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10-Year-Old Gives Birth (4th November, 2010)

A 10-year-old child has given birth to a baby girl. The young mum, Elena, is from Romania. Her daughter, Nicoletta, weighed 2.9kg. Nicoletta’s father is just 13, although he and Elena are no longer together. The baby's grandmother, Olimpia, said Elena’s situation was not uncommon in Romania. “These things are normal in our country. Girls get married at ten, so we don't understand why people are so surprised,” she said. She also said the whole family was feeling “ecstatic” with the happy news.

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This may not be such big news in Romania, but I’m sure it is in other countries in the world. Surely ten years old is too young to become a mother. How can Elena look after her daughter and go to school? Will she have a “normal” life and be able to play with her friends? The crazy thing is that if Nicoletta does the same thing, Elena will be a grandmother at the age of 20. Elena is not the world’s youngest mum. In February this year a nine-year-old schoolgirl in China gave birth to a baby boy.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.

given birth

a.

longer together

2

he and Elena are no

b.

our country

3.

not uncommon

c.

are so surprised

4.

These things are normal in

d.

to a baby girl

5.

e don't understand why people

e.

news

6.

happy

f.

in Romania

 

Paragraph 2

1.

not be such big

a.

her daughter

2

too young to

b.

with her friends

3.

look after

c.

the age of 20

4.

be able to play

d.

news in Romania

5.

a grandmother at

e.

to a baby boy

6.

gave birth

f.

become a mother


LISTENING GAP FILL

A 10-year-old child ___________________ a baby girl. The young mum, Elena, is from Romania. Her daughter, Nicoletta, weighed 2.9kg. Nicoletta’s father is just 13, although he and Elena ___________________. The baby's grandmother, Olimpia, said Elena’s situation ___________________ in Romania. “These things are normal in our country. Girls get married at ten, so we don't understand why ___________________,” she said. She also said the whole family was feeling “ecstatic” with the happy news.

This ___________________ big news in Romania, but I’m sure it is in other countries in the world. ___________________ old is too young to become a mother. How can Elena look after her daughter and go to school? Will she have a “normal” life and ___________________ with her friends? The crazy thing is that if Nicoletta does the same thing, Elena will be a grandmother at the age of 20. Elena is not the world’s youngest mum. In February this year a nine-year-old schoolgirl in China ________________________ boy.


MULTIPLE CHOICE

A 10-year-old child has (1) ____ birth to a baby girl. The young mum, Elena, is from Romania. Her daughter, Nicoletta, (2) ____ 2.9kg. Nicoletta’s father is just 13, although he and Elena are no (3) ____ together. The baby's grandmother, Olimpia, said Elena’s situation was not uncommon in Romania. “These (4) ____ are normal in our country. Girls get married at ten, so we don't understand why people are (5) ____ surprised,” she said. She also said the whole family was (6) ____ “ecstatic” with the happy news.

This may not be such big news in Romania, but I’m (7) ____ it is in other countries in the world. Surely ten years old is (8) ____ young to become a mother. How can Elena look after her daughter and go to school? Will she have a “normal” life and be (9) ____ to play with her friends? The crazy thing is that if Nicoletta does the same thing, Elena will (10) ____ a grandmother at the (11) ____ of 20. Elena is not the world’s youngest mum. In February this year a nine-year-old schoolgirl in China (12) ____ birth to a baby boy.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.

(a)

given

(b)

gave

(c)

gives

2.

(a)

weight

(b)

weighing

(c)

weighed

3.

(a)

length

(b)

long

(c)

longer

4.

(a)

things

(b)

thinks

(c)

thing

5.

(a)

such

(b)

so

(c)

as

6.

(a)

felt

(b)

feels

(c)

feeling

7.

(a)

surely

(b)

sure

(c)

surer

8.

(a)

too

(b)

to

(c)

two

9.

(a)

ability

(b)

able

(c)

abilities

10.

(a)

have

(b)

be

(c)

want

11.

(a)

age

(b)

old

(c)

aged

12

(a)

given

(b)

giving

(c)

gave


SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

given ibthr

2.

Nicoletta hwedige 2.9kg

3.

no rnoelg together

4.

not monumnoc

5.

people are so rspusreid

6.

feeling iatsccte

 

Paragraph 2

7.

other crunestio

8.

look after her ahgdetur

9.

have a oanmrl life

10.

The carzy thing

11.

the world’s ngouteys mum

12.

a nine-year-old lrhsgoiocl


PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

A 10-year-old child has given birth to a baby girl. The young mum, Elena, is from Romania. Her daughter,

(    )

old is too young to become a mother. How can Elena look after her daughter and go to school? Will she have

(    )

Nicoletta, weighed 2.9kg. Nicoletta’s father is just 13, although he and Elena are no

(    )

longer together. The baby's grandmother, Olimpia, said Elena’s situation was not uncommon

(    )

This may not be such big news in Romania, but I’m sure it is in other countries in the world. Surely ten years

(    )

thing, Elena will be a grandmother at the age of 20. Elena is not the world’s youngest

(    )

people are so surprised,” she said. She also said the whole family was feeling “ecstatic” with the happy news.

(    )

in Romania. “These things are normal in our country. Girls get married at ten, so we don't understand why

1  )

mum. In February this year a nine-year-old schoolgirl in China gave birth to a baby boy.

(    )

a “normal” life and be able to play with her friends? The crazy thing is that if Nicoletta does the same


THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.

year     -     old     child     has     given     birth     A     10     -.    

2.

daughter     ,     Her     Nicoletta     2     ,     weighed     9kg.    

3.

together     longer     no     are     Elena     and     He.    

4.

things     These     country     our     in     normal     are.    

5.

family     feeling     whole     was     ecstatic     The.    

6.

news     big     such     be     not     may     This.    

7.

young     too     is     old     years     ten     Surely.    

8.

go     after     to     her     school     daughter     and     Look.    

9.

Be     friends     her     with     play     to     able.    

10.

grandmother     age     Elena     a     the     20     be     at     of     will.    


DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________


WRITING

Write about young mums for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________


HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. YOUNG MUMS: Search the Internet and find more information about Elena. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about young mums. Include imaginary interviews with a young mum and her child. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a parenting expert. Ask him/her three questions about young mums. Give him/her three of your opinions on how to help young mums. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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