The massive polar bear moved slowly along therocky shoreline, just a yard or so from the stormywaters of the Arctic Ocean. Occasionally it raised itshead to sniff the Arctic air, hoping perhaps to find aneasy meal of an exhausted seal. It was late July, and inthis uninhabited area of the Norwegian archipelago,much of the drift ice had melted. This made hunting for seals — a polar bear's favorite meal — nearlyimpossible.
With a westerly wind at its back, the male bearcontinued to patrol the shore. Then, perhaps catchingthe smell of something unusual, it stopped dead in itstracks. Following its nose, it can smell a decayingwhale from 20 miles away, and the bear suddenlyturned downwind and inland. It was closing in on itsprey.
It was to be the adventure of a lifetime. For almost two years, longtime friends Sebastian PlurNilssen and LudvigFjeld, both 22, had been trainingfor this two-month-long expedition. Hoping to followin the footsteps of other Norwegian explorers such asRoald Amundsen and Thor Heyerdahl, the two wereattempting to become the first to paddle around theentire Svalbard islands, a trip of more than l,100miles through one of the world's most remoteregions.
To keep fit, they had worn dry suits and travelled through the ice-filled rivers near their hometowns outside Oslo, pulled heavy kayaks overglaciers, and jumped into the freezing waters to toughen themselves.
They spent much time practicing shooting. Asmany Arctic experts had told them,if they needed todefend themselves from a polar bear, they'd have little time to think. Each carried a gun in awaterproof bag lashed to their kayaks. Holdingsteady, controlling their breathing, aiming, and thenshooting: It all had to be second nature.
What made the polar bear's hunting for seals difficult?

A．The rocky shoreline.

B．The melting of the ice.

C．The uninhabited area.

D．The extreme cold.

The reason why the bear stopped its patrol suddenly was that _____

A．the westerly wind blew heavily at its back

B．it caught the smell of the decaying whale

C．it felt so worn-out and hungry

D．it was eager to get close to its prey

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Sebastian PlurNilssen and LudvigFjeld are both nearly thirty years old.

B．Roald Amundsen and Thor Heyerdahl were trying to paddle around the Svalbard islands.

C．The shooting skill is important for the explorers to defend themselves from the bear.

D．Sebastian PlurNilssen and LudvigFjeld have succeeded in paddling around the Svalbard islands.

The underlined word in the passage probably means"_______".

A．encourage

B．strengthen

C．enjoy

D．entertain