呂一鳴

In the US， if you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up， you may be surprised. Some will say they want to be the President， doctors， lawyers or movie stars. But many will say they want to be firefighters.

Being a firefighter is a dangerous job， and it doesnt pay a much as a job in medicine， business or entertainment. So why is the idea of becoming a firefighter so popular with kids？

One reason is that firefighters are heroes in US society. They are strong and brave. They risk their own lives to save the lives of others.

After the terrorist attacks in New York on September 11， 2001， firefighters became a symbol of national pride and strength. Brave firefighters rushed to save people in the falling buildings. They were able to save many lives， but many firemen died. After the attacks， people across the US wore hats and T-shirts that said FDNY （Fire Department of New York） to show respect for the firefighters.

To be a firefighter is to be a hero. Its no surprise that many kids want to become heroes.

Are firefighters in China the same as those in the US？

[In China， you call them at 119.

In the US， you call the firefighters at 911. In China， firefighters also do more than put out fires. For example， they help people open stuck doors or get rid of beehives① in trees near buildings.

In the US， firefighters do more than just fight fires. When people are trapped in dangerous places， firefighters come to help. They may also save animals. In China， theres a special phone number for first aid. Its 120.

In the US， firefighters can do first aid. When people are sick or injured， firefighters come to save them. In China， most firefighters are soldiers. After a few years， they will leave and new soldiers will come.

In the US， being a firefighter is a job. There are young firefighters and old firefighters. ]

I. 用下列單詞或短語填空。（其中有兩項是多余的）

surprise， popular， symbol， across， save， for example， put out

1. The colors of their clothes stand for the ____ of their group.

2. The food in America is different from our Chinese food. ____， they eat a lot of potatoes.

3. What a ____！ In the picture， hes 15 years old and hes short.

4. One day an old lady saw a mouse running ____ her kitchen.

5. A three-year-old boy ____ his mums life by using her mobile phone to call for help.

II. 仔細閱讀短文，回答下面的問題。

1. What do most kids in America want to be when they grow up？

2. Why is the idea of becoming a firefighter so popular with kids？

3. What happened on September 11， 2001 in the USA？

4. Can you call 911 if theres a car accident in America？

5. Whats the special phone number for first-aid in China？