Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were the first people to climb the West Face of the Siula Grande in the Andes mountains. They reached the top 1 , but on their way back conditions were very 2 . Joe fell and broke his leg. But Simon decided to risk his 3 and try to lower Joe down the mountain on a rope.
As they 4 down, the weather got worse. Then another 5 occurred. They couldn’t see or hear each other and, by 6 , Simon lowered his friend over the edge of a precipice(峭壁). It was 7 for Joe to climb back or for Simon to pull him up. Joe’s 8 was pulling Simon slowly towards the precipice. Finally, after more than an hour in the dark and the icy cold, Simon had to make a(n) 9 . In tears, he cut the rope. Joe 10 into a large crevasse(裂缝) in the ice below. He had no food or water and he was in terrible pain. He couldn’t walk, but he 11 to get out of the crevasse and started to 12 towards their camp, nearly ten kilometers 13 .
Simon had 14 the camp at the foot of the mountain. He thought that Joe must be 15 , but he still hoped for a miracle(奇迹). Three days later, in the middle of the night, he heard Joe’s voice. He couldn’t believe it. Joe was there, a few meters from their tent, still alive.
1. A. hurriedly B. carefully C. successfully D. early
2. A. difficult B. similar C. special D. normal
3. A. fortune B. time C. health D. life
4. A. lay B. settled C. went D. looked
5. A. damage B. storm C. change D. trouble
6. A. mistake B. chance C. choice D. luck
7. A. unnecessary B. practical C. important D. impossible
8. A. height B. weight C. strength D. equipment
9. A. promise B. plan C. decision D. attempt
10. A. jumped B. fell C. escaped D. backed
11. A. managed B. planned C. waited D. hoped
12. A. run B. skate C. move D. march
13. A. around B. away C. above D. along
14. A. headed for B. travelled C. left for D. returned to
15. A. dead B. hurt C. weak D. late
