You can’t hide a natural disaster from children, so how do we prepare them for it? First of all, you should explain to them that acts of nature aren’t necessarily disasters but can become one. These may include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, wild fires, and earthquakes. The way to prepare children for these disasters is to educate them about what each type is and then make it fun by making them “Disaster Masters” or whatever title you can think of.

Making them a Disaster Master won’t be easy. They must know what’s in a disaster emergency kit(工具箱) and why it’s included. You can get your friends involved, too. If your friends have children, they may want to be involved in your emergency preparations. Make it a group project. This is the opportunity for everyone to become familiar with the equipment.

We have to be aware of our conduct and the way we react to stress. The children will be easily influenced by your attitude and demeanor. The calmness, steady manner, and good humor of your spouse (配偶) and you will go a long way toward the easing or the reduction of stress.

Explain to them what they’re likely to encounter or see and describe how people may react. Disasters can come and go very quickly and generally don’t last long. If you must stay away from home, try to get into a routine quickly and encourage them to make new friends. Let them know they can look to their parents and other adults if they become scared or confused. And it’s important to let them know it’s OK to cry during a disaster.

It’s sometimes helpful to let the children draw pictures of what they’ve experienced. Encourage them to write what they learned and what could have been done better. Save the story. Make it part of a documented family history!

小题1:This passage was written mainly to tell us about ______.

A．the importance of mutual help in disaster preparation

B．tips for preparing children for a natural disaster

C．the importance of educating children about natural disasters

D．ways to raise children’s courage in natural disasters小题2:It is a must that a Disaster Master knows ______.

A．when a natural disaster will come

B．why there are natural disasters

C．how to use a disaster emergency kit

D．how to teach others about emergency preparations小题3:The underlined word “demeanor” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by “______”.

A．personality

B．lifestyle

C．emotion

D．behavior小题4:When they meet with a natural disaster, children ______.

A．must write down what they see and how they feel

B．should believe that the disaster will never last long

C．can cry if they are frightened

D．should help other children despite the danger小题5:The author wrote the passage mainly for ______.

A．parents

B．young children

C．teachers

D．college students