even looked more enter wanted
some into yet from on and
watching The police had moved quickly to block off the area.
Now Jim stood across the street with the other students,
1 in great disbelief as the fire department fought to gain
control of the fire. But it 2 hopeless.
Heavy smoke rose 3 every opening.
Already flames were licking out of the ground-level 4
second-storey windows of the old school building. Suddenly, the
east end of the building exploded 5 flames. The noise was so loud that 6 Jim, who had serious hearing problem, could hear a faint roar.
Across the street 7 the school
grounds Mr. MacIntire, the principal, was shouting to the fire chief. Jim read
his lips, missing 8 of what he said
because of the distance but getting 9 than enough to understand. "...eight students and a
teacher... in a basement room... trapped!" The fire chief shook
his head. The firefighters had tried to 10 the building three times and three times they had failed. There was no hope
at all now.