1 . In 1970, Alan Ayers was participating in a skydiving team competition in Gainesville, Florida. He would be
Ayers’ teammates skydived first,
“I was completely out of the plane on my back,
Thousands of feet in the air, hanging from the plane, Ayers was out of
“And what happened next was
Ayers dropped away from the plane, opened his parachute, and landed
More than 50 years later, she often came into his
A.falling | B.jumping | C.marching | D.sliding |
A.repaired | B.painted | C.removed | D.broken |
A.leaving | B.recognizing | C.choosing | D.admiring |
A.right | B.luck | C.chance | D.turn |
A.hurt | B.caught | C.spotted | D.covered |
A.hitting back | B.looking down | C.staring up | D.pushing forward |
A.challenging | B.confusing | C.fearful | D.visible |
A.sight | B.trouble | C.options | D.doors |
A.incredible | B.exciting | C.accidental | D.disappointing |
A.straightened | B.pushed | C.dropped | D.freed |
A.dramatically | B.safely | C.unconsciously | D.regretfully |
A.possession | B.mind | C.position | D.focus |
A.young | B.practiced | C.dirty | D.bony |
A.fame | B.victory | C.life | D.health |
A.bravest | B.happiest | C.kindest | D.wisest |
2 . Skydiving has always held a fascination for me. Despite the fear, there is something that
November 24, 2021, a day perfect for my solo skydiving — sunny, with little wind.
After going through safety rules with my coach, I
However, after 30 seconds, I realized I was lower than anticipated. Urgently, without stabilizing my body position, I
With the ground getting closer, I prepared to
The
Severe injuries cast
My enthusiasm for skydiving
A.draws | B.forces | C.drags | D.exposes |
A.embarrassed | B.terrified | C.satisfied | D.superior |
A.stormed | B.roared | C.marched | D.leaped |
A.rushed | B.failed | C.ceased | D.tended |
A.helpful | B.fruitless | C.risky | D.tireless |
A.slide | B.rise | C.die | D.crash |
A.Tragically | B.Thankfully | C.Hopefully | D.Regrettably |
A.make for | B.come across | C.result from | D.set up |
A.influence | B.pressure | C.impact | D.bounce |
A.unnoticeable | B.predictable | C.unbearable | D.tolerable |
A.worsening | B.strengthening | C.adding | D.causing |
A.blankets | B.stretchers | C.painkillers | D.wheelchairs |
A.suspicion | B.light | C.despair | D.uncertainty |
A.disappears | B.remains | C.declines | D.expands |
A.pursuit | B.reality | C.motto | D.spirit |
3 . On Dec.26, Gelinne, 60, was gazing out the back windows of his home in Edgewater, Maryland, at frozen Beards Creek. That’s when Gelinne’s daughter, Aimee DeMayo,
“Look!” she cried. Gelinne looked up just in time to see a small aircraft a few hundred yards away, losing altitude. As the plane
Gelinne tested the
By now a police officer had arrived and radioed for help. A boat from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources appeared, breaking through ice as it arrived. It
The cavalry had arrived just in time, Gelinne recalled. “I’m 60 years old. There was no way I could get him to shore.” Still, he was
A.pointed | B.spotted | C.sensed | D.captured |
A.declined | B.flowed | C.disappeared | D.emerged |
A.scare | B.determine | C.hurry | D.hesitate |
A.shore | B.cliff | C.sand | D.water |
A.crashing | B.fading | C.sinking | D.collapsing |
A.land | B.ice | C.ground | D.stream |
A.exhausting | B.relaxing | C.hopeful | D.tired |
A.vague | B.obvious | C.visible | D.tremendous |
A.covered | B.surrounded | C.hidden | D.hugged |
A.brought | B.caught | C.carried | D.pushed |
A.grabbed | B.tapped | C.handed | D.squeezed |
A.soft | B.unbroken | C.unreliable | D.changeable |
A.cautiously | B.patiently | C.encouragingly | D.confidently |
A.picked up | B.saved up | C.handed up | D.set up |
A.motivated | B.regretful | C.depressed | D.satisfied |
4 . Last summer, my fiance Eugeniu and I decided to drive to Provence for a holiday. The weather was beautiful, but then, about 700km into the journey, it suddenly
Our car ended up landing on a road below the bridge. We were still
At first we shouted, but then stopped because we didn’t want to lose
It was only afterwards in the hospital that I realized the
A.cleared | B.switched | C.warmed | D.worsened |
A.crawled in | B.went through | C.looked for | D.emerged from |
A.road | B.stage | C.beach | D.bridge |
A.At any price | B.From side to side | C.Back and forth | D.Out of nowhere |
A.falling | B.running | C.turning | D.disappearing |
A.surprise | B.relief | C.silence | D.luck |
A.conscious | B.excited | C.curious | D.panicked |
A.felt | B.noticed | C.processed | D.expected |
A.landed | B.reopened | C.collapsed | D.disappeared |
A.face | B.confidence | C.weight | D.strength |
A.signal | B.assistance | C.feeling | D.demand |
A.medication | B.rescue | C.stress | D.hunger |
A.missing | B.hanging | C.escaping | D.calling |
A.scale | B.urgency | C.origin | D.process |
A.differ | B.function | C.hurt | D.matter |
5 . The ambulance driver, Mr. Goodman, turned on his siren and flashing light, and started speeding towards the nearest hospital, fighting
Coming towards him from his right was a taxi. The driver had the windows
Mr. Goodman tried to stop his ambulance but it was too
“Look!” cried Mrs. Black. “She is
“It
The baby’s color was turning to
A.against | B.on | C.for | D.to |
A.worried | B.angry | C.young | D.surprised |
A.stayed | B.stuck | C.eaten | D.wounded |
A.people | B.drivers | C.cars | D.parents |
A.that | B.as | C.if | D.where |
A.take | B.spare | C.spend | D.lose |
A.open | B.clean | C.up | D.down |
A.dangerous | B.late | C.careless | D.quick |
A.The driver | B.Someone | C.No one | D.Everyone |
A.pleasure | B.anger | C.fear | D.surprise |
A.crying | B.breathing | C.smiling | D.speaking |
A.may | B.can | C.should | D.must |
A.took | B.picked | C.knocked | D.made |
A.common | B.normal | C.usual | D.ordinary |
A.regretted | B.worried | C.panicked | D.forgot |