Police Save Sixteen Children in Ohio
俄亥俄州警方救出16名兒童
Introduction
Police in Ohio found sixteen children in a very bad house. They arrested four adults.
俄亥俄州警方在一家環境極差的房屋中發現了16名兒童，並逮捕了4名成年人。
Main Body
Police went to a house to look for a man. They found sixteen children there. The children lived in one small room. The room was very dirty. Some children could not speak. One girl was 18 years old, but she could not write her name. Seven children went to the hospital.
警方前往一處房屋尋找一名男子，隨後在那裡發現了16名兒童。這些孩子被安置在一個小房間內，房間內非常髒亂。部分兒童無法說話。一名女孩雖然已18歲，但卻無法寫出自己的名字。其中7名兒童被送往醫院。
The children did not go to school. The family moved to many different houses for twenty years. Because of this, the government did not know about the children.
這些孩子沒有上學。該家庭在20年間搬過許多不同的住處，因此政府並不 aware 這些孩子的存在。
Now, the state needs more help for children. There are not enough workers in the foster care system. Many workers leave their jobs. The state is trying to spend more money on health care, but it is still difficult.
目前，該州需要更多針對兒童的援助。寄養體系內的人手不足，許多員工選擇離職。州政府正嘗試增加醫療保健支出，但情況依然艱難。
Conclusion
The children are now safe with the government. The four adults are in court.
這些孩子目前在政府的照顧下十分安全。四名成年人則在法庭受審。
Vocabulary Learning
📌 The 'Could Not' Pattern
In this story, we see a repeat of could not. This is how we talk about things someone was unable to do in the past.
How it works:
Subject + could not + action word
Examples from the text:
- Some children could not speak.
- She could not write her name.
Why this is useful for A2: Instead of using complex words, you can use could not to describe a lack of ability.
Simple Variations:
- I could not sleep → (I was unable to sleep)
- He could not find the house → (He was unable to find it)
🛠️ Vocabulary Build: Numbers & Quantity
Notice how the text uses numbers to give clear facts. This is a key A2 skill: Giving Specific Information.
- 16 children (Exact number)
- 4 adults (Exact number)
- 20 years (Duration of time)
Quick Tip: When you describe a situation, use numbers to make your English sound more professional and accurate.