Couple arrested after child found in car boot in France

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct /28/child-car-boot-france (29/10/2013)

BEFORE READING 1. What does it take to be a good parent? Rank these facts according to your opinion. Discuss the results with the class. Express your love and affection Avoid criticism Being a role model Help your kids feel safe Provide order and set limits Spend quality time with your kids

2. How do you define child abuse?

TEXT French investigators are trying to unravel the harrowing case of a girl who was found in the boot of a car and who might have been hidden there since birth. A mechanic discovered the naked, malnourished and dehydrated child aged between 15 and 23 months on Friday while the car was at a garage in Terrasson, Corrze, central France. The garage workers told TF1 television that a woman in her 40s brought a Peugeot estate car in for a basic repair that involved changing a part. When the workers heard scratching and moaning from the boot, they asked the woman if she had a dog or cat in there. She said the noise was probably a child's electronic toy that had switched itself on. A mechanic opened the boot and found a naked child lying on bin bags amid excrement, "gasping for air". The mechanic said the smell was overwhelming and the child seemed "dehydrated, very, very dirty and feverish". Hospital tests on the child showed significant developmental problems and delayed growth. Investigators are trying to establish whether the girl,

whose birth was never registered, has been kept hidden from the mother's partner and three other children in order to conceal her existence since birth. It is not clear how long the child might have been kept in the car boot. The girl's mother, aged 45, and her 40-year-old partner, both of Portuguese origin and unemployed, live in a village near the garage. They were arrested and charged on Sunday with child abuse and endangering a minor, before being bailed. Their three other children aged between four and 10 were taken into care. The girl remains in hospital undergoing treatment while the police investigation continues. EXERCISE 1 Match the words with their definition. Words matching 1) Unravel 2) Malnourished 3) Moan 4) Gasp 5) Car boot 6) Charge a) part of a car b) shed light c) to accuse somebody of doing something illegal d) complain e) to take a short quick breath through the mouth f) unfed

EXECISE 2 Read the text again and answer the questions. 1. How was the baby girl found? 2. In what condition was the baby girl? 3. What charges do the parents of the baby girl face? .. 4. What happened to the other children of the couple?

EXERCISE 3 Make predictions about the people involved in the story. Use Will + Adverb / Adverb + Won't(some adverbs to use:Probably, almost certainly, definitely) May / May not / Might / Might Not / Could Likely to e.g The mechanics will definitely/may/ are likely to be awarded for their discovery. ..

2 3 4

ACROSS 4. ..................... punishment has been abolished in Greece. 5. He appeared in ..............with handcuffs. 6. She got a life .....................for killing her neighbor. 8. He was released on ...............( of $100 000). 9. He put up a fight when the police tried to .............him for drinking and driving 11. The man remained in ......................until his trial. DOWN 1. A defendant at court can ..................innocent or guilty. 2. His ................were all over the gun and he admitted his guilt. 3.The jury reached a unanimous ................of not guilty . 7.The two women were ..........................with theft. 10.Not surprisingly, the ................found them both guilty.

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Teachers key
Discuss the basic elements of good parenthood and also elicit the terms physical, mental, sexual abuse and negligence. EXERCISE 1 1b, 2f, 3d,4e, 5a, 6c EXERCISE 2 1. Her mum took the car for a repair at a garage and the mechanic heard some sound coming from the car boot. When they opened it they found the baby girl. 2. She was unfed, dirty, naked, dehydrated and suffering from fever. 3. They face charges of child abuse and endangering a minor. 4. Their other kids were given to social services. EXERCISE 3 Make sentences using the structures given. Make sure students know the use of adverbs and their position in the sentence where needed. EXERCISE 4
1

P L
2

F
3 4

E T A D L

V E R D
5

C A P

I N G E

I C
6 7

C O U R T P R
8

S E N T E N C E H A
9

B A

I N S

A R R E S T G
10

J
11

C U S T O D Y R Y
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