You've just hiccupped (打嗝) for the tenth time since you finished dinner. Wonder{#blank#}1{#/blank#}these funny noises are coming from? The part {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(blame) is your diaphragm, the muscle at the bottom of your chest. All hiccups start here.

    The diaphragm almost always {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(work) perfectly--it pulls down when you breathe in to help pull air into the lungs {#blank#}4{#/blank#}it moves up when you breathe out to help push air out of the lungs. But sometimes the diaphragm becomes upset, and when {#blank#}5{#/blank#}happens, it pushes up in an irregular way, making your breath come out differently {#blank#}6{#/blank#}how it normally does. When this irregular breath hits your voice box, you're left with a big hiccup. Things {#blank#}7{#/blank#}bother the diaphragm include eating too quickly or too much, stomachaches or feeling nervous.

    If you want to know {#blank#}8{#/blank#}to get rid of hiccups, here are some “cures”.{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (breathe) into a paper bag is one method some people use. Others think taking a mouthful of water is the way to become hiccup-free. Sugar under your tongue might also drive away the hiccups. And maybe the most famous {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(treat), having someone scare you, also helps beat the hiccups.

    Strange things appeared before the Tangshan earthquake happened. For three days the water in the village wells {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(rise) and fell. The well walls had deep cracks in them. A smelly gas came out of the cracks. Some animals including fish, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(mouse) behaved strangely. Other strange things also happened in the city, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} people thought little of these events and they slept as usual.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (final) a terrible earthquake hit the city of Tangshan on July 28, 1976, in which more than 240,000 people died and many {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(injure). Many houses fell down and sand filled the wells instead of water. People were greatly shocked. All the electricity in the city was cut off and people began {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (wonder) how long the disaster would last. The whole city was completely destroyed and the world seemed to be {#blank#}7{#/blank#}an end. It was one of the most destructive earthquakes ever, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} shocked the whole nation.

    However, the people of Tangshan didn't lose hope because 150,000 soldiers were sent to help the rescue workers. The soldiers tried their best to dig out those {#blank#}9{#/blank#} were trapped. They also built shelters for the {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (survive). Fresh water was taken to the city by every means. Slowly, the city began to come back to life.