After study for hours, I went outside and up to the roof nearby for a break and watched people swimming in the sea. It was a sunny day. But then, as I looked in the distance, I discovered a series of three or four big waves heading towards the shore. I’d seen these mini-tsunamis (小型海啸) many times before. They were heading at speed in the direction of the swimming area. Most people knew to look out for them, but from the screams that started coming from the beach, I could tell someone was in trouble.
Without thinking, I ran down into the street, holding my bodyboard (冲浪板) on the way and shouted at a stranger to call the coastguard (海岸警卫). My neighbor Tom had heard the screaming as well and was also outside with his bodyboard, so together we rushed to the steps that led down to the sea.
Once we got closer, we discovered the waves had pulled a boy and a girl into the open sea. I know that the nearest boat would take at least 30 minutes to reach us. I wasn’t used to this sort of emergency — I’d never been trained as a lifeguard — but I didn’t think twice about trying to save them. I suppose in a way I wanted to impress everyone; at 19, a deal like that can seem like a good opportunity to show off.
Tom and I dived into the water and it took us 10 minutes to get to them. When we finally reached them, they were almost lifeless. We could tell they were still alive from their small breaths but it was clear they wouldn’t have been able to stay there much longer.I held the boy and pulled him over my board. Tom then moved the girl onto his board.
We discussed pushing them back to the shore, but we were too far out. We had no alternative but to wait for the rescue team. Meanwhile, we struggled in the rough sea to keep them on the boards.I felt extremely exhausted and Tom was also obviously on the edge of breaking down. In sheer desperation,I finally caught sight of some boats with lifeguards on them heading towards us in the distance. Quite soon,I felt strong arms pull me out of the sea onto the board, and the two kids were sent to the hospital without delay.
16. We can infer from the first paragraph ______.
A.The author lived near the sea and his roof overlooked the sea |
B.Mini-tsunamis rarely struck this area |
C.Not all people here were experienced in dealing with mini-tsunamis |
D.Tsunamis can take people in surprise in any weather in this area |
17. In which order did the following events take place?
a. We pulled kids onto our boards.
b. I shouted at a stranger to call the coastguard.
c. The kids were almost lifeless.
d. A boy and a girl were pulled into the sea.
e. I dived into the sea with Tom to save the kids.
f. Tom and I got closer to the sea.
A.f, b, d, e, a, c | B.d, b, f, e, c, a | C.d, f, b, e, a, c | D.b, f, d, c, e, a |
18. Which is the author most unlikely to write after the last paragraph?
A.The gratefulness he and tom received. |
B.The lesson he learnt. |
C.The condition of the two kids. |
D.The blame he got for saving people in the open sea. |
19. We can learn from the story ______.
A.Danger can never be overcome without taking risks |
B.One act of kindness can really make a difference |
C.People come into your life for a reason |
D.Where there is a will, there is a way |
20. What do we know about the author?
A.He was brave, calm and considerate. |
B.He went to save the two kids only because he was a show off. |
C.He was good at professional rescue. |
D.He and his neighbor brought the two kids back to the shore. |