Soldiers carry a wounded child at the earthquake-hit Beichuan County on May 13. REUTERS

　　IS she still alive? Where is she? I want to see her at once!

　　Jiang Dejia, a Junior 2 student in Shifang Yinghua Middle School in Deyang, said this when she was rescued （营救） from the rubble of a school building hit by the May 12 earthquake.

　　She is a Junior 3 girl from the same school called Liao Li.

　　Liao is a Junior 3 student who was also buried （被埋） in the remains of the school.

　　Jiang and Liao didnt know each other before the earthquake. But they inspired each other to keep going during the two scary days they spent trapped （被困）.

　　Later Liao was rescued too.

　　We were on the edge of death but friendship got us through. Ill never forget it as long as I live, said Jiang.

　　Hundreds of thousands of students like Jiang and Liao were in the same situation on May 12. On that day, the biggest earthquake in China for more than 30 years hit Wenchuan, Sichuan. Several thousand middle school students and teachers ended up buried. Buildings went down and cities were leveled （夷平）.

　　As of Friday the earthquake has killed about 23,000 across the country. The number is very likely to grow.

　　While people in the affected （受影响的） areas are facing death and disease, they know the whole nation is standing firmly behind them.

　　Only two hours after the quake, Premier Wen Jiabao got on a plane to Chengdu. The 66-year-old has been in the worst-hit areas to lead rescue work. Once he fell down and hurt his arm in the rubble, but he brushed off offers of help.

　　Soldiers and policemen were not able to get into Wenchuan at first because of bad weather and blocked roads. About one day after the quake, the first army group reached the epicenter （震中） on foot. Since then, soldiers have been digging with their fingers to try to find people alive. Helicopters （直升机） have been called in to airdrop （空投） food, water and medicine for people in the quake-hit areas. Medical teams have been sent in. People are racing against time to save lives.

　　People outside of Sichuan, including overseas Chinese and people in other countries, are offering money, blood （血） and materials to help.

　　Bonus

　　与地震有关的表达,你了解多少?

　　1. rescue/ save lives: 拯救

　　2. Cities were leveled. 城市被夷为平地。

　　3. Helicopters airdrop sth. 直升机空投

　　4. race against time to do: 争分夺秒地