You can never imagine the social distancing policy resulted in some lifelong friendships between people who would have otherwise never met during the COVID-19 pandemic.
   The unlikely friendship began at the peak of the lockdown in May 2020.The lockdown was particularly hard for Mary O'Neill，who has been living alone since her husband passed away 37 years ago.Though she has two children，four grandchildren，and six great-grandchildren，most live out of state.The 99-year-old spent her days watching television game shows and playing Yahtzee.Benjamin Olson，a then one-year-old who lived next door，was also stuck at home and unable to play with kids of his age.
   The unusual friendship developed gradually.At first，Mary would wave at Benjamin from her window whenever she saw the young boy in the yard.Then，she ventured outside to greet him in person.The routine eventually expanded to daily gatherings by the fence that separated the two homes.The unlikely pair even invented a socially distanced game that Mary calls "cane ball."
   "I came out of the house one morning，and he threw his ball toward the fence，" she told the journalist. "I got my cane，and I reached over the fence and hit the ball toward him，and he'd throw it back.That's how it started."
   When the weather turned，the two were unable to meet in the yard as regularly.But Benjamin's mother，Sarah，kept the friendship alive by frequently stopping by Mary's house with the bundled-up toddler.The bond between the two has blossomed even further since Mary got vaccinated （接种疫苗） The two give each other hi-fives across the fence and often sit outside Mary's house，blowing bubbles.This spring，Mary gifted Benjamin with a colorful toy truck collection that had once belonged to her son.The young boy returned the favor with a gift of his own— a pile of dirt that he carefully carried in his small palm and dropped at her door.
   Certainly，you wouldn't guess that a 99-year-old and a 2-year-old would be friends，but they can be.

（1）What can we learn about Mary O'Neill？

C

C

A．Mary lived alone because of the lockdown.
B．Mary likes watching TV and playing Yahtzee most.
C．No family members looked after Mary in the lockdown.
D．Mary herself created a socially distanced game.
（2）What does the underlined word " ventured" mean in the third paragraph？

A

A

A．risked
B．shouted
C．rushed
D．escaped
（3）What can we infer from paragraph 5？

C

C

A．Sarah was confused about the relationship.
B．Sarah stopped Benjamin visiting Mary's house.
C．Sarah hoped to keep the friendship longer.
D．Sarah was not satisfied with the unlikely friendship.
（4）What is the text mainly about？

B

B

A．Getting vaccinated is a good way to make friends.
B．The lockdown leads to a heart-warming friendship.
C．A ball game benefits the development of friendship.
D．Exchanging gifts helps people build true friendship.