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صفحة: 10
Surviving an Earthquake } In 1 999 , there was a terrible earthquake in Turkey . Among the tales of tragedy and disaster , there were also amazing stories of survival . Read the interview to find out about how one man , Tanzol , survived an earthquake . This is based on a true story . I ( Interviewer ) : When did you first realize that there had been an earthquake ? T ( Tanzol ) : Well , I couldn't fall asleep that night . I had an important meeting in Istanbul the next morning and I was nervous . At about 3 a . m ., I got up for a drink of water . Suddenly , I heard a loud noise . Everything began to shake , and I felt myself fall . The noise stopped , and I realized that I wasn't in my bedroom anymore . I : That must have been frightening ! What did you do then ? T : I was in a dark hole with a lot of dust around me . I wasn't able to sit up or move my body very much . For a few minutes , I just felt lucky to be alive but then I realized that I was trapped under the ground with no food or water ! I : Did you call for help ? T : At first , I shouted and hoped that someone would hear me . Then I decided that it was better to save my energy . I heard machines outside , so I realized that rescue workers were searching for survivors . I never gave up hope . I : What did you do while you were waiting to be rescued ? T : I tried to move my arms and legs but I couldn't feel them . I tried to keep track of time . I listened to sounds around me . For example , the calls to prayer at the nearby mosque helped me know how much time was passing . I also paid attention to the change in temperature . When it got cold , I knew that it was night . I : What did you think about during those long hours ? T : Well , first of all , I was hungry ! I kept thinking about the dinner that I had eaten before the earthquake . I could almost taste the rice and yogurt ! Most of time , I thought about and prayed for my family . The night before , my son and I had argued about him spending too much time playing football . I was upset to think that my son had gone to sleep angry with me . I : Tell me about the rescue . T : I didn't realize it then , but four days had passed . Suddenly , I heard someone digging near me . I called out , and my brother answered me . It took several more hours , but finally , the rescue workers pulled me out of the rubble . I couldn't believe that I had survived almost 96 hours without food or water . I had a few cuts and scratches , but I was able to walk . When I finally got out , I couldn't believe my eyes . I saw my son standing with the rescue workers . We hugged each other and cried . We were just happy to be alive . The fight we'd had a few days before seemed so unimportant .
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