(Question)
A person steps on what seems like solid ground but discovers with horror that the ground is giving way underfoot. The person struggles desperately but is trapped. There is no escape. Slowly the person sinks deeper and at last is gone. The solid ground was solid only in appearance. It was actually quicksand, which is a deep mass of fine sand mixed with water. How is quicksand formed? Water pushes up from below the surface and is held by the sand. The grains of sand are forced apart by the water. They cannot hold any weight. The subsurface water may have come from a spring, a river, or a stream. Sometimes pools of water near beaches become filled with sand. When the soil under these pools does not allow for good drainage , the sand can become stretches of quicksand. Is it true that a person who steps into quicksand is doomed to die? No, for people have fought their way from quicksand to firm land again. It is panic  that creates the condition that can result in death, for the more a person struggles, the worse matters become. Quick movements will make the sand yield for a time, but then it rushes back and settles solidly around the body. People trapped in quicksand should either lie back with arms outstretched, or not move at all. When the weight of the sand around his body has displaced equals that person's weight, the victim will stop sinking. With feet held still, and with slow movements of the arms, as in the backstroke  in swimming, people have managed to roll to safety and reach firm ground. Which statement does the article lead you to believe? A) Stretches of quicksand are found only under the sea. B) People should never try to escape from quicksand. C) It is hard to keep calm if you fall into quicksand. D) Only heavy people can be trapped in quicksand.
(Answer)
C


(Question)
My 16-year-old son, Anton, had gone to the local swimming hole. Most of the kids who swim there are fit and strong teens, and there are plenty of rocks for them to use as safe harbors, so I had no fears for his well-being. Still, the firefighter's first words, "You need to come up here to the Stillwater River," made me catch my breath. When I got to the river, I saw Anton sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine, with a towel wrapped about his shoulders. I hurried over to him. "You OK?" I asked. "Yeah," was all he said. But my eyes begged for an explanation. I didn't get it from my son. The story was this: A couple in their 20s, unfamiliar with the Stillwater, had gotten caught in the current and began screaming for help. Without hesitation Anton and his friend dived into the water, swam out to the drowning  woman, and brought her safely to shore. In an age in which the world "hero" is broadcast with abandon and seemingly applied to anyone, I realized the real thing in my son and his friend--the disregarding of personal safety for the sake of another human being. I know that teens are headstrong and self-centered, but this didn't lower the gravity of the event and the desire to do good. Along the way home I tried to get some more information from him, but the only words were, "What's for supper?" I thought twice about the tragedy  that might have been. Questions flew across my mind like a flight of swallows: Would I have risked my life to save a drowning person? Or would I have chosen to dial 911? Would I have told the story over and over to anyone who'd listen? The next morning, when Anton got up, I half expected him to tell me the story from his point of view, now that he had some distance from the event. But all he did was to toast a pie, pull himself together, and head for the door to begin the new day. We can infer from the passage that   _  . A) firefighters always turn up in case of emergency B) parents are always worried about their children C) it's dangerous to swim in an unfamiliar river D) teens are more responsible than expected
(Answer)
D


(Question)
A 14-year-old girl was attacked by a grey bear while competing in a bike race. She managed to whisper the word "bear" to her rescuer. The girl suffered serious head, neck and leg wounds. Now she is in a dangerous condition in hospital. The girl was taking part in a 24-hour race through Bicentennial Park in Alaska when she was attacked by the bear. Bicentennial Park is next to Chugach State Park where some wild animals live.      The animal attacked the girl in a heavily wooded area at about 1:30 am. The girl called emergency services but she was unable to say any word. Another rider Peter Basinger found her lying unconscious on the ground. He told the Anchorage Daily News that she managed to say the word "bear" when he stopped to help. Her helmet had been ripped off   in the attack and rolled into the woods. Mr. Basinger waited with the girl for about 20 minutes until doctors arrived. Armed police trekked    3 km with doctors to pick up the girl.      Animal expert Rick Sinnott said something must be done as soon as possible to prevent the bear from attacking people again. "It was extremely terrifying," he said.      Mr. Sinnott told the Anchorage Daily News that the bear might be a mother. It hurt two runners on a nearby path two weeks ago. He also said that the girl was lucky to have been wearing a bike helmet because the bear had bitten her head several times. When the girl was attacked, she was   _  . A) waiting for Peter Basinger B) following a mother bear C) competing in a 24-hour race D) riding in Chugach State Park
(Answer)

C