Only a miracle could save this black bear from falling off a 30-meter-high bridge. After a long day in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, she probably thought she was taking a shortcut home. She was walking across the bridge when, suddenly, two cars entered from both sides. There was nowhere to run, so the frightened bear jumped onto the rail and began to fall over the side.

Luckily, the bear pulled herself onto an arch under the bridge, but she was trapped there. A driver saw the unbelievable scene and called 911. Robert Brooks, an animal control officer from the nearby town of Truckee, was sent to investigate. “I thought it was a joke,” he said. But it wasn’t a joke, so he called Dave Baker of the BEAR League, a group that helps bears in trouble. “He thought I was playing a joke on him, too,” Brooks said.

Unfortunately, the sky was getting dark, so the rescuers had to wait. Early the next morning, the two men returned to the bridge with more volunteers. Amazingly, the bear was still there.

They needed to rescue her quickly. Baker had an idea: They should hang a net under the bear,push her into it, and then lower her to the ground.

Firefighters volunteered to lower the 100-kilogram bear once she was in the net. Police officer closed the road and when the net arrived, it was hung under the bridge. Then, an animal control officer shot a dart with a sleeping frug into the bear’s shoulder. Ann Bryant,head of the BEAR League, stood under the bridge. When the bear was sleepy, Bryant yelled,”OK,push!” A volunteer rock climber used his feet to push the bear off the arch, right into the middle of the net.

The bear was gently lowered to the ground. When she touched the ground, everyone cheered. Bryant and Officer Brooks guided the sleepy bear into some tall grass near water, where she could finally get a drink. “She just kind if lay down on her tummy and out her paws under her chin,” said Bryant,”Like a dog lying on the living room floor...only big!” The rescuers then cleared all the people from the area and left the bear alone so she could sleep. Since then, no one has seen the bear. “I don’t think she’s going near that bridge anymore,” Brooks said.

Do you know?

American Black Bears are normally ____.

A. Fierce and love to fight

B. Shy and easily scared

Key: B

Reading Comprehension

1.what is the purpose of the article?

a. to teach readers about bears

b. to entertain readers with an interesting story

c. to explain what volunteer do

2. Which of these is closest in meaning to “a miracle”?

a. a volunteer       b. a team of people    c. very good luck

3. Why did the bear jump onto the rail?

a. The cars scared her. 

b. to hide under the arch

c. She was lost.

4. Baker thought Brooks was joking because_____.

a. it was a very funny story   b. Brooks often tells jokes   C. it was an unbelievable story

5. About how long was the bear under the bridge?

a. a few hours    b. less than 24 hours  c. several days

Key

1-5 b, c, a, c, b