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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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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on a Young Mum (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)