Two Sad Stories About Children

兩個關於兒童的悲劇


Introduction

Two courts are looking at the deaths of two five-year-old children. The children did not have enough food and were locked away.

兩座法院正審理兩名五歲兒童死亡的案件。這些孩子缺乏足夠的食物並被禁閉。

Main Body

In the USA, a woman named Toni McClure is in trouble. She did not feed her daughter. The girl was very thin. She lived in a dirty closet.

在美國,一名叫 Toni McClure 的女子陷入困境。她沒有餵養她的女兒。女孩非常瘦弱。她住在一個骯髒的衣櫥裡。

In Hong Kong, a woman named L.S.T. said she is guilty. She did not feed a child. She hit the child many times and tied the child to a bed.

在香港,一名叫 L.S.T. 的女子表示她有罪。她沒有餵養一名孩子。她多次毆打該孩子,並將孩子綁在床上。

In both places, people are angry. Social workers did not help the children. The workers did not see the problems during their visits.

在這兩個地方,人們都感到憤怒。社工沒有幫助這些孩子。社工在探訪期間沒有發現問題。

Conclusion

These cases show that neglect is very dangerous. The judges will now decide the punishments.

這些案件表明,疏忽照顧是非常危險的。法官現在將決定處罰方案。

Vocabulary Learning

🛑 The 'Did Not' Pattern

In this story, we see a lot of things that did not happen. This is how we talk about the past when something was missing or failed.

How it works: did not + action word (base form)

Examples from the text:

  • did not have → No food.
  • did not feed → No eating.
  • did not see → No noticing.
  • did not help → No support.

💡 Key Rule: When you use did not, the action word stays simple.

did not feddid not feed


Quick Word List for A2:

  • Guilty → You did something wrong.
  • Neglect → Not taking care of someone.
  • Punishment → A penalty for a crime.

Vocabulary Learning

court (n.)
A place where a judge decides if someone broke the law.
Example:The man went to court to talk to the judge.
guilty (adj.)
When someone has done something wrong or broken a law.
Example:The woman felt guilty for lying to her friend.
closet (n.)
A small room or cupboard used for storing clothes.
Example:I put my winter coat in the closet.
neglect (n.)
When a person does not give a child or animal the care they need.
Example:The dog suffered from neglect because it had no food.
punishment (n.)
A penalty for doing something wrong.
Example:His punishment for being late was to clean the room.
Practice A2 words in a crossword