Everything went black! All the lights in our flat turned off, including the TV. Mum took out the candles and Dad went to see what was going on. One advantage of living in a tall building is that you always have help nearby. So I went to our next-door neighbour, Mr Smith. With a candle in his hand, Mr Smith . Uh-oh! He didn't have lights either. I discovered that all the buildings in our neighbourhood were dark. Our neighbours and began chatting outside. They were not worried at all.

Then we heard a frightening sound after a bright flash of lightning. It started to rain heavily . In order to get some information, Mr Smith turned on the battery-powered radio. The weatherman said that the storm was all the problems. It hit a tower at the power station before the first flash of lightning. That was the reason why the lights suddenly before the rain came. Finally, the lights came back. We cheered loudly. The event made it possible for the neighbours to have a chance to be together.

    Do you know what makes lightning (闪电)? Why does lightning strike (击打)?

    Lightning strikes happen when ice and water in clouds rub (摩擦) together, and cause atmospheric (大气层的) changes. When this happens, it creates a static charge (静电). Lightning can strike inside the cloud, between two clouds or between a cloud and earth. It's the last kind of strike that is the most dangerous for humans.

    Lightning can be very dangerous. Every year, lightning kills people because it can start big fires or because it reaches a temperature of 28,000 ℃. About 1,000 people are hit by lightning every year in the United States, and about 100 of them die as a result.

    Lightning makes people shocked, and it happens all over the world! Scientists think that there are more than three million lightning strikes every day in the world—that's thirty strikes every second (秒). An American man, Roy Sullivan, who worked in a park, survived from the most lightning strikes. Between 1942 and 1983, he was hit seven times! And he keeps the highest world record.

    Lightning is not something to play with. When lightning strikes, it's best to stay inside a large building. To stay safe, do not stand under trees, on hills or near water. Also, do not lie down on the ground, or the electricity may go through you and cause a heart problem.

—I doubt that she's one of my classmates in the middle school.

—Sorry, I have too many things to do, so I have no time to play with you.