1 Mike was in the second grade. He was excited about school today. His father and brother were coming to visit. Why? Well, they had a very important lesson to share. Today was safety day at school.
2 At 10 o'clock, Mike's class and all of the other classes went into the gym. They sat down. The teachers got all of the children to be quiet. When it was silent, the principal walked onto the stage. She explained that Mike's brother and father would be teaching everyone about bike safety.
3 Now some of the children laughed because they didn't think there was anything to know about bikes. They had been riding bikes forever! They changed their minds when Mike's brother, Joe, and his father went on the stage. You see his father was pushing Joe in a wheelchair! The students could learn a few things from him.
4 Joe explained that he had been hit by a car while riding his bike. He couldn't walk anymore, but he was lucky he didn't die. Some of the students still didn't think this could ever happen to them, but they kept listening. Joe told his story. The car hit him very close to home. In fact, he was coming out of his driveway on a very quiet street, but he didn't stop to look. He didn't see the car driving down the block. He was hit right then and there. The children in school asked some questions about what it was like to be in a wheelchair. He answered the questions honestly.
5 Then Joe and Mike's father spoke. He talked about the fun of riding a bike. It's great to ride around the neighborhood or around the park. It's healthy for you, too. The most important thing, though, is not to stop riding, but to be careful and follow some simple safety rules.
Paragraphs 6 to 11:
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