2021-22学年第10期总第847期(2版)
Ensuring safety of escape rooms (P2)
邯郸市第一中学  Grace

I. Lead-in 
What is an escape-room game?
An escape room is a game in which a team of players discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms in order to accomplish a specific goal in a limited amount of time. The goal is often to escape from the site of the game.

Have you played such games before? Did you like it? Why or why not?

II. Pre-reading
According to the title, what do you think the text is mainly about? 
Ensuring safety of escape rooms

Who ensures the safety of escape room?
What kind of safety needs to be ensured?
How is safety ensured?
...

III. Read for structure 
Part 1 Paras_ 1-2    Popularity of escape-room games in China.

Part 2 Para ___3____   What the game is like.

Part 3 Paras__4-5____    Safety concerns about the game.

Part 4 Paras __6-9___    Reasons of issuing the notice.

Part 5 Para __10___     Measures

IV. While-reading
What are escape-room games like?
With realistic settings, various kinds of props (道具) and mechanisms (机关), a team of players can have an immersive (沉浸式的) experience of working together to discover clues, solve puzzles and explore exciting adventures. The team needs to accomplish various tasks to get out of the enclosed (封闭的) space.

What’s the function of Para 4?
Transitional sentence; 
To introduce the safety concerns about escape-room games.

What notice was released by the Fire and Rescue Department of the Ministry of Emergency Management?
A notice to stress the fire risks of rooms provided for escape games was released. It said that the service providers must take necessary precautions (预防措施) against fire. They should also ensure the safety of players.

Why did the Fire and Rescue Department of the Ministry of Emergency Management issue the notice?
Because according to China Daily, escape rooms are organized by different sized cells (小房间) and most are set up on a one-way path. Materials for the settings and props are usually paper, draperies (布料) and plastic, which will produce a lot of smoke and even toxic (有毒的) gas if on fire. Those settings can also hinder (阻碍) evacuation (疏散) and rescue efforts in a fire. Meanwhile, some people died because of fire broke out in escape rooms. Also, experts found that most operators had little awareness (意识) of fire risks, and lacked fire precautions and evacuation plans.

What necessary precautions should the operators take?
First, such sites must be equipped with fire facilities put in obvious places and checked to be in working order. There should also be clear exit signs and emergency escape route maps. No open fire or smoking is allowed and all the staff should be trained to organize an evacuation in case of a fire.

V. Post-reading
How can we escape from a fire?

1 Have an escape plan and practice it.
2 Plan around the abilities of everyone in your household.
3 Stay low and crawl to an exit to avoid smoke inhalation.
4 Feel doorknobs to see if they’re hot.  
5 Don’t hide in the event of a fire.
6 Know what to do if your escape routes are blocked. 

VI. Language study
1. Blank Filling 

1)    If there _____ (be) a fire, it would be deadly.
2)    In February, a person ______ (go) by the name of Miss Yuan and her friends ________  only five minutes into an escape-room game in Changsha.
3)    Such sites must _________ (equip) with fire facilities put in obvious places and checked to be in working order. 
4)    No open fire or smoking is allowed and all the staff should ________ (train) to organize an evacuation in case of a fire.

Key: 
1) were
2) going, were injured   
3) be equipped
4) be trained

2. Find useful words and expressions in the text and work out their meanings.
the most popular forms of entertainment
realistic settings
accomplish various tasks
safety concerns
More concerning
issued a notice
ensure the safety of players
hinder evacuation and rescue efforts 
be surrounded by 
go by the name of  
had little awareness of fire risks
 be equipped with
in case of a fire