Electric Shocks Can Be Fatal

Government statistics recently showed that in the UK, more than 3,000 people a year experience electric shocks in their homes. A smaller number of people are killed after they touch the power lines outside their homes. Electric shocks can cause a person's heart or breath to stop and are potentially fatal. It is essential for people to learn basic techniques to deal with such emergencies.

What to do?

● If you are the first person to reach someone who has an electric shock, don't touch him or her!

● If the victim is still holding the appliance that gives him or her the shock (e.g. a hair dryer), unplug it or turn off the power at its source. Under no circumstances can you try to move the appliance with your hands!

● If you can't turn off the power, use a piece of wood, like a broom handle or a chair, to separate the victim from the appliance or the power source. You may even be able to do this with a folded newspaper.

● The victim must remain lying down. If he or she is unconscious, the victim should be placed on his or her side. But he or she should not be moved if there is a possibility of neck or spine injuries unless it is absolutely necessary.

● It is essential to maintain the victim's body heat, so make sure you cover him or her with a blanket before you do anything else. If the victim is not breathing, apply mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (人工呼吸). Keep the victim's head low until professional help arrives.

● If the electric shock has been caused by an external power line, the dangers to the victim and to anybody providing first aid are much greater.

My neighbour Orlando is a paramedic (护理人员). He and his wife are some of the nicest people I have ever met. A few years back we started this sort of “favor war”, where one of us would do something for the other, such as shoveling (铲) his driveway or helping him build a shed, and next time the other would try to top it with another favor.

Yesterday morning there was maybe 2 or 3 feet of snow on the ground and I remembered he shoveled my driveway for me last snowfall. So I took out my shovel and took care of both our sidewalks and driveways because it was my turn to do a favor back. It took a while but I finished and got into my car for work. What I did not realize was that Orlando had to work that day too.

Fast forward to this morning I got a knock on my door. It was him. He immediately shook my hand and informed me that because I shoveled his driveway and sidewalk for him, he was able to get to work earlier. As soon as he started his shift, a call came through that a young boy was in a medical emergency. Luckily he and his partner were only about 2 minutes away, but the next closest ambulance was in 10 minutes. This kid didn’t have 10 minutes. He barely had 2 minutes. Because my neighbour got to work sooner, the young boy got to live his life.

This isn’t a brag (吹嘘). This is to inform others that even the smallest favors can have the biggest impacts. It wasn’t too much of trouble to shovel his driveway for him, but because I did, the young kid got to see his family again, go back to school again, talk to his friends again and live his life.

First aid is emergency care for a victim of sudden illness or injury until more skilful medical treatment is available. It may save a life or improve certain vital signs including the pulse, temperature, a clear airway(气道), and breathing. In minor emergencies, first aid may prevent a victims’ condition from turning worse and provide relief from pain. First aid must be administered as quickly as possible. In the case of the critically injured, a few minutes can make a difference between complete recovery and loss of life.

First-aid measures depend upon a victim's needs and the provider’s level of knowledge and skill. Knowing what not to do in an emergency is as important as knowing what to do. Improperly moving a person with a neck injury, for example, can lead to permanent spinal(脊柱的) injury and paralysis(瘫痪).

Despite the variety of injuries possible, several principles of first aid apply to all emergencies. The first step is to call for professional medical help. The victim, if conscious(有意识的), should be reassured that medical aid has been requested, and asked for permission to provide any first aid. Next, assess the scene, asking other people or the injured person’s family or friends about details of the injury or illness, any care that may have already been given, and pre-existing conditions such as diabetes(糖尿病) or heart trouble. The victim should be checked for a medical bracelet(医用手环) or card that describes special medical condition. Unless the accident becomes unsafe or the victim may suffer further injury, do not move the victim.

First aid requires rapid assessment of victims to determine whether life-threatening condition exists. One method for evaluating a victim's condition is known by the acronym(首字母缩写词)ABC, which stands for:

A—Airway: Is it open and clear?

B—Breathing: Is the person breathing? Look, listen and feel for breathing.

C—Circulation: Is there a pulse? Is the person bleeding externally? Check skin colour and temperature for additional indications of circulation problems.

Camping without a campfire is not camping at all. Late-night conversations and games around the campfire are essential for a pleasant camping experience. However, you ought to be aware of the fact that camping with a campfire is not all about fun.     16     If you are planning to set up a campfire, or if you are planning to cook during camping, you should remember some fire safety tips.

Choose a campsite which has a campfire pit(深坑).     17     If there is no fire pit, set up your own. However, you should be careful not to place the fire pit near your camping tent. When you set up a campfire, make sure that you put the campfire materials in the right order. This can help you make sure that there will be no flying debris(碎片) once you light your fire. Put the light materials first such as paper or dry leaves.     18     Finally, make sure that you place stones around the campfire pit. Never burn plastics or other poisonous materials, which will disturb your neighboring

campground guests. It will also significantly pollute the air and promote the risk of fire spreads.     19     Use it only when all the other fire-making options fail.

    20     Before you leave your campsite or before you go to bed, make sure that your campfire is completely out. Leaving fire unattended runs high risks of forest fires and the like.

This morning, as I was getting close to the supermarket, I saw a small________gathering around an elderly woman with blood under her face. I stopped and asked if I could________. I told her I was certified (授予证书的) in first aid. Then I________someone for a first-aid kit (工具箱). But she didn’t want help, saying she was fine. But she wasn’t fine. I asked her to stay with me and we ________about her routine of getting groceries. People brought out ice packs, water and paper towels from the________ nearby. I put on the gloves from the first-aid kit, and cleaned her up a bit, but________I just talked to her and held her hand.

The cheater might have thought he could get money from David. If so, he was wrong. Such phone calls are common these days, and many of David’s     44    (colleague) have received similar calls recently. Therefore, all parents should be sensitive to such tricks as not to    45    (cheat).

Early in the morning I went to the ocean beach to play my guitar.The usually crowded beach was deserted except for two people.On one side of the boardwalk (木板人行道)was a woman who was cleaning the beach with a broom;on the other side was a lone figure sitting and staring at the sea.I chose a spot between them and began to play.

As I played,the woman with the broom swept her way right next to me.She stopped sweeping and leaned on her broom,smiling at me.She appeared to be homeless with dirty mismatched clothes.

"You sure play beautiful music,” she said.“I think my friend would like your music.I want to hire you to play for her.” She pointed to the lone figure staring out at the ocean, then produced a few coins from her pocket.“I don’t have much,and I know you’re worth a lot, but if I give this to you, will you play a song for her?She’s going through a lot.I know the music will make her feel better.”

I told her I’d be happy to play for free.

As we walked over to her friend,the Broom Lady told me that her friend had not talked for weeks.We approached,and the Broom Lady introduced me,“Annie,I got you a present to cheer you up.It’s a guitar man who is going to play a song specially for you.”

Annie didn’t move.She was wearing dark sunglasses and had an old coat pulled up to cover most of her face.

I sat next to Annie and played.As I played I put every thought into having good things happen for this woman.I played for quite a while.

Suddenly,Annie turned toward me and said,“You make it so beautiful.I can feel it inside my heart.”

She took off her sunglasses.

When I stopped playing and looked up,I was shocked to see a small crowed around us.