| about this site | who we are | site map | reading tips | teaching tips | student tips | build vocab | | teaching vocab | hot links | visit Thai school | Bangkok Post | student weekly | home

This column is for self study or classroom use and gives guided help with reading the wide variety of writing styles and topics that appear as feature articles in the Bangkok Post. The lessons include background information, skill building practice and vocabulary explanations. November 7, 2006 What would you do? INTRODUCTION

I'm from England, from a small seaside town in the southwest, and when I read the article that I've picked for today's lesson, I couldn't feel anything but happiness over the fact that I'm living in Thailand. Today's story is about the fear adults have of young people in Britain, something that I remember clearly. It's also about the Britons' lack of courage to intervene when they see something bad going on. According to the writer, only 34 percent would stop children from vandalising a bus shelter. On the other hand, 65 percent of all Germans would do something. So, how can this be explained? I'm not sure, but the feeling I have is that England is a little bit more dangerous than many other Europeans countries. I have to admit that I would hesitate before I stepped in and stopped young people from vandalising or fighting. To be a Good Samaritan is commendable, but the sad fact of life is that these Good Samaritans often get hurt, sometimes killed. When you read the article, try to relate it to the situation in Thailand. How are adults reacting to young people's bad behaviour here? Are they as scared as the people of Britain? If not, how come? What are the differences between our attitudes towards young people? These are important questions, and if you have the time or opportunity, discuss them with your friends or family. lack a shortage of something courage the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear intervene to become involved in a situation vandalising destroying property Good Samaritan a helper of those who are in trouble commendable worthy of praise Student activity Below there are ten sentences with today's target vocabulary removed. Use the vocabulary list and try to reinsert the words. 1. Many youngsters in poor big city areas are displaying __________ behaviour. 2. The principal of the school didn't __________ because he was scared of eventual violent __________. 3. Students that __________ interest can't succeed no matter how smart they are. 4. After the tsunami, many tourists __________ the southern parts of Thailand. 5. During last year's riots in France, __________ cars was something that could be seen in many places. 6. Mr Thaksin has been __________ for the __________ violent situation in the south. 7. The teacher __________ to the student that he should spend more time studying and less time playing computer games. 8. Philosophy is a very __________ subject that requires a lot of time and effort. 9. The ___________ from childhood to adulthood can be very stressful. 10. Communism and capitalism are two ___________ systems of belief. Teacher's note This lesson could be based on the outlook of young people on life in general. Before presenting the article, ask the students what they find important in life. Then, as a follow-up question, ask them how they would feel if they knew that they would never be able to get the thing that was important to them. This could easily lead to a discussion about why certain young people feel so frustrated, and also about the social realities of life that create this situation. Once the article and Student Activity have been completed, survey the class on there sentiments about Good Samaritans. In today's sometimes very dangerous and violent society, can we really expect people to step in and stop what's going on? Answers for the Students Activity: 1. anti-social 2. intervene, reprisals 3. lack 4. avoided 5. vandalising 6. blamed, increasingly 7. suggested 8. complex 9. transition 10. polarised

OUR STORY FROM THE BANGKOK POST

Britons 'afraid of young people' London — Britain is becoming a nation increasingly afraid of its young people and this ``paedophobia'' is causing problems for children as they grow up, a report released yesterday said. Britons were far less likely than their European counterparts to stop young people committing anti-social behaviour, because of fears of reprisals, being attacked, or verbal abuse, the study by the Institute of Policy Research (IPPR) found. It said changes to family, local communities and the economy had combined to cause ``deep inequalities'' in the transition from childhood to adult life, meaning many young people were incapable of growing up safely or successfully. A lack of adult supervision because of a breakdown in traditional communities where neighbours looked out for each other's children had increased the risk of youth crime and violence, it said. ``The debate about childhood in Britain is polarised between false opposites: that either children or adults are to blame,'' said Nick Pearce, IPPR director. ``Complex structural changes to our society, coupled with changes to how young people behave, have produced this situation.'' Recent studies by the British Crime Survey have shown that people's fear of anti-social behaviour is rising, and the issue has become a major political cause for Prime Minister Tony Blair's government. In August he suggested that the state should intervene early to stop children of problem families growing up into troublemakers. The IPPR said that 1.5 million Britons now thought about moving away from the area they lived in because of ''young people hanging around''. It said 1.7 million people avoided going out after dark because of worries about anti-social behaviour, which the vast majority blamed on a ''lack of discipline''. The 200-page IPPR report said only 34 percent of Britons would stop children from vandalising a bus shelter, compared with 65 percent of Germans, 52 percent of Spaniards and 50 percent of Italians. ''These days, adults tend to turn a blind eye or cross over on the other side of the road rather than intervene in the discipline of another person's child, often because they fear they might be attacked,'' Mr Pearce said. ''A rise in social paedophobia will simply make matters worse.'' REUTERS increasingly more and more paedophobia to be scared of children anti-social not living according to the rules and morals of society reprisals strong reaction to something done to someone inequalities social or economic differences transition process of change supervision to oversee an activity or people increased made or became larger or greater polarized opposite view between people or ideas complex difficult to analyse, understand, or solve coupled something that has been joined or put together suggested advised avoided didn't do something to stop something vast very great in size or amount blamed accused discipline training to ensure good and proper behaviour Read our other instant lesson here. Return to our home page. | © The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2006 | Last modified: November 6, 2006