Sara was thinking about the birthday party she would have been having if the terrible hurricane(飓风 )hadn’t come up, Her parents had cancelled (取消)the party because a hurricane came. She couldn’t understand that since her family didn’t even live near the ocean and the hurricane won’t influence their home.

" Sweetie, you can't sit there all day, "her mother said. "We’ll have your party next weekend. I have already called may people. It's the same to have a party next weekend."

"It's not the same. My birthday is today, not next weekend. ‘Sara turned on the television.

Her mother sat down next to her. “The hurricane is ruining a lot. Look at that. Those people are trying to save their houses. Could you imagine if we lost our home?”

Sarah looked at the pictures on TV. The storm sounded terrible. She knew she’d be really sad if her family lost their home.

“Usually when there’s a big storm like this, people raise money and send food and other things to the homeless families. Some people even help rebuild houses.” “I want to help, too, ” Sara said. “Maybe I can give my birthday money to them. Those people are going to need it more than I do.’’

Natural disasters are a part of life and there is no way to stop them from happening. However, the harmful effects of natural disasters can often be reduced.

First, avoid places where natural disasters often take place. For example, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan happened in exactly the same place as other serious disasters in the past. Because of past disasters, some towns were moved away from the area and warnings were posted everywhere, reminding people that if there was an earthquake, a tsunami would certainly follow. However, many people did not pay attention to the warnings. Many towns were rebuilt in the same places as before, so they were destroyed again in the 2011 earthquake.

Second, build stronger houses and buildings because sometimes we don’t know an area is a disaster zone（地区）until a disaster hits. Often, the disaster itself doesn’t kill people. People are often killed because they are living or working in badly-made buildings.

Finally, we need better warning systems, so people can leave disaster areas before a disaster hits.

If these rules are followed, many lives can be saved.

Jim is on holiday in Australia. There are bushfires in the area where he is staying. He is telling his friend Mark about the fires.

Mark: We saw the news about the bush fires. Are they close to you?

Jim: Yes. They are very close. The weather is hot and windy. The conditions are ideal for bush fires and once they get started they spread quickly. Yesterday the temperatures hit 44°C and there were reports of over 50 fires in the area. It will take days to put them out.

Mark: Have you seen any fires?

Jim: Yes, I have. I’m staying with my uncle Ted. He’s a volunteer firefighter. He says the fires have killed a lot of animals, but no people. He says that the safest thing is to stay inside unless your house catches fire!

Mark: Is it safe where you are?

Jim: We’re fine. We listen to the radio to keep up to date with the latest news. So we know if a fire is coming our way. One got very close yesterday. Three houses nearby caught fire. Luckily, the families put the fires out before they did too much damage.

Mark: Are you worried? Do you think you will need to move to a safer place?

Jim: It’s a normal part of summer in Australia. Bush fires are a fact of life here. It’s a bit scary, but I am sure I’ll be fine.

Mark: Well, you look after yourself! We don’t want you to be the first human victim of the year!