A
Marie sat on the rubble (瓦砾). It had been twelve hours since the earthquake happened. There were cries from Rene now. The 12-month-old was still alive.
Marie continued to pull at the large blocks of rock. From time to time she asked for help from a passerby, but the people who stopped could see how hopeless it was and they continued their trip.
Another twelve hours of no food, no water, no help - just the cries of her child. Her elder son Jean Paul, a three-year-old, sat quietly beside her.
As morning came again, she heard the sound of a helicopter (直升飞机). It passed slowly and was gone. Now, she sat and held Jean Paul in her arms. The three of them spent another night.
In the morning, a truck appeared at the end of the street. Four men in red walked towards her. Marie was not sure if she was just dreaming.
A woman came up and took Jean Paul to the truck. The men pulled on Marie to go with them. But she pointed at the rubble trying to explain that her younger son, Rene, was still alive under the house. The men looked at each other. Judging by the strong bad smell rising through the rubble, they thought that she was mad.
Then they heard something. It was the weak cry of a child. Immediately, the men began working. After an hour of lifting the large pieces, they were able to see Rene.
At last, Rene was rescued. He was quiet. His eyes were fixed on the sky. Marie touched his face and kissed his hands. Rene said in a low voice, “Mama.” Marie screamed and raised her hands to the sky.
21. What can we learn about Marie from the first two paragraphs?
A. She had saved a lot of people.
B. She received little help from others.
C. She was in danger after the earthquake.
D. She rescued her son Rene from their house.
22. How did Marie feel when she saw the truck?
A. Anxious. B. Calm. C. Hopeless D. Doubtful.
23. What’s the purpose of the passage?
A. To tell a moving story. B. To report an earthquake.
C. To solve a big problem. D. To teach how to rescue people.
