Hank Viscardi was born without legs. He had not legs but stumps (残肢) that could he fitted with a kind of special boots, People stared at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him‘Ape Man’(猿人) because his arms practically dragged on the ground. Hank went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years to finish his schooling instead of the usual twelve. After graduating from school, he worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, he had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. He would soon have to use a wheel chair. Hank felt himself got cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificiallegs(假腿). Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror, for the first time he saw himself as he has always wanted to be-a full five feet eight inches tall. By this time he was already 26 years old. Hank had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room, and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it. When World War II came, he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. He marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, a man without legs. 小题1:Children laughed at Hank and called him ‘Ape Man’ because .
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