Safety at Home
FoundationHome hides four common dangers: electricity, fire, water and heights. Learn to be careful, and if an accident happens, get safe first and call for help.
- Electricity, fire, water and heights are home dangers — always be careful.
- Never touch sockets with wet hands; do not overload one socket.
- Do not touch hot soup, knives or medicines; ask an adult first.
文體小知識：說明文一步一步教我們避開家裏的危險，讀完可以回家檢查一遍。
§Text Passage
1Home is the warmest place, but dangers hide there too: sockets, wires, the stove in the kitchen, water on the bathroom floor, and sharp scissors. If we are careless, we can get hurt.
2Be careful with electricity: never touch sockets or appliances with wet hands, and do not plug too many plugs into one socket. Ask an adult to replace old or broken wires. Switch appliances off after use, and unplug them when not needed for a long time.
3The kitchen and bathroom have the most dangers: hot soup and water can burn, and sharp knives are for adults to handle. Do not run or chase around the house, and never climb window ledges or balcony railings. Medicines and cleaning liquids look bright and pretty, but never eat or touch them.
4If an accident happens, leave the danger at once and call out to an adult. In a fire, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel, bend down, move along the wall to a safe place, then call 999. Remember: protect yourself first, then get help from an adult.
1Summary 重點摘要
Home hides four common dangers: electricity, fire, water and heights. Learn to be careful, and if an accident happens, get safe first and call for help.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A situation or thing that may cause injury.
The place on the wall where plugs connect to electricity; never touch it with wet hands.
A machine that uses electricity, such as a fan, a TV or a rice cooker.
Having a point or edge that can cut, such as scissors and knives.
A platform outside a flat with railings; never climb the railings.
Simple help given right after an injury, before an adult or doctor takes over.
The number to call in a fire or serious injury; in Hong Kong it is 999.
Skin hurt by hot soup, water or fire; rinse with cool water and tell an adult at once.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Use electricity safelyElectricity gives us light and warmth, but it can hurt us when used wrongly. After washing, our hands are wet, and water lets electricity escape, so never touch plugs with wet hands; dry them with a towel first, and hold the plug itself, never the wire, when unplugging, or the wire is easily damaged. Do not plug too many appliances into one socket. If a wire is broken, a socket hot or smoking, tell an adult at once.
- Step 2: Beware of hot thingsFreshly cooked soup and porridge are boiling hot; one touch can burn the skin, which hurts and raises blisters. Do not reach for hot soup on the table — ask an adult to bring it down, and watch out for pots and kettles on the stove when you pass the kitchen. Walk slowly when carrying hot things and keep your eyes ahead, never playing as you walk; children should stay away from fires and kettles, and test the water before a bath — that is safest of all.
- Step 3: Handle sharp items correctlyThe tips of scissors, rulers and pencils are sharp; running or waving with them can stab you or others. Sit properly when using scissors and keep the blades pointing down; close them and put them away after use, and hand them to others handle first, with the sharp end towards yourself. Put sharp things back where they belong, never treat them as toys, and never run with them — remember that safety comes first at all times.
- Step 4: Stay away from high placesHigh places at home look only a little out of reach, but climbing up can easily end in a fall. If you cannot reach something high, ask an adult for help; never climb on chairs, cupboards or window ledges. Keep chairs and stools away from windows, so nobody climbs up to open them and falls; never climb balcony railings, and never hang from drying poles — keep the danger of high places in mind at all times.
- Step 5: Never eat or touch unknown thingsSome things at home look like sweets or drinks but are really pills and cleaning liquids; swallowing them poisons us and is very dangerous. If you see colourful pills or liquid in a bottle, ask what it is first, never put it in your mouth, and do not touch detergents or bug spray. When no adult is around, never open any bottles or jars; if you have swallowed something doubtful, tell an adult at once and go to hospital.
- Step 6: Know how to call for helpIn a fire or when someone is badly hurt, call 999 at once; it is an emergency number, never for fun or pranks that waste rescue resources. Stay calm and say clearly what happened, where, and how many people are hurt, so the ambulance and fire engine can come quickly. Learn Mum and Dad's phone numbers and your home address by heart, so you can say them in an emergency; and remember to leave the danger first, then call for help.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Ming is alone in the living room and finds a wire whose outer cover is broken, exposing the metal inside. What should he do?
- First keep away: never touch the broken part, for the exposed metal may give an electric shock.
- Do not try to wrap it up with tape yourself; wires and sockets are for adults to handle.
- Tell Mum or Dad at once: the wire cover is broken and the metal is showing — it is dangerous.
- An adult will switch off the power and replace the wire, or call a technician to inspect and repair it when needed.
- Answer: The right response is not to touch it and not to repair it himself, but to tell an adult at once; let the adult switch off the power and replace the wire or call a technician, while he stays clear of the dangerous wire.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Can we touch sockets right after washing hands?
Q2Which two places at home have the most dangers?
Q3What should we do if a wire is broken?
Q4What is the emergency number in Hong Kong?
Q5How should we escape in a fire?
8Recap Recap
- Electricity, fire, water and heights are home dangers — always be careful.
- Never touch sockets with wet hands; do not overload one socket.
- Do not touch hot soup, knives or medicines; ask an adult first.
- Never climb window ledges or railings; no running or chasing indoors.
- Leave the danger first, then call for help — the emergency number is 999.