15篇文章贯通六级词汇Unit07-Part2

[00:00.00]Iwaited a day before calling

[00:02.73]Dr. Sam to inform him of

[00:04.26]my decision. I had to be sure!

[00:06.44]“Miriam, I think I know

[00:08.97]why you want to go through

[00:10.27]with this pregnancy 1, but

[00:11.48]are you aware of the risks?”

[00:12.80]“I know my baby will be

[00:14.65]different. I know she may be

[00:16.30]mentally and physically 2 retarded 3.

[00:17.93]She may have developmental difficulties

[00:19.80]and problems with social acceptance.

[00:22.09]I do recognize that I am

[00:24.48]going to have to amend 4

[00:25.69]almost every facet 5 of my life.

[00:27.55]I am prepared to do that.

[00:29.18]This is my final gift

[00:30.93]from Paul and I am determined 6

[00:33.01]to go through with this!”

[00:34.33]“I thought you would feel

[00:35.75]that way. You have my utmost

[00:37.39]admiration and support. I will

[00:39.58]follow your pregnancy carefully

[00:41.44]but I want you to see

[00:42.65]a specialist in birth defects.

[00:43.96]I will refer you to Dr. Brown

[00:45.70]and would like you to make

[00:47.13]an appointment with her

[00:48.22]as soon as possible,” he said.

[00:49.53]I knew then that I had

[00:51.29]made the right choice.

[00:52.79]My pregnancy was not without

[00:55.20]its hardships, from morning sickness

[00:57.38]to swollen 7 ankles, but I had

[00:59.25]no doubts about the decision

[01:00.77]I had made. My parents, when

[01:02.63]I told them what was going

[01:04.72]on with me, expressed their concerns

[01:06.25]but also their confidence

[01:07.56]in my decision and assured me

[01:09.42]they would be there when

[01:10.51]I delivered my baby.

[01:11.60]Paula was born on a bright,

[01:14.45]cloudless, warm Tuesday morning

[01:16.86]in May. I was prepared to

[01:18.61]see a red, wrinkled, squalling infant.

[01:21.01]Instead, I saw very little.

[01:22.98]Because of the risks involved,

[01:25.28]Paula was delivered by Caesarian section.

[01:28.46]The doctors and nurses rushed her

[01:30.31]into an incubatorto assess her

[01:32.50]before I caught a glimpse of her.

[01:34.25]I could see my parents

[01:35.79]on the other side of

[01:37.20]the operating room window, questions

[01:38.63]in their eyes. What was going on?

[01:40.59]The nurses kept me comfortable

[01:43.66]and tried to alleviate 8 my fears

[01:44.97]but half an hour passed before

[01:47.28]our questions were answered.

[01:48.80]My daughter had a severe heart defect.

[01:51.75]It could be corrected through surgery

[01:54.49]but not until she gained

[01:56.03]a little weight and strength.

[01:57.99]I understood in that moment that

[01:59.85]my life had changed forever.

[02:01.93]I demanded to see her immediately,

[02:03.90]and as soon as I did,

[02:05.66]I fell in love. This most

[02:07.51]precious of all gifts was

[02:08.82]going to survive the obstacles

[02:10.14]ahead of her with my help.

[02:12.22]I knew in an instant that

[02:14.40]all my strength,love, and

[02:16.15]monetary resources were at

[02:17.69]her command. Nothing she wanted,

[02:19.99]needed, or even dreamed

[02:21.51]of, would ever be denied.

[02:23.27]The heart surgery to correct

[02:25.68]a flawed valve was a resounding 9 success.

[02:28.19]Fortunately, the common defects

[02:30.60]occurring in a majority

[02:31.80]of Down's syndrome 10 children

[02:33.00]were absent in Paula. She has

[02:35.30]no intestinal 11 malformations, hearing impairment,

[02:38.37]or severe visual problems.

[02:40.55]We are truly blessed.

[02:42.63]My parents adore this exceptional grandchild.

[02:46.02]Their expertise 12 in teaching, nurturing 13,

[02:48.65]and parenting has been so welcome.

[02:51.05]I always knew they were there

[02:53.03]for me; now they are there for us.

[02:54.78]I am aware of the sympathetic

[02:57.73]looks from strangers who don't know

[02:59.37]or understand the disorder 14

[03:00.68]afflicting my child. Their pity,

[03:03.09]for what they ascertain 15 as

[03:04.73]my plight 16, is misplaced but understandable.

[03:07.69]I am sure that I, too,

[03:09.54]felt sorry for parents of what

[03:11.62]I thought of as imperfect children.

[03:13.81]Paula is a delightful 17 child.

[03:16.22]Her physical defects are apparent;

[03:18.29]there is no doubt she is

[03:19.61]different from other children.

[03:21.03]However, she goes to school

[03:23.00]with other children her age;

[03:24.53]she takes longer to learn things

[03:26.07] and has to work harder,

[03:27.16]but she is achieving all

[03:28.69]the milestones 18 of growing children.

[03:30.77]Raising her is a challenge,

[03:33.28]as is the raising of any child.

[03:35.14]It isn't easy and it won't get easier.

[03:38.10]As she grows and develops,

[03:40.40]there will be questions to answer,

[03:42.25]hurdles to cross, and goals

[03:43.89]to reach. Paula is different.

[03:46.08]She is aware that she is.

[03:47.84]It doesn't dismay her. She greets

[03:50.68]each day with a smile on her

[03:51.99]lips and a sparkle in her eye.

[03:53.42]Do I ever have doubts about

[03:56.37]my decision? No! My only regret

[03:59.10] is that Paul isn't here to

[04:00.64]share my joy in our wonderful daughter.