HSC English First Paper | Unit: 7, Lesson: 4 | Human Rights | Amerigo, a Street Child

1. Warm up activity:
Look at the pictures and then discuss the following questions in small groups.
HSC English First Paper | Unit: 7, Lesson: 4 | Human Rights | Amerigo, a Street Child
□ Who do you think are these children? What would you call them tn your own language?
□ What are they doing?
□ Do these pictures contradict the idea behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
□ Have you got such children tn your locality? What problems do they have In their lives?

2. Read the following story and answer the questions that follow:
My name is Amerigo. I am 13 years old and I live on the street, alone. My mother, who is separated from my father, doesn't want me. She told me to go away.... Now she is married to another man. My father lives very far away. I want to go to him, but he won't take me either. I begged him to send me some money so that I could buy a bus ticket I am still waiting. He hasn't answered.

The streets are now my home. Sometimes I find work. I used to collect trash and sell it to a vendor. I stopped doing that after I had a serious infection and a doctor told me to stay away from the trash dump. Once I worked for an ice cream shop owner and sold ice cream on the beach. But I got no money in return. The owner of the shop gave me something to eat, and Let me sleep in his hut at night The work was difficult and painful. The ice cream boa is quite heavy when it is full. I had to walk for hours, offering my ice cream to whoever wanted to buy. There were days when I could not even sell one ice cream.
HSC English First Paper | Unit: 7, Lesson: 4 | Human Rights | Amerigo, a Street Child
In a way, I am lucky because I am alive. My friends who work sorting rubbish in dumps often suffer from serious diseases. One of them was recently killed after he fell into a hole that opened up in the pile of trash. Many of us work for 10 to 12 hours, and get so little in return that we can't even buy food.

Shoe-shining is very popular among the street kids. A few of my friends also work in factories and workshops. A boy I know lost one of his eyes after a piece of hot glass flew into his eye at the glass factory where he worked. The owner refused to pay for medical help and fired him.

For me, like all other children on the street, it is very hard. I am always hungry, and I don't know where I will sleep the next night I would like to live in my own home and sleep there in peace. The nights are very cold in the winter. You can die of cold in the street
[taken from http://VWWW.UH.CT^/cyb(^Kbcc\b\i^\imiffm^hl&'d^c^m^goM^ acccucd on10/05/2014]

3. Answer the following questions:
a. What is your impression about Amerigo's parents?
b. What was Amerigo's first job? What made him stop doing that job?
c. How is Amerigo's experience of selling ice cream?
d. How does Amerigo evaluate his life now? Does he have any option to change it?
e. What does Amerigo desire now? Should he desire such things? Why/Why not?
f. If you were Amerigo, what would you do?
g. Have you ever met a boy or a girl like Amerigo? If yes, write about him/her.
h. What should society do for children like Amerigo?

Answer to the question number 3. 
a. Amerigo's parents was very careless about Amerigo's. His mother was separated from his father and his father did not care him.

b. Amerigo's first job was collecting trash. A serious infection made him stop doing that job.

c. Amerigo's experience of selling ice cream is very inhumanity. He did not get money in return of selling ice cream.

d. Amerigo evaluates his life that he is alive now. He has no option to change it.

e. Amerigo desires to live his own home and sleep there in peace. It is not possible because he is not capable to build a home and manage his food easy way.

f. If I am Amerigo I would find a better way to lead my life in a easy way.

g. Yes, I have met a boy like Amerigo in my city. He suffers from hunger and shelter.

h. Society should do many things. Firstly, the children like Amerigo insure food, shelter and education.


4. Make a list of the differences between yours, and Amerigo's lives:
Amerigo's
life
My life
(similarities)
My life
(dissimilarities)
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
4.
5.
5.
5.
6.
6.
6.
7.
7.
7.


Now use these points and write a paragraph on the similarities and dissimilarities you have with a street child.

5. Read the first paragraph of Amerigo's story. What form of speech is used here - direct or indirect speech?

5.1 Now read the following text. What form of speech is used here: direct or indirect?
His name was Amerigo .... His father lived very far away. He wanted to go to his father, but he (the father) won't have taken him either. He had begged him (his father) to send some money so that he could buy a bus ticket. He was waiting. However, his father hadn't answered.

5.2 Convert the following text into indirect speech.
Amerigo says, In a way, I am lucky because I am alive. My friends who work sorting rubbish in dumps often suffer from serious diseases. One of them was recently killed after he fell into a hole that opened up in the pile of trash.'

6. Summarise Amerigo's story in 150 words and give it a title which is different from the title of the lesson.

If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
Lesson 5: Human Rights


1 Comments

Post a Comment
Previous Post Next Post