Preparing For Disasters

Are you ready for the worst? 居安思危- 灾难应变（准备工作）。面对最坏的状况，你做好准备了吗？

When disaster strikes, you might find yourself without water, gas and electricity. You might even need to leave your home with little warning. But emergencies don't have to surprise you. Plan ahead for bad situations.

Planning for the worst.
Hold a family meeting. Discuss the types of disasters that could happen. Then plan a way to gather your family together if they get separated. Choose two locations for everyone to go to if it isn't safe to return home.

The first should be near your house. You can go there in an emergency like a fire. The second meeting place should be outside your neighborhood. This will give your family a place to gather if you must evacuate. Next, choose a contact person outside your area. After a disaster, it is often easier to communicate over a long-distance call than a local one. A contact person can pass messages between family members if they can't meet or get in tough.

Preparing to survive
Then create a family disaster kit. It should include everything your family needs to survive for at least three days. Place your kit in a bag so you can carry it if you need to evacuate. When preparing it, remember that different people have different needs. Include special items necessary for elderly or young members of your family.

Don't forget your dog
Pets are important members of the family with their own special needs. Decide how you will care for your pet in an emergency. Remember, pets are often not permitted in emergency shelters. You may need to find someone to care for your pet if you have to evacuate. You may also want to create a special pet disaster kit.

Once you have prepared your family for the worst, it is important to maintain your plan. Practice your emergency plan, and update it as necessary. You may not be able to prevent disasters, but with a little planning you can prepared.

Grammar Tips:
Practice your emergency plan, and update it as necessary.
"as necessary " - in a formal situation. something to be done whenever as needed.
When you play this guessing game, leaders can repeat certain questions as necessary.
Certain kinds of knee braces can be readjusted as necessary. 护膝

Vocabulary Tips:
emergency -紧急状况，紧急事件。urgent, need to take care right away, something happen unexpected.
*This savings account can only be used in an emergency.
*Call this number for help in case of an emergency.
emergency room ( E.R.)- 急症室。E.R. 是 急症室的缩写。
neighbor -邻居
hood -有“状况，时期，性质”的意思。
neighborhood - 邻近的地区，或街坊。the area around your home.
*Our neighbor came to borrow some sugar.
*People in the neighborhood all knew this family very well.
evacuate -疏散，撤离，使避难。leave from a danger place where you at, fallow the authorities' instruction, go to a safe place to get protection.
*The nursing home residents were evacuated before the hurricane hit this area.飓风
*All the people who live in the coastal area were evacuated to higher ground.
elderly - older people.年长地，上了年纪地。
*The elderly patients are well taken care of in the hospital. 被照顾的很好。
*This restaurant gives a special offer to elderly customers.给与年长者特别优惠。
*Tanya's grandparents are elderly and frail. 年老体弱。
permit (v)-重音在第二节。allow. 许可，允许，准许。
permitted / permitting
*We are permitted to enter this restricted area.管制区。
permit (n) -重音在第一音节。 许可证，执照。
a work permit -工作许可证。
a parking permit -停车证。
update - make sure to have the most recent news or items (water/food/tool/medicine and phone number etc.) 更新，最新信息。使合乎现在需求。
*Our computer system needs to be updated for higher efficiency. 更高的效率
*We'll update you with the latest information as it happens.
disaster - an event that end up can cause death or harm, and not easy to predict. 灾难
strikes - come fast and quickly with strong force and unpredictable. 袭击。
little warning -"little" -here means in a very short time.
situation - event.
kit - a set of thing or tool for special purpose. such as sawing kit, medicine kit, emergency kit, and survival kit.
survival kit - it should contains water, food, clothing, medicine, battery, flash light, matches, glasses, money, keys I.D. and important phone number.tools (you need to protect you, help you survive or help you get out.) etc. to keep your life safe.
maintain - keep up.维护。
prevent - to stop from happening or stop a person to do something.

Chat Room:
plan for the worst -为最坏的状况，预作规划。
Better to be safe than sorry -小心总比后悔好。（即鼓励事前多做些准备，免得后悔）。
"Better safe than sorry" - 小心总比后悔好的口语化，较简单的说法。
"Better late than never" -有亡羊补牢之意。晚一点做总比不做的好。
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prepare your family for the worst.-为最坏的状况替你的家庭预先做好准备。
the worst = worst-case scenario 可能发生的最坏状况。
scenario -假设的情况。。
the worst case scenario -能想到的最坏的可能发生的情况。
unforeseen circumstances -不可预料的突发状况。即‘不能预先意料到的事件状况。
contingency -偶发事件。
life is full of unforeseen circumstances.
acts of God -天灾（常在美国正式的合约上看到）something happen beyond our preventing.