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Explanatory essay
読む前に：あなたの国では避難訓練（注1）をしますか。どんなことをしますか。 Tips for reading 説明文 (explanatory text): the article often begins with a strange keyword (here it is 「おかしも」) + question, then the next paragraph explains. Immediately find a sentence of the form「～とは…です」／「～という意味です」— that is the answer to the definition question.
日本では幼稚園や小学校で「おかしも」という言葉を習います。「おかしも」とはどのような意味でしょう。実は、これは災害（注1）や事故などが起きたときに、安全に避難するための注意を一つにした言葉です。「押さない、駆けない（注2）、しゃべらない（注3）、戻らない」という四つの言葉の始めのひらがなを並べたものです。
小学校で一年に何度も行われる避難訓練では、教室を出て校庭に逃げる練習をするのですが、そのとき子どもたちが素早く避難できるように、先生は「「おかしも」ですよ。」と何度も声をかけます。一年に何度も、避難訓練のたびにこの言葉を耳にするので、日本の子どもたちで「おかしも」の意味を知らない子どもはいないほどです。
本当に何かがあったときには、この訓練で「おかしも」を身につけたおかげで、子どもたちはこわがったりあわてたりせずに冷静に避難できるというわけです。「おかしも」は子どもたちを安全に避難させるために考えられた工夫なのです。
（注1）災害：地震・台風などの大きな被害が出る出来事
（注2）駆ける：走る
（注3）しゃべる：話す
Explanation: Paragraph 1 clearly defines: 「安全に避難するための注意を一つにした言葉」＋ combining the first letters of 4 short sentences → ② is correct. ① is a trap that rhymes with お菓子 (cake). ③④ is the action/result of the rehearsal, not the meaning of the word.
What is 「おかしも」?
① The sentence advises you to eat the whole cake, not just the meat and vegetables · ② Shorthand for things to keep in mind when evacuating · ③ Leaving the classroom and quickly evacuating to the school yard during drills · ④ Children acting calmly during evacuation drills
Explanation: The reason is right before that sentence:「避難訓練のたびにこの言葉を耳にするので」→ ②. ① is incorrect because it is 一年に何度も (several times a year), not 毎日. ③④ is not the reason children remember.
Why "almost no Japanese children do not know the meaning of「おかしも」"?
① Because every day it is explained by teachers at school. · ② Because every time I hear an evacuation drill, I hear that sentence. · ③ Because that's a word cleverly invented by adults. · ④ Because it's a word that sounds like お菓子 (cake).
In Japan, in kindergarten and elementary school, children learn the word「おかしも」. What does 「おかしも」mean? Actually, this is a combination of things to keep in mind to safely evacuate when a natural disaster (note 1) or accident occurs. It is created by forming the first hiragana of four phrases:「押さない (don't push), 駆けない (don't run), しゃべらない (don't talk), 戻らない (don't turn back)」.
During evacuation drills held several times each year in elementary schools, students practice getting out of class and running into the schoolyard; At that time, in order for the children to evacuate quickly, the teachers continuously reminded: 「It's「おかしも」 okay!」. Because we hear this sentence many times every year, and listen to it every rehearsal, there are hardly any Japanese children who don't know the meaning of「おかしも」.
When something really happened, thanks to having memorized「おかしも」through the drills, they were not afraid or panicked but were able to evacuate calmly. 「おかしも」is an initiative devised to help children evacuate safely.
(note 1) 災害: natural disaster — an event that causes great damage such as an earthquake or storm. (note 2) 駆ける = 走る (run). (note 3) しゃべる = 話す (talk).
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