One day when I was five years old, my mother took me to a swimming pool. She wanted to teach me how to swim. (sad), I was almost drowned. I was rescued by a man, my mother was so (frighten) that she decided never to let me get close to a swimming pool again. , I thought quite differently. Instead of letting that horrible incident create more fear around water for me, I decided to become a good (swim). After I told my mother about that, she thought I was right and (agree). So I started to learn how to swim again. My mother became more careful and I was not in danger again. Later I became interested in swimming that I decided to compete in swimming events. After years of efforts, my dream came true. I was the first African American (win) an Olympic Gold Medal in swimming. I did so at both 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Now I spend much of my time (help) children learn how to swim. Hundreds of children each year drown in the United States.(learn) how to swim can prevent 80% of these tragedies.
When the typhoon arrived, the villagers were busy constructing some houses. Some of them earned their living by means of this work. Some rocks rolled from the mountain. Many of them suffered the separation from their family, for some of them were killed in the typhoon and others had to flee .