------Program code: DO-080626-00888 (what's this?)
Source: CCTV.com
06-26-2008 08:28
Special Report: Documentary: The EarthquakeOn May 12th, Tan Qianqiu was in a class when the earthquake struck. He shouted, “Run! Don’t take anything! Run!” The students did as he said, and when they turned around (outside) they saw that their classroom building had collapsed, with yellow dust pouring from the ruins.
 |
Tan Qianqiu and some of his students were buried in the ruins. When Dan’s body was found in the evening of May 13th, what rescuers saw was a scene that stunned all of them: at the last moment, Tan Qianqiu had opened up his arms as wide as he could, bring four students under his protection. He was killed, but all four of the students survived. According to the surviving students, Mr. Tan truly loved all his students. When walking around the campus, whenever he came across a small stone on the playground, he would pick it up and throw it away, in case it might be the cause of some student getting hurt when playing. That was the kind of person he was, and why he did what he did at the critical moment.
 |
Zhang Guanrong and Tan Qianqiu had taken a vow that they would love each other until the end of the world. The day before the earthquake, Tan Qianqiu bought their youngest daughter a pair of shoes and a pair of pants.
This is Xiang Qian, 21years old. From the photos in her album we can see that she was a truly lovely and happy girl. She died in the earthquake, but the actions she took in the last moment of her life will never be forgotten.
Xiang Qian was a primary school teacher. At 2.28 pm on May 12th when the earthquake struck, she teaching an English lesson to class No. 3 of the 6th grade.
It took just a dozen seconds for the earthquake to bring the classroom building down, and in those last moments, Xiang Qian made a life and death decision.
At 11 pm on May 13th, Miss Xiang’s body was found by the rescuers.
Miss Xiang graduated from the Normal Institute of Mianyan, majoring in primary school education and at university became a member of the communist party. During the public recruiting examinations in Shfang City in 2007, Xiang Qian became a member of staff at Longju Central Primary School as an English teacher, having achieved the the highest score in both tests and interviews.
Zundao Town, Mianzhu County was once a small, peaceful and clean town with walls decorated with pictures drawn from the imaginations of the town’s children. It had a kindergarten named Huanhuan (meaning “happiness”) attended by more than 80 children. But when the earthquake struck on May 12th, 80% of the buildings in Zundao Town collapsed, and Huanhuan Kindergarden was one of those completely leveled. At the time, the children were taking a nap. The teachers did their best to save more than 30 of the children, but more than 50 others, along with three teachers, were buried under the ruins. Later a rescue team found teacher Qu Wanrong, lying on the ground with her back up against a collapsing cement panel. In her arms she was holding a child. The child survived but 21-year-old teacher Qu Wanrong died. Later a site was set up online to memorialize her.
As the earthquake struck during school hours, a great number of young and fragile lives placed all their hopes in their teachers and carers.
Longchi Primary School in Dujiangyan was the school that suffered the least loss of life during the earthquake. Incredibly, even though all the classroom buildings collapsed, more than 100 students successfully escaped. Just three children didn’t make it. Because head teacher Xiao Mingqing and his?? staff made wise decisions promptly, the lives of almost all the children in the school were saved.
But while Xiao Mingqing was busy helping his teachers get the children to safer places, Xiao Mingqing’s wife, Teacher Tang, was not among the group.
Xiao Mingqing’s home was less than a hundred meters from the classroom building and he knew his wife was taking leave that day. Eventhough he could see his own house collapsing he knew he had no choice but to save his students first.
When he knew the children were safe, Xiao Mingqing ran back home to help his wife. It was too late. He and his wife had parted without any final words.
We can probably never have accurate statistics on just how many teachers opened their arms or huddled over children to protect them at that critical moment. But people will remember their acts of heroism in the last minutes of their lives. Their actions epitomize what is best about the human soul and can inspire and even purify all of us.
In the face of disaster, children, too, showed great courage deserving of repect.
