Section A 3a (Reading)
Life Is Full of the Unexpected
人生充满意外
In May 2001, I found a job in New York at the World Trade Center. On September 11, 2001, I arrived at my building at around 8:30 a.m. I was about to go up when I decided to get a coffee first. I went to my favorite coffee place even though it was two blocks east from my office. As I was waiting in line with other office workers, I heard a loud sound. Before I could join the others outside to see what was going on, the first plane had already hit my office building. We stared in disbelief at the black smoke rising above the burning building. I felt lucky to be alive.
2001年5月，我在纽约世贸中心找了份工作。2001年9月11日，早上约8:30我到了大楼。我正要上去，这时决定先去买杯咖啡。我去了最喜欢的咖啡店，尽管它在办公室东面两个街区外。当我和其他上班族排队等候时，听到了一声巨响。还没等我跟别人出去看发生了什么，第一架飞机已经撞上了我的办公楼。我们难以置信地盯着燃烧大楼上方升起的黑烟。我感到活着很幸运。
unexpectedblockaboveburnaliveairporttillworkerstaredisbeliefbe about toin disbelief
was about to...when...
I was about to go up when I decided to get a coffee.（我正要上去，这时决定买咖啡。）be about to do...when... = 正要做……这时……
过去完成时 had hit
The first plane had already hit my office building.（第一架飞机已撞上办公楼。）过去完成时：had + 过去分词，表示「过去的过去」。
文化拓展
本文是第一人称回忆911事件。作者因买咖啡迟到而幸存——人生充满意外。911事件2001年9月11日恐怖分子劫机撞毁纽约世贸中心双子塔，近3000人遇难。
Almost 10 years later, I woke up at 10:00 a.m. on February 21, 2011 and realized that my alarm had never gone off. I jumped out of bed and went straight to the airport. But by the time I got to the airport, my plane to New Zealand had already taken off. "This is the first holiday I've taken in a year, and now I've missed my plane. What bad luck!" I thought to myself. The other planes were full so I had to wait till the next day. The next morning, I heard about the earthquake in New Zealand the day before. My bad luck had unexpectedly turned into a good thing.
将近十年后，2011年2月21日上午10点我醒来，意识到闹钟没响。我跳下床直接去了机场。但当我到机场时，去新西兰的飞机已经起飞了。「这是一年来我第一次休假，现在却误了飞机。真倒霉！」我暗自想。其他航班都满了，所以我只好等第二天。第二天早上，我听说新西兰前一天发生了地震。我的霉运意外地变成了一件好事。
airporttillwestcreammarketgo offby the time
by the time 引导时间状从
By the time I got to the airport, my plane had already taken off.（到我到机场时，飞机已起飞了。）by the time + 过去时, 主句用过去完成时。
turn into
My bad luck had unexpectedly turned into a good thing.（霉运意外地变成了好事。）turn into = 变成。
要点摘要
- 第一段：911当天买咖啡迟到而幸存——第一架飞机撞楼时作者在咖啡店。
- 第二段：2011年误了航班，结果次日听说新西兰地震，误机竟救了他——霉运变好运。