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.

______________

    Brian was a funny student. He loved watching comedies（喜剧） best and hoped to become a comedy actor one day.

When he heard about the talent show to be held at this school, Brian decided to take part in. He had never acted on stage（舞台） before, and he was very excited. But some students laughed at him. “You are not funny but silly,” Ken, one of his classmates, said to his face. “No one will like what you do,” another boy also said to him, loudly.

Brian couldn't understand why they were so unkind to him. For a moment, he thought about giving up the show. But he remembered how much his friends liked his jokes, and also his teachers said he was very funny. So he decided to prepare for the show.

    Brian did a great job at the talent show. Everyone loved his performance, and he won the first prize! His teachers and friends were proud of him. Even so, Ken told Brian that he was not funny, and that he would never be successful. Brian didn't understand why Ken said so, but he realized that it had nothing to do with him. He confidently continued to work towards his goal.

   As the years went on, Brian met more people like Ken. “you'll do a terrible job,” they said to him. Luckily, most people encouraged him and some helped him to become even funnier. He got a lot of opportunities to perform in movies. He was even invited to appear on television. His fans thanked him because his comedies made them feel good when they were unhappy.

    Now Brian is a big comedy star! He is doing what he loves best. He never feels stressed like those unkind people, and he laughs all day long!

    Doctor Seuss was born in 1904. By the middle 1950s, he had become one of the most famous and most successful children's book writers around the world. His books are very popular with young readers. They enjoy the invented words and the pictures of unusual funny animals and plants.

    In 1954, Life magazine published a report about school children who could not read well. The report said many children's books were not interesting at all. Doctor Seuss read it and strongly wanted to help the children and decided to write books that were full of fun and easy to read. He used words with the same ending sound, like bike and like. He did not receive any training in art. However, he drew wonderful pictures for most of his books.

    In 1957, Doctor Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat. He used less than 230 words to write the book and even a 6-year-old kid could read it. It was a fun story and easy to read. Children loved it very much. Their parents loved it as well. Today it is still one of the stories they like best. The success of The Cat in the Hat made him really want to write more books for children. In 1960, he wrote a book using less than fifty words. The book is called Green Eggs and Ham.

    In 1984, Doctor Seuss won a Pulitzer Prize. He was honoured for the education and enjoyment his books provided American children and their parents. He died at the age of 87, but his influence remains. Millions of his books have been sold all over the world. People say his books helped change the way American children learnt to read. Up till now, his books are loved by people of all ages. Doctor Seuss once said, "I do not write for children. I write for people."

    Annie Sullivan had a hard life. She grew up alone and very poor. Annie had trouble with her eyes, too. She could not see well.

    One day after Annie grew up, a family called her. They needed help with their daughter. Their little daughter's name was Helen Keller. Helen needed a teacher.

    Helen could not see. She could not hear, either. She felt scared and lonely(孤独的). Annie wanted to help Helen. She wanted to be able to talk to her.

    Annie tried to teach Helen a sign language, a way to make words with hands. But Helen did not know what Annie tried to teach her.

    One day near the outside water pump, Annie had an idea. She put one of Helen's hands in the water. Then Annie let Helen feel W-A-T-E-R on her other hand again and again and again.

    At last, Helen knew. She learned that what she was feeling had a name. Helen was on her way to a lifetime of learning.