9 . I discovered the power of fear when I became stuck to my driveway, as if my feet were crazy-glued to the cement (水泥). As much as I tried, I could not move them. The realization that my daughters were playing in Nancy's house, just one-half block away, paralyzed (麻痹) my legs, making me unable to move when I neared the end of our driveway. Dense, black smoke was rising from behind the Sycamore Maple trees on the other side of the street and was enveloping three houses, making them barely visible. Nancy's house was one of them.
I tried to call out for my daughters, hoping to see them run safely to my arms, but my voice was also stuck-stuck in my throat with no intention of coming out. There I stood, helpless, paralyzed and silenced by fear, unable to protect the two lttle girls I loved more than even I had realized.
Although trapped in a body that couldn't move or speak, I could still hear. I could hear other mothers anxiously calling their children. I could hear a frightening silence that covered the neighborhood instead of the usual happy voices of children. And, finally, I could hear the alarm of the fire engine. As the alarm announced, "We're on our way," it instantly dissolved the crazy glue that had held my feet to the cement and it unlocked the soundproof box that had silenced my voice. I was free to make sure my daughters were safe.
As I continued down the driveway, two little girls, my two little girls, ran toward me from across the street. They had come home to tell me about the fire in the garage next to Nancy's house. Not only did my feet and voice work now, but my eyes were also in good working order and had no trouble producing tears.
1. Why was the author stuck to her driveway?
| A．She was too tired to move her legs. |
| B．Thick black smoke blocked her view. |
| C．The cement on the driveway was still wet. |
| D．The fear for her daughters' safety struck her. |
2. What made the author able to move and speak again?
| A．Shouting from other anxious mothers. | B．Strange silence in the neighborhood. |
| C．The alarm of the coming fire engine. | D．The courage to protect her daughters. |
3. What does the author suggest at the end of the story?
| A．She burst into tears of relief and happiness. |
| B．She was really thankful to see her girls saved. |
| C．She was too excited to believe what she saw. |
| D．She overcame her fear and fully recovered. |
4. What is the best title for the text?
| A．Love in Fire | B．Stopped in Silence |
| C．A Narrow Escape | D．The Price of Fear |
