First Aid Should Be Taught in Every School
An opinion article arguing that every school should teach first aid and CPR starting in seventh grade.
Tap any word to hear it · dotted words have a definition in the glossary
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1Imagine that you are at the beach with your family and your uncle suddenly falls to the ground. He is not breathing. An is on its way, but it will take at least eight minutes to arrive. What would you do? Most teenagers, and many adults, would have no idea.
2This is why I believe that every school should teach first aid, starting in seventh grade. When the heart stops, every minute counts. After only a few minutes without , the brain begins to suffer . A person who knows how to do chest compressions can keep blood moving to the brain until help arrives. In many cases, this is the difference between life and death.
3Some people say that teenagers are too young for such a heavy . I disagree. Teenagers learn new skills quickly, and the basic steps are simple: check if the person responds, call for help, and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. In some countries, such as Denmark, lessons like these are already part of the school program, and more people there now survive when their heart suddenly stops.
4Others say that schools are already too busy. But a first-aid course does not have to take much time. Two lessons a year, with a trained and a practice doll, would be enough to give students the to act.
5First aid is not just another school subject. It is a gift that you can give to a stranger, to a friend or even to your own family.
📘 Glossary
- ambulance - a vehicle that takes sick or hurt people to hospital
- oxygen - the gas in the air that we need to breathe
- damage - harm that makes something worse or broken
- chest compressions - pushing on the chest to keep blood moving when the heart has stopped
- responsibility - a duty to take care of something or someone
- instructor - a person who teaches a skill
- confidence - a belief that you can do something
Questions
Purpose and structure
1. Why does the writer begin with the scene at the beach?Main idea
2. What is the writer's main argument?Finding details
3. In which grade does the writer think first-aid lessons should start?Finding details
4. What happens after a few minutes without oxygen?Reference words
5. In paragraph 2, the word "this" in "this is the difference between life and death" refers to…Finding details
6. Give TWO of the basic first-aid steps mentioned in paragraph 3.Purpose and structure
7. Why does the writer mention Denmark?Fact, opinion and stance
8. How does the writer answer people who say that "schools are already too busy"?Word meaning
9. In paragraph 4, the word "confidence" is closest in meaning to…Fact, opinion and stance
10. Which of these sentences is an OPINION, not a fact?
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