from her left eye, across the cheek and down onto the pillow. I begin to cry quietly. There is a swell of emotion within me for this stranger who so quickly came into rant went from my life. Her suffering is done, yet so is the life. Slowly, still holding her hand, I become aware that I do not mind this emotional battle that in fact, it was a privilege she has allowed me, and I would do it again, gladly. Mrs. Clark spared her family an episode that perhaps they were not equipped to handle and instead shared it with me. She had not wanted to have her family see her die, yet she did not want to die alone. No one should die alone, and I am glad I was there for her.
Two days later, I read about Mrs. Clark in the newspaper. She was the mother of seven, grandmother of eighteen, an active member of her church, a leader of volunteer associations in her community, a concert piano player, and a piano teacher for over thirty years.
Yes, they were long and graceful fingers.
Directions: The passage below summarizes the main points of the passage. Read the summary and then select the best word or phrase from the box blow, according to the passage. You should decide on the best choice.
A drip K liquid
B secured L famine
C decay M jar
D preceding N slide
E straw O thirst
F faint P fluid
G pit Q moisture
H chart R loosely
I palm S hit
J lid T indication
The medical【1】from the【2】shift was the first【3】I got that Mrs. Clark would die. There was also a smell of【4】in the room that【5】me in the【6】of my stomach. The patient’s skin hung【7】so a needle was【8】to let the【9】【10】in. She had a【11】pulse and was thirsty, so I gave her a【12】of a few drops of【13】to【14】into her mouth to ease her【15】Having managed to swallow some【16】, she said " Thank you. " She was so small and light that she looked like a victim of some terrible【17】. I removed the【18】of a【19】of cream and put some on the【20】of my hand. Then I rubbed the cream into her yellow skin to make her feel better.
选项
答案
L
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/DF2O777K
0
考博英语
相关试题推荐
Your______istheroundofthingsthatyouusuallydoeachday.
ChristmasisaChristianholydayusuallycelebratedonDecember25th_______thebirthofJesusChrist.
______bothinworkinglifeandeverydaylivingtodifferentsetsofvalues,andexpectationsplacesaseverestrainontheindi
【66】Astateuniversitypresidentwasarrestedtodayandchargedwithimpersonateapoliceofficerbecame,theauthoritiessay,h
Precedingthecommotionofabattle,thereisusuallyanunusual______.
Amongthemanywaysinwhichpeoplecommunicatethroughspeech,publicspeakinghasprobablyreceivedmorestudyandattractedm
Recentlyanumberofcaseshavebeenreportedofyoungchildren______aviolentactpreviouslyseenontelevision.
Summerholidaysspentonthehotghettostreetsare______thetimemiddle-classstudentsdevotetocamps,exoticvacationsandhi
随机试题
石方开挖中,常用的爆破方法有()等。
阻碍军事行动罪侵犯的对象是()
颏舌肌
圆锥动力触探的“超前”和“滞后”效应,常发生在下列()种界面上。
下列描述中,适于描述开放式基金的有______个,适于描述封闭式基金的有______个。()①基金的资金规模具有可变性②在证券交易所按市价买卖③现金分红、再投资分红④受益凭证可赎回⑤单位资产净值每周至少
关于冻结单位存款的利息计算,以下说法正确的是()。
在某温度下,反应4HCl(g)+O2(g)==2H2O(g)+2Cl2(g)的Kc=1.60,若在一密闭容器里,加入的各物质的浓度分别为1.00mol·L-1HCl、0.40mol·L-1O2、1.00mol·L-1H2O、1.00mol·L-1C
请仔细阅读下列材料,并根据作答要求作文。春运期间我和好友幸运地订到了回家的火车票,上车后却发现一位老人坐在我们的位子上,好友示意我先坐老人旁边的位子,却没有请老人让出座位,我坐下后发现老人右脚有一点不方便,才了解好友不请他让出座位的原因。
纳米是()
当代中国农民处在从传统农耕文明向现代城市文明过渡的复杂环境中,正经历比以往任何时期都更为深刻的心灵_____。农村剧要寻求突破,就应主动探寻变革时代农民的复杂性,努力_____出具有心灵多样性的新农民形象。填入画横线部分最恰当的一项是:
最新回复
(
0
)