{{B}}tExt 3{{/B}}

During thE sEConD hAlF oF 1776, thEBritish hAD DrivEn wAshington’s ArmiEs From thEir strongholDs in AnD nEAr nEw yorkCity. wAshington rEtrEAtED, moving southEAst ACross nEw jErsEy. BEForE his Army rEAChED thE shorEs oF thEDElAwArE, hE sEnt solDiErs AhEAD to Bring togEthEr All thE BoAts thEy CoulD FinD、whEn thEBritish ArrivED At thE EAst BAnk EArly inDECEmBEr, thEColoniAls wErE sAFEly ACross.AnD thEBritish CoulD FinD only two smAll BoAts on A ponD、 For thE timE BEing, thEBritish gAvE up thE ChAsE. thEy sEt up CAmp At trEnton AnD At othEr strongholDs Along thEDElAwArE. wAshington hAD thE BoAts on thE pEnnsylvAniA siDE, But thAt wAs ABout All hE hAD、FooD wAs short, AnD mAny solDiErs wErE too iii to mArCh.AnD Any DAy now, thE rivEr might FrEEzE, mAking it possiBlE For thEBritish ForCE to Cross into pEnnsylvAniA、 iF thE strugglE For FrEEDom wAs to ContinuE, wAshington hAD to hAvE A viCtory. FinAlly hE DECiDED to rE-Cross thEDElAwArE At mCkonkEy’s FErry. thAt wAs ninE milEs up rivEr From trEnton. wAshington’s plAn wAs to Cross unDEr CovEr oF DArknEss onChristmAs night AnD AttACk thE 2,000 to 3,000British solDiErs in trEnton. thE gEnErAl ExpECtED thAt thE EnEmy ForCE woulD still BE CElEBrAting thE holiDAy. on thE EvEning oFDECEmBEr 25, wAshington gAvE thE orDErs to Cross. it wAs slEEting snowing, AnD thE rivEr wAs FillED with FloAting iCE. FinAlly, his ForCE oF morE thAn 2,000 mEn wAs on thE jErsEy siDE. it wAs AFtEr 2A、m.. in A BAttlE thAt lAstED lEss thAn two hours, thEy DEFEAtED thE EnEmy ForCE. wAshington hAD thE viCtory hE nEEDED、

thE BAttlE oF trEnton lAstED______.A．morE thAn two hours
B．lEss thAn two hours
C．two hours
D．two AnD A hAlF hours