The past years have shown we need to prepare for the worst earthquakes. So an earthquake emergency kit (急救包) should be something we need to have. 【小题1】 Well, that may not be a problem because you can buy your own one online.

According to experts, around 275 earthquakes are felt every day around the world. 【小题2】 There is a 30% higher chance that you will survive (幸存) an earthquake if you have the kit.

Some people think they can go to a shelter after an earthquake. 【小题3】 There may be too many people in the shelter. You may not find food or water, either.   

【小题4】 But whether you are near the fault line (断层线) or far from it, owning one for your household is still a must. Studies show that some states that are near the fault line have earthquake magnitudes (震级) of above 4.5. 【小题5】

So if you don’t have an earthquake emergency kit at home, make one yourself or buy one online.

My name is Lenny and I’m 16 years old. I grew up in New Orleans （新奥尔良）. When Hurricane （飓风） Katrina hit, I was only 12. I was at my cousin’s house for the weekend and we were watching Saturday TV in his room. We didn’t know anything about it and then suddenly all the electricity went out. We looked out of the window and it was raining and it was really windy. The trees were bent over. There was so much water in the streets. We opened the bedroom door and saw that there was water everywhere. So we tried to climb onto the roof （屋顶）. There were lots of people on roofs around our neighborhood.

When the Hurricane Katrina hit, 80% of the city was under water, so it was very difficult for people to leave. There were so many people that the city officials （官员） didn’t really know what to do with them. At last, a helicopter （直升飞机） picked us up and took us to another city.

On December 18th, 2023, a big earthquake (地震) hit Jishishan County in Gansu. Ding Xiaolong was asleep at home when the earthquake happened. It woke him up and he quickly ran out of his house. He felt lucky to be alive, but he was sorry for what happened to his friend’s family.

After the earthquake, Ding got a phone call from his friend. He was working in another city. The friend asked Ding to see if his family were OK. However, his house had fallen down. Ding asked over 20 people for help, but it was too late. All four members of his friend’s family had lost their lives.

Ma Shijun, a student, ran out of the dormitory (宿舍) without shoes or a coat. And teachers quickly asked students to go to the playground. “Seeing more and more rescue personnel (救援人员) arriving, I find myself less afraid,” Ma said.

The members of Blue Sky Rescue Team set up lots of tents. Some villagers offered hot water. Taxi drivers were busy carrying the injured (受伤的人) to hospitals. Medical teams were racing against time to help those in need. “Life is the most important,” said the head of a hospital. “There’s hope as long as people are alive.”