Is Your Home Safe? - ESL Article

Good Morning & Happy Monday!

Today's article is about keeping your home safe from thieves. Many people go on vacation in summer, leaving their homes vulnerable to thieves. ESL students are no different, with many traveling to their home countries or to other states or cities to visit friends. Here are some tips your students (and maybe even you!) can use to keep their homes safe.

Thank you for visiting and have a great week!

Is Your Home Safe?

How to Protect Your Home From Thieves

Did you know that someone is robbed every 15 seconds, in America? Most of the time it is homes that are robbed. This is scary when you think about it. Almost everyone has either been robbed or known someone who was robbed. Losing your things is not the worst part. Things can be replaced. The worst part is having a stranger break into your home. Yet, you do not have to sit at home, feeling helpless against robbers.

There are many ways to protect yourself from break-ins. Here are some tips to try:

1. Take your name off your mailbox. This is one of the easiest ways to protect your home. A thief who has your name can get your telephone number easily. Once he has your name and number, it is very easy to find out if you are home or not.

2. Ask a neighbor to park one of their cars in your driveway. This way, it looks as though someone is at home. Offer to do the same when your neighbor goes on vacation.

3. Keep a television or radio on, while you are away. Thieves always look for homes that are empty. Hearing noise will make it look as though someone is at home.

4. Lock your doors and windows. Believe it or not, many people leave their doors unlocked. Even more people leave their windows unlocked. Do not make this common mistake!

5. Protect your spare key. Most people keep an extra key near their back door. Thieves know this! They also know where to look for this key. Keep your spare key in a digital safe. Digital safes cost less than 100 dollars. Yet they are a valuable way to protect your home.

6. Dogs are not always the answer. People think that dogs protect homes. This can be true, but not always. Did you know that many robbers carry dog treats to help keep dogs quiet? Don't make your dog your only strategy for keeping your home safe!

QUESTIONS

1. How many homes are robbed every hour?

2. What is meant by the worst part?

3. What happens when you take your name off your mailbox?

4. What is the benefit of leaving your television on?

5. What are two common safety mistakes that people make?

6. How do thieves rob homes that have dogs in them?

ACTIVITIES

* Have you ever been robbed? When did it happen? What was taken from your home? Talk or write about your experience.

* Do you agree with the tips in this article? Why or why not?

* What are some tips that you use, to protect your home from robbers?

* There is a fine line between protecting yourself and living in fear. How are these two ideas similar? How are they different?

* THINK & WRITE The average thief steals about $2000 worth of stuff. Only about 15% of thieves are caught. Why do you think robbers have been so successful? What can governments and police do to help stop theft?