Bill andCathy wanted to go on a holiday. They chose a place called Maldives (马尔代夫). And they decided to1therefor two weeks in spring, because they heard that the weather there would beperfect at that time. They worked very hard for several2.Finally, they made enough money for their dream3.But their trip was more like a nightmare (噩梦)!

    Theproblem4when the flight was put off because ofbad weather. They couldn't leave5night. They finally goton the plane twelve hours later! But they6fly to Maldives becausethere was a storm. They had to fly to the capital city7.There they stayed in a small hotel8the airport.

    The hotelwas next to the sea, but the sea was9dirty that they couldn'tswim in it. And the hotel swimming pool was full of leaves! The food was awful10.For breakfast there was11bread and milk! The worst part was whenthe storm came, they felt really12. Because of the bad weather,they had to stay for13night in the small hotel. And they had14todo. It was so boring. Finally, they15in Maldives three dayslater. And someone told them the weather there had been wonderful all the time!

    Being street smart is an important skill tohave and a good way to take care of yourself.

    Always carry your phone with you, but do notlook at1 whileyou are walking. Being able to communicate or call for help is important, so keepa list of useful numbers. But put your phone away while you are walking so thatyou can keep your2 upand see what's going on around. If you do need to check your phone,3 andlook at it quickly.

    Don't wear earphones4 you are out. If you have to5 something when you're out, use only oneearphone or play it at a very low volume(音量).

    Travel with6 or family members when possible and never go anywherewith a stranger. It's7 tobe careful with strangers. Remember not to get into a stranger's car if they callyou over.

  8 darkand out-of-the-way places. Do not take short cuts through dark areas, even if itwill make your trip much faster. If you have to go to unsafe places, go9 someone you know or speak to someone over the phonewhile you are there.

    Run and shout if you feel unsafe. Run away asfast as you can towards a police station, hospital, or nearby business for10.Shout as loudly as you can to get the attention of people nearby.

Give water, save lives

A bottle of water may not seem like much to you, but thousands of bottles will be of great help for people who live in drought-hit(遭受旱灾) areas in China.

Since last autumn, there has been very little rain in Southwest China. Some places, especially in Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, have experienced a serious drought. Crops (庄稼) died, the land cracked(裂开), and wells (井) and rivers dried up. More than 20 million people are having difficulty in finding safe drinking water.

After learning about the drought, many people around the country helped by giving water, money and other things.

Last week, every member of the Communist Youth League (共青团员) and Young Pioneers(少先队员) were encouraged to give one bottle of water to the drought-hit areas. Students in primary schools and middle schools quickly joined the activity. In Yuhua Primary School in Xi' an, 900 students bought over 1,000 bottles of water with their pocket money. They also wrote their wishes on the bottles.

The serious drought has also made students realize the importance of saving water. Students from Nanshan Middle School in Huizhou, Guangdong went on the street to tell people to take part in water-saving activities.

"I've heard that some children in drought-hit areas don't have enough drinking water. They have to drink muddy ( 含有泥土的 ) water. I feel really sad about that," said one student. "I decide to take a shower twice a week instead of every day to save water," he said.