"Mom, I have to go get help," Maddie cried.

McRae realized it was their only hope. If she tried to go herself, she knew, Maddie wouldn't be able to hold on to the two toddlers（学步婴儿）, and all three children might drown. But Maddie was still recovering from foot surgery and had been out of a cast for only a week. How was she going to manage? They were stranded in the middle of the swelling torrent (激流) in complete darkness, more than 25 feet from the creek bank.

McRae looked at her small, determined daughter. "I'm thinking, this is the last chance I may get to talk to her. What do I need to tell her?" she recalls. "I love you!" she shouted over the roaring water. "I'm proud of you. Be careful!"

"I know I can do it," Maddie replied. The 95-pound sixth grader grabbed a thin, weak branch hanging over the SUV and began to climb across the creek. Reaching the bank, she jumped into "a whole bunch of prickly (多刺的) bushes," then took off running. "I was in my power," she recalls.

With the cold water now swelling up to her chest and her arms growing numb around the two toddlers, McRae could see her daughter's figure as she moved quickly up the hill toward the nearest neighbor's back pasture（牧场）. Suddenly she heard Maddie scream.

"I ran into an electric fence," Maddie recalls. "It really hurt." Barefoot and soaking wet, she tried to climb it four or five times, thrown back each time by a shock meant to contain horses. Finally she found a cold spot near the gate and got over. McRae saw a porch light go on at the top of the hill.

1.The underlined word in the second paragraph can be replaced with “_______”.

  A. trapped                 B. struck                      C. ranged                                   D. swapped

2.The mother didn’t go to search for help herself in that________.

  A. her daughter was more determined            

B. her foot was recovering from surgery

  C. she was not accustomed to walking in darkness 

D. she doubted if Maddie could do with her sisters

3.Which of the following is true of Maddie?

  A. She ran all her way in search of help.          B. She goes to primary school.    

  C. She is in the middle of the three sisters.              D. She had an operation a fortnight ago.

4.What contributes most to their success according to the author?

  A. The whole family’s confidence.   

B. The mother’s intelligence and patience

  C. McRae’s great determination              

D. Mum’s encouragement and daughter’s determination