The Fire Drill During Finals

Emeka sits in his final math exam. The room is quiet and full of focus. He works through question six.

Emeka duduk mengerjakan ujian akhir matematika. Ruangan itu sunyi dan penuh konsentrasi. Ia mengerjakan soal nomor enam.

A loud alarm suddenly rings through the building. Everyone looks up from their papers. The teacher stands up fast.

Tiba-tiba alarm yang keras berbunyi di seluruh gedung. Semua orang mengangkat kepala dari kertas mereka. Guru berdiri dengan cepat.

"Fire drill," she says. "Leave your papers face down. Line up quietly by the door."

"Latihan kebakaran," katanya. "Tinggalkan kertas kalian dalam posisi tertelungkup. Berbarislah dengan tenang di dekat pintu."

Students grab their jackets and walk outside. Emeka leaves his test face down on his desk. He lines up with his class.

Para murid mengambil jaket dan berjalan keluar. Emeka meninggalkan ujiannya tertelungkup di mejanya. Ia berbaris bersama kelasnya.

The whole school stands on the front lawn. Some students laugh about the timing. Others look worried about their tests.

Seluruh sekolah berdiri di halaman depan. Beberapa murid menertawakan waktunya yang kebetulan. Yang lain khawatir dengan ujian mereka.

"This happens every year," a teacher says. "It never happens during a normal class."

"Ini terjadi setiap tahun," kata seorang guru. "Tapi tidak pernah terjadi saat pelajaran biasa."

The fire truck arrives and checks the building. Ten minutes pass on the lawn. Then the bell rings again.

Mobil pemadam kebakaran datang dan memeriksa gedung. Sepuluh menit berlalu di halaman. Lalu bel berbunyi lagi.

Students walk back inside in a long line. Emeka sits back down at his desk. His test paper is still there.

Para murid berjalan kembali ke dalam dalam barisan panjang. Emeka duduk lagi di mejanya. Kertas ujiannya masih ada di sana.

"You get ten extra minutes," his teacher says. "Please finish your last three questions."

"Kalian mendapat tambahan waktu sepuluh menit," kata gurunya. "Silakan selesaikan tiga soal terakhir kalian."

Emeka picks up his pencil again. He finishes question six and moves to the next one.

Emeka mengambil pensilnya lagi. Ia menyelesaikan soal nomor enam dan lanjut ke soal berikutnya.