A

I was going to die in Antarctica, I was certain. A picture of my frost­covered body, pale and lifeless, filled my mind as I glanced around. In all directions spreads the empty wilderness of Antarctica, the only feature being the division between snow and sky. I sadly stared at my team, who were rapidly disappearing from my sight.

It happened in the year 2009 when I was head of an adventure attempting to reach the South Pole. The team was made up of ordinary women from all around the world—from Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus—many of whom had never seen snow, or spent a night in a tent, before we set off.  Our aim was to be the most international all­female team to reach the South Pole.

By the time I realized that my sledge (Ñ©ÇÁ) was firmly stuck, the team were already a long way ahead of me. I called out to Era, my teammate from Brunei, who was next in line. Getting no response, I called again, but my shouts were carried away in the opposite direction by the wind. I had stood and watched the line for a while as it marched away from me, confident that at any moment one of my teammates would look behind her. Seconds passed. Nothing. I was gradually being left alone.

I pushed my sledge again, my strength suddenly increased when I thought of a cold, lonely death. This time the sledge moved a little. I kicked at the ice with my ski­pole and boot, desperately trying to break the sledge free—and pushed again. The sledge shot forward, knocking me off balance. I struggled to my feet and set off after the team.

I caught up just as they realized I wasn't there. As we continued, my panic slowly faded. I found myself laughing to myself as I noticed Reena checking behind her every few paces. In fact for the whole of the rest of the day each member of the team glanced over her shoulder every few minutes. They were not going to risk losing me again.

21£®What can we know from the first paragraph?

A£®The author's poor physical condition.

B£®The wonderful sights of Antarctica.

C£®The author's regret of being left alone.

D£®The rough natural conditions of Antarctica.

22£®What's the main idea of the second paragraph?

A£®How the author became the team leader.

B£®Brief introduction about the adventure.

C£®The process of selecting the team members.

D£®Complete information about the team members.

23£®What made it possible for the author to get her sledge out of the ice?

A£®The strong desire to live on.

B£®The shouts of her teammates.

C£®A sudden change in wind direction.

D£®The natural beauty ahead in Antarctica.

24£®Why did the team form the habit of looking behind?

A£®Because their team leader demanded them to do so.

B£®Because they were expecting their team leader's arrival.

C£®Because they wanted to make sure their team leader was following.

D£®Because they were afraid there might be danger coming from behind.