火灾浓烟之下 兄弟带来温情
火灾浓烟之下 兄弟带来温情


James and Louie Pendley are two brothers. They were on the way to visit a friend when they noticed thick smoke rising from the area. Acting on instinct, they drove toward the fire instead, finding a neighborhood in chaos as the fast-moving fire began to cover trees and backyard fences.

As the brothers arrived, residents and strangers were already in backyards, desperately trying to contain the fire with garden hoses (水管). “I don’t know — my brother and I were in the area,” Louie explained. “We just decided, saying, ‘We see smoke, we’re guys.’ ‘Hey, let’s just see what’s going on.’”
The situation was overwhelming. “Planes and helicopters flying over, but none of the water was coming down on us,” James recalled. “We had to figure it out. That’s the bottom line. The fire was just immense. I mean, it was powerful.”
The Pendley brothers didn’t stop until they’d spent two hours helping to protect homes from the advancing flames. Louie said they felt compelled to stay after seeing a woman crying in her car. “We’re like, ‘You know what? Well, you know, if it was me, I would want somebody to help me out.’”
Neighbors were deeply moved by the brothers’ selfless actions. After firefighters arrived to finish containing the blaze and monitor for hot spots, local resident Kathy Battisti expressed gratitude for the Pendleys’ bravery. “It’s like, ‘Who are they? Where did these people come from?’” she said. “It restored my faith in humanity just to know that there are absolute strangers ready to jump in and help where needed.” Another neighbor echoed the sentiment, saying, “These guys — I mean, they did so much.”
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1.1.Where were the Pendley brothers driving to originally?

A The neighborhood.

B A friend’s home.

C A fire scene.

D An airport.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第一段中的“They were on the way to visit a friend when they noticed thick smoke rising from the area.”可知，这俩兄弟本来准备去拜访一位朋友。故选B。

2.2.The fire was ______.

A severe

B silent

C mild

D colorful

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“The situation was overwhelming.”以及“The fire was just immense. I mean, it was powerful.”可知，现场火势很猛。故选A。

3.3.Which words can best describe the Pendley brothers?

A Honest and reliable.

B Clever and funny.

C Outgoing and confident.

D Kind and helpful.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据前文兄弟俩帮助灭火及第四段中的“The Pendley brothers didn’t stop until they’d spent two hours helping to protect homes from the advancing flames.”可知，这兄弟俩很善良且乐于助人。故选D。

4.4.What does the underlined part “echoed the sentiment” mean?

A Explained.

B Guessed.

C Agreed.

D Promised.

解析：选C。C 词义猜测题。根据前文“Neighbors were deeply moved”“local resident Kathy Battisti expressed gratitude for the Pendleys’ bravery”“These guys — I mean, they did so much.”可知，居民们都对兄弟俩的行为感到感激和感动，其中一个人首先表达了自己的感激，随后另一个人“附和，表示赞同”。故选C。