Child exploitation - PAU inglés 2007 Andalucía resuelto

>Exámenes selectividad inglés resueltos Andalucía

Picture by Sahar Nizami

Dhiraj Kumar, who is 14 years old, works at a tea shop at Delhi's bus station. His 12-hour work shift begins at 9 pm. He makes tea, washes pots, pans and glasses, and serves the customers. For his work, he is paid 50 rupees (a little less than one euro) a day. When a glass is stolen from the tea shop, he is held responsible. His family lives 1,000km away, in the state of Bihar, and the small piece of land the family owns is unable to sustain everyone. Dhiraj’s pay is crucial in the family's battle to survive.

Children under 14 are vulnerable to physical, mental and even sexual abuse. Their exploitation goes unreported and unnoticed inside the closed confines of homes and food stalls. Parents say poverty forces them to send their children, sometimes as young as five, to work in other people's homes and businesses.

An Indian government law banning children from working as domestic servants or in roadside food stalls came into effect on 10 October, 2006. Anyone found exploiting children will face penalties, including imprisonment. According to the authorities, the ban will affect 185,000 children working as domestic help and 70,000 who work in roadside food stalls. But many people say the real number of exploited children could be as high as 20 million, and consequently they believe the prohibition will not solve the entire problem.

RESPUESTAS

I. READING COMPREHENSION

ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-2 ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE TEXT. USE YOUR OWN WORDS.

1) Can a child under 12 work legally as a housemaid in India? Why?

• NO, BECAUSE THERE IS A GOVERNMENT BAN / LAW WHICH FORBIDS IT.

2) Why may the Government’s measure not solve the entire problem of child labour?

• BECAUSE IN MANY CASES EXPLOITATION IS NEVER REPORTED, OR NOBODY NOTICES IT AND THERE ARE MANY MORE CHILDREN WORKING THAN THE AUTHORITIES ESTIMATE.

ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT.

3) Dhiraj has to work the whole night.

• TRUE. “HIS 12-HOUR WORK SHIFT BEGINS AT 9 pm”. (l. 1)

4) His family does not need the money he earns.

• FALSE. “DHIRAJ´S PAY IS CRUCIAL IN THE FAMILY´S BATTLE TO SURVIVE”. (ll. 4-5)

5) In India some children start working when they are five years old.

• TRUE. “PARENTS SAY POVERTY FORCES THEM TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN… AND BUSINESSES”. (ll. 7-8)

6) Children cannot work in roadside food stalls.

• TRUE. “AN INDIAN GOVERNMENT LAW…. 2006” (ll. 9-10)

II. USE OF ENGLISH

7) Find in the text the word which has the following definition:

    “which can be easily attacked or easily hurt” (adjective).

• VULNERABLE (l. 6)

8) Find in the text one opposite for WEALTH (noun).

• POVERTY (l. 7)

9) Give an noun with the same root as SURVIVE (verb) (l. 5).

• SURVIVAL

10) Find in the text one synonym for FORBID (verb).

• BAN (-ning) (l. 9)

11) Join the following sentences using a relative pronoun. Make changes if necessary.

      A friend of mine is a famous scientist. He was born in India.

• A FRIEND OF MINE, WHO IS A FAMOUS SCIENTIST, WAS BORN IN INDIA.
• A FRIEND OF MINE, WHO WAS BORN IN INDIA, IS A FAMOUS SCIENTIST.
• A FAMOUS SCIENTIST, WHO IS A FRIEND OF MINE, WAS BORN IN INDIA.
• A FAMOUS SCIENTIST, WHO WAS BORN IN INDIA, IS A FRIEND OF MINE.

12) Turn the following sentence into the passive voice:

      They say he is very young to work.

• HE IS SAID TO BE VERY YOUNG TO WORK
• IT IS SAID (THAT) HE IS VERY YOUNG TO WORK.

13) Rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning. Begin as indicated.

      Many Indian people are too poor to have their own houses.

• Many Indian people aren’t … RICH ENOUGH TO…

14) Turn the following sentences into reported speech:

      “I am very sorry for what I have done”, he said.

• HE SAID HE WAS VERY SORRY FOR WHAT HE HAD DONE
• HE APOLOGIZED FOR WHAT HE HAD DONE.

+EXÁMENES RESUELTOS