4 . In July, in Moss Point, Mississippi, a heroic act unfolded. Three teenage girls found themselves in a(n) _________ situation when they drove their car off a boat ramp (舷梯) and into the Pascagoula River. The driver had blindly _________ incorrect GPS directions, leading them into the _________.

Corion Evans, a 16-year-old who was hanging out with friends nearby, saw what happened and realized he _________ to help. In the dark, Evans and two brothers made their way to the river’s edge and saw the _________ catching the roof of the sinking car. Evans _________ jumped into the water, even though he _________ there were alligators (鳄鱼) in the area. He _________ brought the first girl to safety on the shore.

A police officer named Garry Mercer _________ and also jumped into the river to assist. However, one of the girls __________ and pulled Mercer underwater. Evans didn’t hesitate to jump back in and help both of them until they could stand. __________, another girl, Cora Watson, who couldn’t swim, was struggling to stay afloat. Evans heard her cries for __________ and managed to save her as well.

All three girls and Officer Mercer were taken to the __________ but were eventually released. Evans’ mother, Marquita Evans, wasn’t __________ with him for breaking curfew (宵禁) because he had a good reason — __________ lives.

5 . Joey, who was six at the time, had the day off from school. His father, Joe Welch, a 50-year-old photographer, planned to spend the day boating in the huge river. Joe had never before been into the muddy waters, which were famous for crocodiles (鳄鱼). He had researched what to do if they encountered one-just in case.

Joe turned to scan the boat, less than 20 feet from the water’s edge and then he was busy making some sandwiches at a wildlife refuge. Seconds later, he heard a splash and a scream. Joey had slipped at the edge of the water. When Joe rushed there, he saw his son’s right arm in the jaws of a crocodile which was at least eight feet long and close to 200 pounds. Time seemed to stop as Joe ran toward his son. The river was almost three feet deep. As Joey struggled and screamed, Joe began pulling him back toward the bank. A young man ran over, screaming at Joe to pull his son out of the water. But Joe feared what would happen to Joey’s arm if he pulled too hard. While Joe knocked on the beast’s head, the young man kicked its stomach. After the stranger’s three or four kicks, the crocodile released Joey and escaped back into the water. Joe picked up his son and found that he’d suffered only a few cuts and scrapes. Joe thanked the stranger and sped home. A nearby hospital determined that Joey was OK.

Joe has tried to find out who helped save his son, but he has learned only that the man was a boxer from Spain. He had been in the country visiting his family. “ He’ s like an angel,” Joe says.

6 . John Utsey went hiking with his two children one Saturday in August. While strolling along a trail (小路) in New Mexico’s Santa Fe National Forest, they heard someone calling out. About 600 yards away, they found a man ______ on the ground. He had spent 14 days waiting for ______ to arrive.

Two weeks earlier, the man ______ his back in the forest. Unable to stand or walk, he had to wait and hope ______ hikers would find him. As more days passed, he ______ by filling a water bottle from a stream by his side. When John found him, it was ______ that he wouldn’t be able to ______ for much longer.

After giving him all their food and water, John and his kids ______ back to the trailhead. The moment they had reception, John called 911. When the rescuers arrived, he ______ them straight to the ______ .

Because the man was in such bad ______ they built a fire to raise his body temperature before they tried to ______ him. The rescue team carried the man back down the trail. After nine long hours, he was ______ out of the woods!

Now, he’s getting the best ______ possible at a local hospital, where he can rest ______ and hopefully make a full recovery.

8 . Sunday evening, October 30, 1938, was peaceful in New York City. Some people were returning home from a trip to the countryside, and others were sitting down to dinner. In those days, televisions were not very common. Most people listened to the radio for news and entertainment.

At eight o’clock that evening, there was a concert of dance music, but Suddenly, the programme was cut off by a news report: a large spaceship had landed in a field and an army of Martians (火星人) was moving towards New York City and then the radio went silent.

People felt worried. Some drove out of the city as quickly as possible, but soon the roads were crowded with cars. Some people put wet towels on their faces because they thought there was a gas attack. In New Jersey, some farmers went out with guns. Although it was dark, they found a large cylinder (圆柱体) standing in a field, and, thinking it was the Martian spaceship, the shot at it many times.

Many people were so frightened that they did not hear the next announcement on the radio: “Ladies and gentlemen, you are listening to a radio play called The War of the Worlds.”

A message was sent to police stations that there was no real Martian attack, and the police Offices soon returned calm to New York City.

Many people were very angry that they had been fooled by the play, and complained to the radio station. But what about the spaceship that the farmers found in the field? The next morning, they found that they had damaged a large water tank (罐)!

9 . Every Christmas, the firm I worked for raised money for disadvantaged kids. I’d dress up as Santa and ______ out with some colleagues to deliver gifts. Some years ago, we were returning and ______ right in front of the lights as they turned red.

I became aware of a car coming up behind us at speed. It ran ______ another vehicle and then they both came to a stop. I asked my workmates to ______ the police and fire department. In order not to put others at risk, I turned my truck sideways(向旁边) to block the traffic. Then I jumped out and ran to the cars. There was a loud bang and flames shooting from one car’s front. As a volunteer ______ , I knew the car’s battery had ______ and that there was no time to lose. Still wearing my costume, I ______ to tear the door open and walked the driver over to the safety of my truck.

Other than some cuts, he was fine. I left him with my workmates and went to check on the driver of the other car. ______ , he was also unhurt. Then I headed back to direct traffic around the ______ vehicle until the emergency services arrived. The first two police officers on the ______ laughed as they jumped out of their car. “What’s happened here, Santa? OK, you probably have ______ to make,” one of them said. “We will ______ from here.”

Weeks after the accident, I agreed to meet the guy I’d ______ from the car in a local park, where he was sitting with a girl, his daughter, Amber. It ______ out that she had been estranged(疏远的) from her mum and dad, but ______ home after the accident. What’s more, she was the girlfriend of Jordan, my son.

At first, Nick Bostic could only see a faint orange light at the edge of his vision as he drove down the streets of Lafayette. It was not until he drove his car further that he finally figured out what he was seeing. Oh my god, he thought, that house was on fire!

It was an ordinary night for Bostic, who was still figuring out how to make his way through a life that hadn’t always been easy. He had spent his childhood between his mom and dad in different places, neither of them providing love and safety he needed. If you’d asked his friend to describe him as a kid, they might probably have said “a fool”. Even if people around Lafayette had to describe him now as a grown-up, they might say he was a guy with a big heart who didn’t know exactly what to do with it.

That night, he was on the road back to his apartment just after midnight when he saw the house on fire. Flames were climbing up, and his phone was dead, with no other vehicles around coming to the rescue. He ran around to the back door, not realizing that it was open. Without pausing to think about the danger, he ran into the burning building.

In the building were the Barrett families, and before the fire broke out, the Barrett couple had left home for a party, leaving their four children at home. Seionna, their 18-year-old daughter, was in charge. She was sleeping when she heard what sounded like an explosion, followed by the heat and smell of smoke. Immediately she woke up the other kids, but then a horrible realization hit Seionna. The 6-year-old Kaylani wasn’t there, who would like to sleep in the living room. And the living room was on fire.

Meanwhile, Bostic peered (盯) into each room of the burning house, searching to see if anyone was home. He had just started climbing the staircase when he looked up and saw three faces from a room at the top of the stairs and peer down at him, their eyes wide.

“Your house is on fire. You need to go!” Bostic yelled.

He ran forward and threw himself out of the window, with Kaylani landing on his shoulder after the fall.