“Don’t go down to that pond — it's dangerous!” Stephanie angrily shouted at her children. She’d overheard them talking about playing near the water on the golf course close to their apartment. It was a Saturday, and 8-year-old Jeremiah was heading outside with his 11-year-old sister, Tiara, and their 13-year-old cousin, Evon McDuffie. They often went to the George Wilson Community Center in Newark, Delaware, just three houses away from their apartment building.
The Wilson center was a good place of activity for the community, especially in warm weather. But January 20, 2006, was a rainy day with winds. It’s a good day to play inside the center. Unfortunately, the three children had other ideas.
Taking no notice of what Stephanie had said, Evon, Tiara and Jeremiah walked beyond the tree line at the back of the community center and headed toward the large pond. The kids climbed through a gap in the fence, then passed a No Entering sign posted on a metal gate nearby. As they reached the pond, they also walked by a No Skating sign.
Tiara and Evon first stepped on the surface ice, and when it held, the children went out on the pond. Evon shouted out to Jeremiah, “I bet you can't cross the whole thing.”
“I bet you I can,” Jeremiah replied, and he took off across the pond.
He made it to the other side, but as he came back, Jeremiah stepped on the thinner ice. The thin surface collapsed under his feet, and the boy sank into the cold water. Evon raced back to the apartment for help, while frightened Tiara tried to reach Jeremiah as he struggled to keep his head above water. But he kept slipping beneath the surface.
When firefighters arrived, all they could see was Jeremiah's coat floating on the water. As the unconscious child was rushed to the hospital, his life was saved, for now, but the effects of hypothermia (降低体温) and lack of oxygen left Jeremiah with serious brain damage.
1. Stephanie shouted at her children because_____________.
A. the children didn’t behave very well at home
B. they were too young to play outside
C. it was raining
D. the children secretly planned to go to the pond
2. It was __________ that made Jeremiah take courage to cross the ice.
A. Evon’s challenge              B. the mother’s words
C. No Entering sign                 D. the view on the other bank
3. What does the underlined word “collapsed” probably mean?
A. changed suddenly             B. broke into pieces
C. became thinner            D. floated away
4. Which of the following is the right order of the events that happened to Jeremiah?
a. Firefighters came and rescued Jeremiah.
b. The kids climbed through the fence and to the pond.
c. Jeremiah walked across the ice.
d. The kids planned to play on the pond.
e. When Jeremiah made a way back, he sank.
A. b, d, c, e, a B. d, b, a, e, c     C. d, b, c, e, a       D. a, e, c, d, b