After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his son's school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake (煎饼).

    He was shocked. He didn't know what he should do for a while, then he remembered the words he had said to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins (废墟).

    As he was digging, other helpless(无助的) parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying, "It's too late! They are all dead! There's nothing you can do!" To them he replied with one line, "Are you going to help me now?" And then he kept on digging.

    No one helped, however. He went on along because he needed to know for himself, "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" He dug for eight hours. 12 hours. 36 hours. Then, in the 39th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son's words. He shouted his son's name, "ARMAND!" He heard back, "Dad?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, 'No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you! 'You did it, Dad! "

    "What's going on there?  How is it?" the father asked.

    "There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We're frightened, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When the building fell down, it made a triangle (三角形), and it saved us. "

    "Come out, Boy!"

    "No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you'll get me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me! "

    Hello! I'm Jenny Smith. I'm a student at No.5 Middle School, I'm at school now. Look! This is my desk. It is yellow. What's on my desk? Three' black pens, a blue ruler and an English book. The ruler is Sally's. She likes blue. Sally is my good friend. She is a nice girl. Her phone number is 518- 9236. I often call her. The English book is Peter's. He likes English very much. Whose are the pens? Of course, they're mine.

    "We only had one recess (课间休息) today!" a girl from Connecticut said sadly to her mom. The mother, Lucy Dathan wishes her daughter had more recess time. "It helps kids build relationships and be creative thinkers," Dathan is working to pass a state bill(议案). The bill would require at least 50 minutes of recess every day.

    Advantages of recess

    There was a report about recess in 2017. It said that playtime encourages kids to be active. It can build healthy bodies. It also helps kids make friendships. Last year, the state started requiring two recess periods a day. Most U.S. schools offer 27 minutes. But some schools offer none at all.

    Powerful Voices

    At least six states have laws that require primary schools to provide recess. Other states are considering the same thing. Kids can help. In Arkansas, they asked lawmakers to consider a state bill. This bill requires 40 minutes of recess. Izzy Kopsky is one of those kids. Playing with his friends is his favorite part of recess, but he felt like he didn't have enough time to do that. He spoke in front of lawmakers and told them that more recess time could help students pay attention in class. The governor of Arkansas signed the state's recess bill on April 1st.He likes the kids' efforts. "Young people can have a powerful voice."

    Test Case

    Many schools have to make sure students do well on state tests. That's why some schools have shorter recess. It makes more time for class. But cutting back on recess may not be the right choice. Recess can improve a child's memory and focus.