Текст 10

Many young people in Britain experience crime in their everyday lives. And who are the criminals that commit these crimes? They are often teenagers, only a little older than the victims.

In November 2000 the murder of a 10-year-old boy shocked many British people. Damilola Taylor was found bleeding to death on some stairs on a housing estate in south-east London. The police believe that some young people were bullying Damilola on his way home from school and stabbed him in the leg with a broken bottle.

The murder of Damilola Taylor was shocking but a recent survey shows that a lot of young British people are victims of crime. In Wales 58% were victims of crime, including theft, bullying and serious threats. For 96% of London's young people (11-15 years) crime is a normal part of growing up. So normal in set that most young people do not report these crimes because they are scared that adults will not believe them or that the criminals will take their revenge.

Much of the crime against young people is committed by other young people. Mobile phone thefts have gone up by five times in the past two years and half the victims are under eighteen. However, the average age of someone who steals mobile phones is just sixteen. Recently a large group of teenagers attacked ten children outside a cinema in London and stole their phones.

Is crime by kids out of control?

We asked some young people for their opinions. Who do you agree with?

What role models do we have? All the kids want money and nice clothes but they don't want to work hard. People boast about how much they are able to steal. David, 15

I think that most teenagers behave like idiots when they are with their friends. At home they are nice kids but they do silly things to impress their group of friends. Yaz, 17

Adults complain about the bad behaviour of the younger generation but adults are to blame because they're the ones who set the examples to us. Julie, I6

Young people (11 - 14) know that the police can't arrest them. There should be punishments for children that commit these crimes. Tom, 14

Teenagers hang around in groups on the streets. I find it frightening to walk past them on the way home from school. Ellis, 14

Выберите между глаголами get и become. В каких предложениях возможно использование обоих глаголов?

1. All the kids want to get / become money and nice clothes.

2. Adults must get / become better role models.

3. Most teenagers get / become idiots when they're in a group of friends.

4. Ellie gets / becomes frightened when she walks past groups of teenagers on the street.

Упражнения

1. Выберите подходящий для себя вариант ответа. Вставьте выделенные слова по смыслу в текст ниже.

1. I approve/disapprove of getting married when you're a teenager.

2. I think smoking should be legal/illegal when you're fifteen.

3. I agree/disagree that you should always wear a seatbelt in a car.

4. I think if teenagers want a tattoo or body-piercing, they should be honest/dishonest with their parents.

5. I think most teenagers usually obey/disobey the school rules.

6. I think it's logical/illogical to allow young teenagers to work.

Age 10: You have the (1) right to choose your own religion.

Age 13: It's (2) for you to work all day. But it's OK to work for a few hours a week.

Age 14: You are (3) for having your seatbelt fastened in a car. It's against the law for you to leave your belt unfastened. You may have to pay a fine of £20 if you leave it undone. Age 16: You can get married, but you must check with at least one of your parents. If they (4) then you'll have to wait!

Age 17: You can't have a tattoo or body piercing unless your parents are with you and they (5). If someone gives you a tattoo without your parents' permission, they will have to go to court and the judge may fine them or send them to prison. You can have a drivers licence, but you must (6) the law and have an adult with you.

Age 18: By law you are now an adult Many more things are now (7) for you

You can get married without asking your parents, have a bank account and you can vote. You can buy cigarettes, but you must be (8) about your age .Take an ID card or a copy of your birth certificate as proof. And remember, they're very bad for your health!