Mountain Climbing
Jim stood on the side of Elder Mountain and looked into the distance. At 3,000 feet above the ground, he was amazed at how small and quiet the world appeared. After five hours of hard hiking — two more than they had expected — Jim and Leon rested on a small ledge. Both men knew that the climb would become much steeper, and they would need climbing gear to help them make their way, inch by inch, to the mountaintop.

Leaning against the cool limestone, Leon said, "Wow, the long climb up sure took it out of me."

"I'm guessing we can make it to the summit in a couple of hours," Jim replied, as he rummaged through his backpack for water.

"Hey Jim, how much water do you have left?" Leon asked, looking at the empty bottles in his backpack.

"We drank down that big bottle of water on our way up, so all I have left is my spare," Jim said.

Jim knew that the small bottle of water he had left wasn't very much, but he thought it would take them through the climb to the top and back. He also knew that they should rest at this point in their climb. He decided to begin preparing his ropes and harness.

Jim was figuring out the best route to take up the mountain when Leon asked again, "How much water do we have left?"

"You just asked me that and I told you that there isn't much left," Jim said, a little annoyed with Leon for pushing the subject.

When Leon asked about the water for the third time, Jim realized that something was not right. He turned and found his friend holding onto the ledge as though the mountain would collapse beneath his feet. He knew Leon's dizziness and forgetfulness were both signs of dehydration. Even though Jim wanted to make it to the top of the mountain, he knew they had to go back.

Handing the water bottle to Leon, he said, "Hey now, drink this water and we'll head back to camp."

Leon insisted that he was fine and that they could go on, but Jim knew that Leon would never make a strenuous climb to the top. The summit would have to be reached another day. Right now, they were heading back to camp.

1
Click on the best summary of the story.
A.
This is a story about Jim's attempt to get to the summit. Jim wants to reach the summit. He gets onto the ledge. Jim is eager to get to the top. He starts planning a route to the top. He prepares his ropes and harness. Jim decides that they should return to camp rather than attempt the summit.
B.
This is a story about Jim and Leon's mountain climb. Jim wants to reach the summit. The two reach a ledge on the mountain. Leon keeps repeating his question about water. Jim realizes that Leon is dehydrated. They decide to go back to camp rather than climb to the summit.
C.
Jim and Leon spend the day climbing. Jim wants to reach the summit. Both Jim and Leon reach a ledge. It is 3,000 feet high. They need special gear to climb to the top of the mountain. They realize that they should have brought more water.