Are You a Man or a Mouse？
Are you a man or a mouse？ When people ask this question they want to know if you think you are a brave person or a coward (懦夫). But you will never really know the answer to that question until you are tested in real life. Some people think they are brave, but when they come face to face with real danger, they act like cowards. Other people don't think of themselves as brave, but when they meet danger, they act like heroes.
Lenny Brown had always thought of himself as a nervous person. He got worried before examinations. He worried about his job and his health. All he wanted in life was to be safe and healthy.
On 15 January 1982, a plane crashed into the Potomac River in Washington. Lenny went to the river to see what was happening. Then he saw a woman in the ice-cold water. Suddenly Lenny did not feel afraid. He kept very calm and did a very brave thing. He jumped into the river, swam to the woman, and kept her head above the water. Seventy-eight people died that day. Thanks to Lenny Brown, it was not seventy-nine.
When you are in a very dangerous situation and feel afraid, the body automatically produces a chemical in the blood. This chemical is called adrenalin (肾上腺素). With adrenalin in the blood system, you actually feel stronger and are ready to fight or run away. However, when you are absolutely scared, the body can produce too much adrenalin. When this happens, the muscles (肌肉) become very hard and you find that you cannot move at all: you are filled with fear. That is why, when we are very frightened, we sometimes say that we are "like a stone".
The question "Are you a man or a mouse？" really means to ask whether you believe

A. you are a tall person or a short one.
B. you are a brave person or a coward.
C. you are a human being or an animal.
D. you enjoy real life or not.