Several days before July 28, 1976, many strange things happened in Tangshan. The water in the village wells rose and fell. There were deep cracks that (appear) in the well walls. At least one well had some smelly gas (come) out of it. Chickens and even pigs were too nervous (eat), and dogs refused to go inside buildings. People were asleep as usual that night, didn't think much of these.
At 3: 42 am, one of the most deadly (earthquake) of the 20th century broke out. It destroyed the city and even caused damage in Beijing. In less than one minute, Tangshan lay ruins. The number of people were killed or badly injured in the quake was more than 400000. Later that afternoon, another big quake struck Tangshan again. More buildings fell down. Water, food, and electricity were hard to get.
But the hope wasn't lost. Soon after the quakes, teams were organized to dig out the tapped and bury the dead. Many more people, (include) workers and doctors, came to provide help. Though all the efforts, the city began to breathe again.
Today, new Tangshan was built upon the earthquake ruins, which has proved to the entire world that in times of disaster, people must unify and show the wisdom to stay positive and rebuild for a (bright) future.
