1 . When I set out to drop my dad at the airport, it was dark and dull. It started to rain on the way. When I left the airport, the visibility wasn’t clear because of the drops of rain. It was before 6 am.

Even though the road conditions were poor, I drove at my normal speed. I was angry with the more cautious drivers ahead of me that were delaying my drive. The exit ramp (坡道) to the highway was a tight spiral (急盘旋). It is a dangerous spot in good weather and totally scary when the weather is miserable or it is dark. But I didn’t want to slow down and arrive home any later than necessary. I drove down the ramp too fast. The road was wet and my car slid, landing face down on the ramp.

I didn’t like to drive by myself at the time and had insisted on taking my husband and son with me on the trip. Thankfully, I was alone in the car. My accident was slight. In fact, I was lucky enough not to have a single scratch. I started to shake when thinking the injuries my son would have suffered had he been in the backseat of that car with no seatbelt when it rolled. After the car rolled three times, I found my mobile phone was lost in a pile of small things that were all lying in the bottom of the car. A lady was kind enough to let me borrow her mobile phone, but without the numbers pre-programmed (预编的), who could I call? I was lucky enough to remember my father’s mobile phone number, and fortunate that he hadn’t yet got on his plane.

You never know when an accident will happen. As a driver, I will keep safety in mind by obeying all traffic laws and have safe-driving habits, especially in bad weather. Insist your children always wear their seatbelts. Life is a journey and everyone should value it and enjoy the ride.

4 . Tears of relief and shouts of joy rang out at the San Jose Mine in northern Chile when 33 miners were lifted to freedom, one by one. The men, ranging from 19 to 63 years old, have been buried alive since a cave in the copper and gold mine they were working collapsed on August 5, 2010. It is the longest time anyone has ever survived being trapped underground.

After the collapse, the men found an emergency shelter off one of the mine’s tunnels. The temperature in the dark shelter was around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. For more than two weeks, the miners’ water came from the tanks on their work vehicles. They shared a supply of food that was meant to last for only 48 hours.

The miners were totally isolated until rescue teams made contact with the men on August 22. They sent a note to the surface explaining their situation. Rescuers drilled small holes to reach the cave and sent down supply tubes containing food, water, clothes, medicine, fresh air and other supplies. They also received letters from their families, a television set and games.

Additional collapses slowed down rescue efforts. Finally, a tunnel was built that could fit a 13—foot rescue capsule (救生舱), called the Pheonix. The escape hole measures 28 inches across, a tight fit for the twisting 20 minutes, 2, 041—foot ride. The first miner reached the surface just after midnight on October, 13. The rescue mission was faster than expected, and all 33 men had been brought to safety by late the same day.

The miners were met by family members who were waiting at Camp Hope, a settlement of tents near the mine. Chile’s president, Sebastian Pinera, cheered at the scene and hugged the miners. “We made a promise never to give up, and we kept it,” he said. After an immediate medical exam, the men were airlifted to the nearest hospital for 48 hours of observation.

5 . An injured hiker was rescued earlier this month after a train passenger saw her from the window. She was crazily waving on the other side of a river, having just spent two days stuck in the wild with a broken leg.

The rider told the train crew, who then reported it to the train inspector. Henry Smith, who was in a motor car behind them. Henry was able to stop and communicate with the woman on the opposite bank of the river, which was freezing cold and moving quickly.

The hiker, a woman in her twenties, had been missing for two days. She said she’d intended to go on a day hike, but ended up falling 90 feet down a cliff face while trying to take pictures. She reportedly told rescuers that she lost consciousness (意识) for an unknown amount of time. Despite a badly broken leg, she struggled to pull herself to the bank of the river to try to flag down trains. She had no emergency supplies with her, or suitable clothing to spend the night outdoors. There had been a cold attack while the woman was stuck in the wild. The hiker described spending daylight hours trying to get the attention of passing trains and, at night, would roll herself into a nearby cliff face in an attempt to stay warm.

Henry called to request help for search and rescue. The operator who received the emergency call said the hiker’s family had been looking for her. While they were waiting for the rescue team, Nick and Kylah, an engineer and a fireman on the next train passing by the location, came to help. 327 passengers on the train waited on the track as they crossed the river to examine the woman’s injuries and bring emergency supplies, blankets and a radio for communication. Finally, a helicopter was sent to locate and rescue the hiker and she was transported safely to the hospital.

6 . People know the dangers of fires. It’s good for a family to learn how to prepare for afire.     1    :

Put a smoke alarm in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off.     2    . The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once.

    3     . You should know all the ways out of the house. If there is fire, everyone follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened easily.

Practice for a fire at home now and then because it can teach children about fire safety. Everyone in the family should know the following fire rules:

▲Don’t open a hot door! The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door.

▲Stay close to the floor! Everyone should follow your plan.     4    . There are many possible causes for fires. A wise family is ready all the time.     5    .

10 . Fire Prevention Information

The University of Adelaide employs a full-time staff of fire prevention professionals. They inspect all campus buildings and test and maintain all sprinkler (喷水灭火装置)systems, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers (灭火器). They also provide educational programs on fire safety in the residence halls.

The floors of all campus buildings are equipped with manual (手动的) fire alarm systems which include fire alarm pull stations and pipes. Most are also equipped with automatic fire alarm systems consisting of heat detectors, smoke detectors and sprinklers. For your safety, never tamper with (胡乱摆弄)these systems. False fire alarms are illegal and may lead to imprisonment.

Fire extinguishers are located on each floor and in each apartment. Use a fire extinguisher only if you have been trained to do so. Irresponsible use of a fire extinguisher can create a dangerous situation for other residents and could result in damage to personal property. Misuse of a fire extinguisher will result in fines.

A smoke detector is on the ceiling in your room. Some buildings also have heat detectors on the ceilings. Do the following to ensure the safe operation of your smoke detector:If your smoke detector is working properly, the red light should be on.·Do not cover or block your smoke detector in any way.