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2014-08-26 20:03
时代英语·高三 2014年5期

The 30 miles of steep roads that snake through the mountains of Logan Canyon in Utah are enough to make most drivers hands sweat. But Andersen, a 46-year-old father of four, wasnt expecting any trouble on the road last New Years Eve, when he set off for a ski trip to the Bear River Mountains with nine-year-old daughter Mia, four-year-old son Baylor, and nine-year-old neighbour Kenya. Andersen had driven through the Canyon hundreds of times over the years.

The weather was fine, but the higher they drove, the more slippery the roads became. Rounding a sharp U-turn at mile marker 473, Andersen saw a truck that had skated off the road and immediately tapped his brakes. In an instant, the car was sliding at 25 miles per hour towards the shoulder of the highway, then rolling down a steep ten-foot-dam towards the extremely cold Logan River. As it hit the water, the car tipped towards the passenger side, hesitated, and then rolled onto its roof and sank into the river.

There was no time to tell the kids what to do. The crash had broken a few windows, and within seconds, the upside-down car was filled with water. “It was frightening how fast we were completely underwater,” remembers Andersen, a soft spoken product development manager. “Youre thinking, is this how its all going to end?”

Having lost all sense of direction, Andersen began to search the freezing water for the kids. Mia had been right next to him in the front seat; now, in the blackness, he couldnt find her. “I thought,‘If I dont get out, maybe none of us are going to get out.” Andersen got out of his seat belt, swam through a broken window, and, deeply and quickly, breathed air at the surface. Thats when he saw a group of men, about ten in all, appear at the top of the dam. One after another, they raced down into the water. Helping onto safety all the three children, they began to shout at the father, “Who else is in the car?” Andersen says respectfully, “It was like the sight of angels.”

1. What might be the main reason for the car accident?

A. The sharp U-turn. B. The steep dam.

C. The sudden brake. D. A truck hitting the car.

2. Why didnt Andersen expect any trouble on the road?

A. He was familiar with the road. B. He was good at driving.

C. His hands didnt have sweat. D. The weather was fine.

3. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A. Andersen lost consciousness in the water. B. Strangers helped Andersen out of the car.

C. Andersen liked Mia most among the children. D. Strangers teamed together to save the three children.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A. Stay Calm When in Trouble B. Rounding a U-turn

C. Unexpected Rescue from an Icy River D. Mystery of the Bear River Mountains