Good Housekeeping has discovered that even if a child wear a helmet when she bikes, or skates, it may not protect her from a serious head injury.
Every year, 390,000 children under age 15 go to hospital emergency rooms with bike-related injuries. Of that number, about one third children suffer head injuries and an estimated 200 die. By wearing a helmet, a child can reduce her risk of injury by as much as 85 percent. But remember —— a bicycle helmet must fit properly to be safe. Here are five steps to making sure your child's helmet fits properly.
1) If you haven't bought your child's helmet already, you might want to consider one with a rear stabilizer(稳定杆). A rear stabilizer holds the back of the head gently and helps the helmet stay correctly positioned.
2) The helmet should fit closely and shouldn't slide from side to side or front to back. If your child can put two fingers on both temples inside the helmet, it's too big. Try a smaller size. But if the next size down is too small, use the fit pads(护垫). Fit pads come in different sizes and attach to the helmet with Velcro.
3) Tell your child to open her mouth widely and ask if she can feel the helmet push down onto the top of her head. If she can't, you need to readjust her helmet.
4) To prevent strap slippage, wind a rubber band around the strap where it meets the fastener.
5) Recheck the fit regularly.
You should replace the bicycle helmet:
If she has been in an accident with it.
If the buckle(金属扣) breaks or if a piece breaks off.
If it doesn't have a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, American Society for Testing and Materials, or Snell Memorial Foundation sticker.
If it doesn't fit correctly. Even if the helmet fit perfectly two years ago, it might be too small now.
小题1:Who is this passage mainly written for?
A．Children.
B．Teachers.
C．Parents.
D．helmet producers.小题2:What does the author mainly want to stress in the second paragraph?
A．The bike-related injury is a serious threat to the children.
B．The bicycle helmets must fit properly while the children are biking.
C．It’s necessary for the children to wear helmets while biking.
D．Many students suffer bike-related injuries every year.小题3:If a girl finds a helmet a little bit big for her head, what should she do?
A．She must buy a smaller size.
B．She can use some fit pads.
C．She can put fingers on both temples inside the helmet.
D．She must make helmet slide from side to side.小题4:Phil White, a father, found the buckle of his girl’s helmet broken, he can_______
A．buy a new bicycle helmet for her
B．mend the bicycle helmet himself
C．continue to use the bicycle helmet
D．throw away the broken buckle
