Cruz Genet, 11, and Anthony Skopick, 10, couldn’t agree. Were the birds out on the ice ducks or geese? So on a cold January evening last year, the two friends ventured (冒险) onto the frozen pond near their homes in Frankfort, Illinois, to get a better look. First, they threw a rock onto the ice to test it, Cruz told NBC 5 Chicago. “Then we stepped on it.” Convinced the ice would hold their weight, Anthony took a few steps, but then he fell through the seemingly frozen surface.

Cruz rushed to help his panicked friend. However, the pond swallowed him, too. Cruz managed to lift himself out of the extremely cold water and onto a more solid section. He then gingerly worked his way toward Anthony. But the ice didn’t hold, and he fell in again. This ime, he couldn’t get out.

The boys were up to their necks in icy water and quickly losing feeling. Any chance of their freeing themselves was slipping away. Cruz was sure that he was going to die.

Anthony’s older sister had seen the boys fall through the ice and started screaming, wishing someone to save them.

John Lavin, a neighbor driving nearby on his way to the grocery store, heard her. He quickly pulled over. Seeing the boys, he grabbed (抓住) a nearby buoy (救生圈), kicked off his shoes, and ran into the cold water, struggling his way through the ice. Lavin made his way to Cruz and Anthony and pulled them back to land.

The boys were taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered that their five- minute stay in the water had lowered their body temperature nearly ten degrees. Fortunately, they have fully recovered, though they are still a little amazed by their fearless neighbor. “Just to think,” says Cruz, “if he hadn’t been there, I could have died.”

【小题1】Why did the boys venture onto the frozen pond?

A．To have a better look at the frozen pond.

B．To catch the birds in the pond with rocks.

C．To find out what the birds on the ice were.

D．To test the thickness of the ice in the pond.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “gingerly” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Casually.	B．Proudly.
C．Firmly.	D．Cautiously.

【小题3】What drew John Lavin’s attention to the boys?

A．Anthony’s older sister’s cry for help.	B．Cruz’s loud and frightening scream.
C．Their shoes along the nearby pond.	D．Their neighbors’ pulling them back.

【小题4】Which of the following words can best describe John Lavin?

A．Hard-working and helpful.	B．Warm-hearted and courageous.
C．Curious and selfless.	D．Active and generous.