What would you grab first if your flat was on fire and you had seconds to run out the door and get out to safety? A question like this makes you think quickly, and the answers people give are always very interesting. Five students in Class 4A were asked this question.
David: Hi, I’m David. If I had just a few minutes to get out of my burning flat, I know what I would grab to take with me. My notebook. Every night I leave it on my bedside table and charge it, so I would just grab the thing and run. My entire life is on that notebook: my work, my hobbies and my family. If my laptop went up in smoke, I would be lost. I’m the school photographer, and I take a load of photos of school events which I store on my laptop. Okay, I have backups, but the thought of losing my notebook in a fire or anywhere else makes my blood run cold.
Maggie: Hello. My name’s Maggie. Oh, what a scary thought! But I can answer it straightaway without thinking. I would grab my dog and run for it! There is no way I could leave my dog in a burning flat. I wouldn’t think about anything else. She sleeps in her little bed at the foot of my bed every night. She’s a Yorkshire Terrier. She would smell the smoke and would wake me up with her barking, anyway. A dog is the best fire alarm anyone can install in their flat!
Harry: I’m Harry. Wouldn’t everyone give the same answer to that question? The most important object in anyone’s life today, surely, is their mobile phone. No question about it. And most people charge their phones in their room at night. So as I ran out of my room, I’d grab mine. I’ve got all my photos, my music, my contacts on my phone. My entire life is on my phone, to tell you the truth. It is part of me. If I lost my phone in a fire - or anywhere else - I simply could not function.
Kathy: Hi. My name’s Kathy. I would grab my handbag. I keep my whole life in my handbag: my wallet, my phone, my make-up bag, my diary, all my odds- and-ends. At night, I put my handbag on the table near the door in my room. That would be so convenient if there was a fire. I would grab it and run.
Liam: Hello. I’m Liam. My violin! If my flat was on fire, I would grab my violin because it is the most important object in my life! I’ve had it since I was four. My grandparents bought it for me. I don’t know exactly when it was made but it’s quite old and the sound it makes is beautiful. My music teacher says it’s German. The maker’s name is on the back, but I’ve never bothered to trace it. My teacher says I should. My grandparents bought it from a music shop in Paris. The thought of being separated from my violin is too distressing to think about. If I saved myself from a fire, I would have to save my violin as well.