At the midnight, thunder was crashing and the rain was pouring. Suddenly my father rushed into my room. “Adam! Adam! Get up! We're flooding!” he shouted and shook me by the shoulders. That woke me up! I ran downstairs to the basement (地下室). It was like a swimming pool. My mother and I immediately started to pick up things and take them upstairs. I had no shoes on, so my feet felt quite cold.

Things got worse every minute. Within the next hour, we had moved everything that we could to the first floor. The computer, big-screen television and heavy boxes filled with our most valuable things were taken to safety. However, our piano, sofa, washing machine and water heater were all still down there — being destroyed. There was nothing we could do.

That was the hardest part. Knowing that your home is being destroyed is bad enough, but realizing that you can't do anything to stop it feels even worse. Water had come in our front door. Rescue boats were floating in our streets. Mother told me to pack an overnight（通宵, 前夜） bag of clothes and valuables and get ready to leave.

When it was finally safe to walk outside, all the people in the neighborhood gathered at the street corner. People became friends, and friends became like family. People comforted each other. We learnt later that the National Weather Service had declared (宣布) the storm a flash flood.

I really have learnt something from this flood, I've learnt what destruction is. I have learnt what safety means. I know in the future, when I watch people's lives affected (影响) by natural disasters, I can understand them. I will show my great pity on them and I will do what I can to help them.

    We go to school every day to become better people. How can we start to make big changes in our lives? Perhaps we can get tips from former US First Lady Michelle Obama. During a visit to China from March 20 to 26 in 2015, Obama shared her views on education and youth empowerment with students.

    The first lady encouraged Chinese students to aim high and get a good education. At Chengdu No 7 High School, she told students that having humble roots doesn't matter as long as you have perseverance (毅力). Obama said her family was not rich. Like many Chinese students, her parents had big dreams for her. She felt the weight of her parents' sacrifices (牺牲) on her shoulders and worked hard to make them proud. Persevering was not easy, though. Sometimes she had to wake up at 4:30 am and study late into the night. "But whenever I got tired or discouraged… I would remember something my mother always told me. She said: A good education is something that no one can take away from you.'"

    Mrs Obama also encouraged Chinese students to study abroad to broaden their horizons (开阔视野) in a speech at Peking University. "As the Chinese saying goes: It is better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books," she said. It's not enough to get good grades in school. It's also important to have real experience with languages, cultures and societies that are different from your own, she noted. Studying overseas can also benefit future international relations. It can help young people from different countries work together to deal with shared problems like climate change, Obama said.

    Hello! I'm Emma Brown. I'm 13 years old. My phone number is 621-9843. Look at this picture. The boy and the girl in the picture are Dave Green and Mary Green. Dave Green and Mary Green are brother and sister. Dave Green is my aunt's son, and he is 12 years old. His phone number is 230-0963. Mary Green is my aunt's daughter, and she is 10 years old. Her phone number is 230-0965.

    Elena jogged with her dad in some empty lots(空地)at the edge of town. These out-of-the-way lots were good places to jog. But the lots were full of rocks and rubbish.

    One day, Elena saw a sign on the lots. It said, "New City Park. " Elena was excited.

Maybe the park would have a jogging trail(小路)！Elena told her parents about the sign.

    "I read about the park in the newspaper, "said Elena's father. " The city wants volunteers to help clean the area. Then the city will build a soccer field and a playground. "

    "Will they build a jogging trail? "Elena asked.

    " No, the paper didn't mention a jogging trail. "

    "Well, perhaps if I help clean up the lots, they'll put in a jogging trail, "said Elena.

    On Saturday Elena went to the lots. Many adults were working there. Some were picking rubbish. Some were moving rocks. "I want to volunteer, "Elena told a man, "What can I do? "

    "This is not a job for children, "said the man. " You'd better go home. "

    Elena looked around. She could carry rubbish. She could move rocks. A lady was pulling a bag of rubbish. Elena saw a box of rubbish bags. She took an empty bag. " I'll take this bag to the Dumpster, "said Elena, "Here's a new bag. "

    "Thanks, "said the lady. " Keep those new bags coming. "

    Elena dragged rubbish bags. She told everyone she was glad to help build the park. She explained that she hoped the park would have a jogging trail.

    Elena went to the area every week. Soon everyone knew her and she told everyone how wonderful a jogging trail would be.

    Soon the volunteers cleared the lots. The city could start building. The mayor gave a speech. He showed a drawing of the new park. He told them about the soccer field and the baseball diamond. There would be picnic tables. There would be a playground. The park would even have basketball courts. There was no sign of a jogging trail.

    The mayor thanked the volunteers. Then he asked if they had any suggestions. The volunteers said they wanted to build a jogging trail around the park. They told the mayor how helpful Elena had been and how she wanted a jogging trail. The mayor said, "A jogging trail won't be hard to build. Let's do it！"Everyone clapped and cheered. Elena cheered loudest of all.

    When George was thirty-five, he bought a small plane and learned to fly it. He soon became very good at it and made his plane do ①all kinds of tricks.

    George had a friend. His name was Mark. One day George wanted to take Mark up in his plane. Mark thought, "I've traveled in a big plane several times, but I've never been in a small one. So I'll do."

    They went up, and George flew around for half an hour and did all kind sof tricks in the air.

    When they came down again, Mark was very glad to be back ②safely, and he said to his friend in a shaking (颤抖的)voice ,"Well ,George, thank you very much for those two trips in your plane."

    George was very surprised and said, "Two trips?"

    "Yes, my first and my last," answered Mark.