Nowadays lots of kids are at home alone after school.They take care of t（1）

hemselves

hemselves

almost every day.People call these kids"latchkey kids".Are you one of them？
   This nickname got its start in the 1940s.Many men fought in the Second World War and women had to take jobs in factories to keep the country going.With both parents away，lots of kids went back to e（2）

mpty

mpty

houses after school.Latchkey kids wore house keys around their n（3）

ecks

ecks

and they used the keys to open doors .
   Today，it's c（4）

ommon

ommon

for both parents to work.As a result，a new generation of kids are spending some time alone after school.It becomes n（5）

ecessary

ecessary

for both parents and kids to make some rules.There are a lot of questions to talk about：Should you call your mum，or dad as soon as you get home？
   Should you do your homework f（6）

irst

irst

？
   Can you watch TV or play computer games？If so how long？
   What can you eat if you want a snack？
   Can friends come over？If so，how many？
   As latchkey kids，knowing how to stay safe is just as important as following the family rules.Talk about the following questions with your parents
   What should you do when the phone r（7）

ings

ings

？
   What should you do if someone knocks at the door？
   What should you do if someone breaks into the house？
  What should you do if you c（8）

ut

ut

yourself while cooking？
   You may feel bored when you are at home alone.Well，as a matter of fact，keeping yourself busy is h（9）

elpful

elpful

.There are many things to do，and you will feel that time goes by quickly：
   Read a book or a magazine.
   Write an email to your friends.
   Phone a friend and have a chat.
   Do e（10）

xercise

xercise

to keep healthy.
    Tidy up your room.