Story : Where there's smoke, there's fire
【明報專訊】Little Sister was quietly doing her homework and Mother Bear was cooking dinner when they heard a fire alarm go off. In a few minutes, they could hear the siren of fire engines coming closer and closer. The two went to the window to see what was going on. Across the road, thick, black smoke was coming out of a window on the fourth floor.
"Oh dear, that's where my good friend lives!" cried Mrs Bear. "I'm getting worried. Maybe I should go and see if she's alright."
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Mrs Bear opened the door and was relieved to see that it was none other than her good friend and neighbour, Miss Tabby Cat.
"I'm so glad to see you! I was worried - it seems there's a fire in your building."
"Yes, there is!" replied Miss Tabby Cat. "You know I live with some humans and one of them was smoking in bed when he fell asleep and set the place on fire. Luckily, the firemen came and quickly put out the fire. Our place is now a mess, so I hope I can stay with you for the night."
"Of course, you're welcome to stay as long as you like," said the bears warmly.
"Do sit here on the sofa," said Little Sister, who was a great admirer of the elegant Miss Cat. "Did you get any smoke in your lungs? Teacher told us that we could get very sick if we get smoke in our lungs."
"I'm fine, dear little Bear," the cat replied. "I got out as soon as I smelled smoke. The human was taken to hospital because he had smoke in his lungs."
The young bear was puzzled. "He's a smoker - he's got smoke in his lungs all the time. Isn't he used to it already? Why does he still need to go to hospital?"
"Well, smoke from a fire is different from cigarette smoke. Smoke from tobacco goes into the lungs and turns them black and unhealthy. After some years, a smoker will get lung disease or even cancer - painful illnesses which need expensive treatment for a long time.
The smoke from a fire is also dangerous and it affects people immediately. When someone breathes in too much smoke, that person won't be able to breathe any more and could die very quickly. It is not the fire that kills but the smoke."
Little Sister's eyes grew bigger and bigger as she listened to Miss Cat. She decided from now on to be extra careful with candles, matches, plugs and anything that might start a fire. However, she wasn't too worried that she might become a smoker. Why? Because she often heard Father and Mother say that all animals, including bears, are very sensible and will stay far away from smoke. No one has ever seen any animal do such a silly thing as smoking!
■Vocabulary
to smoke (v)
1: to breathe in the smoke of burning tobacco.
2: to use smoke to preserve meat or fish,
e.g. smoked salmon.
a smoker (n): someone who smokes tobacco.
smoky (adj): full of smoke, e.g. The air in the city is smoky and polluted.
Something to think about
If a smoker buys a pack of cigarettes every day, how much money is spent every year? Can you think of better ways to use this money?
■Glossary
siren (n) 警報
elegant (adj) 優雅的
cancer (n) 癌症
sensible (adj) 明智的
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[Smarties' Power English 第368期]
