• 2022-06-18
    The McDonnells lived in Larchmont, a suburb of New York City. Jim was foreman of mail carriers at the post office where he had worked for 25 years. Married in 1960, he and Anne were childless.
    During February and March 1971, Jim McDonnell suffered a curious series of accidents. None was critical in itself, but the combination appeared to trigger a strange result.
    Carrying out the garbage one evening, he slipped on ice-coated steps, bruised his back and struck his head. A few days later, driving to work, he lost control of the car, hit a telephone pole and banged his forehead against the windshield. Ten days later he again lost control of his car and hit a pole. Found unconscious, he was hospitalized for three days with a cerebral concussion.
    On March 29, 1971, Jim borrowed a friend’s station wagon and drove to Kennedy Airport to pick up Anne’s brother. When he returned the borrowed car at 10 p.m., Jim declined the offer of a ride home. Ordinarily the walk would have taken about 15 minutes.
    32. What happened to him when carrying out the garbage one evening?
    At 11:15 p.m. Anne called the owner of the station wagon; he had no idea why Jim had not yet reached home. At 2 a.m., Anne called the police and reported her husband missing.
    Investigation confirmed that McDonnell’s personal and professional records were impeccable, and turned up no evidence that he had been a victim of an accident or attack. The only explanation was amnesia.
    The phenomenon of amnesia is clouded in mystery. What is known is that loss of memory can be caused by stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, alcoholism — or by blows to the head. Any individual whose brain has suffered such injuries can simply wander aimlessly away from the place where he lives, with all knowledge of his past blacked out.
    问题:32. What happened to him when carrying out the garbage one evening?
    A: slipped on ice-coated steps
    B: lost control of the car
    C: hit a pole
    D: banged his forehead against the windshield
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