6.7 I can understand an article about social change in the UK.

Reading worksheet
CULTURE
1   In pairs. Look at the pictures in the Student’s Book and answer the questions.
1 What do you think they show?
2 How have you benefited from these changes in society?
2 SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING   Working on your own, read the text about three changes
in British society. What are the three big changes?

THE FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS

In modern Europe we take some of our rights for granted. But in some
cases they were campaigned for and only won in the last 100 years.
1
In the 19th century, children often worked in terrible factories from a very
young age. In theory, the minimum age for employing children was nine. In
practice, however, poor families often lied about their children’s age, and
factory owners were happy to be lied to. The Factory Act of 1833 changed
that and was the beginning of the modern attitude that children should be
allowed to grow, play and learn free from having to work. You now must be
over eighteen to work full-time.
2
Although the Factory Act said that children should go to school, factory
owners didn’t want educated workers. However, that changed as the
machines in factories became more advanced and it was the factory owners
who pushed for more teachers and more schools. Basic education started
in 1870, but free schools for everyone in Britain only came in 1944. It is
now compulsory for all children over five to go to school.
3
1918 is a date that is now widely celebrated as the year that women
got the vote. However, until that year, most ordinary men and women in
Britain could not vote. Before World War I, voting was only open to a small
number of rich men who owned property. In 1918, a new law gave all men
over the age of 21 the right to vote.
4
And women? It was decided that because women had helped so much
during the war, and due to the efforts from campaigners, women over 30
would be given the vote as long as they owned property or were married
to someone who did. It was another ten years before
women had the same rights as men. Today all citizens
GLOSSARY

rights prawa
over eighteen are allowed to vote. take rights for granted  uznawać prawa
za oczywistoś
campaigned for  prowadzić kampanię za
in theory  w teorii
minimum age  minimalny wiek
in practice  w praktyce
lied about / to  kłamać o (komuś)
pushed for  nawoływać do
compulsory obowiązkowy
citizens obywatele

VISION 3  Reading worksheet 6.7  BASIC MATURA   PHOTOCOPIABLE   © Oxford University Press

Vision L3 Reading WS.indd 11 05/06/2019 08:36

 6.7 I can understand an article about social change in the UK.

3
CULTURE
BASIC MATURA   Read the text again. Match
the right heading (A–F) to each paragraph
(1–4). Two headings do not match any of the
paragraphs.
A A long wait for full equality
B First steps to a fairer system
C The importance of education
D The right to a childhood
E The right to work
F Voting for teachers
4 Read the strategy and answer the
questions below.
In which paragraph does the writer talk about …
A the year the law changed to give women the
chance to vote?
B people using lies so children could work?
C a free, basic education for all children?
D the age today’s citizens are allowed to vote?
Strategia

Szybkie czytanie w celu odszukania konkretnej

informacji
Gdy chcemy znaleźć w tekście konkretną
informację, warto szybko przeczytać tekst,
wypatrując synonimów i parafraz tego, czego
szukamy. Gdy znajdziesz pożądaną informację,
uważnie ją przeczytaj, aby się upewnić, że to o nią
chodziło i że właściwie ją rozumiesz.

5 Match the words and phrases (1–9) to their

definitions (A–H).
1 compulsory
2 rights
3 in practice
4 lied
5 to take something for granted
6 campaigned for / pushed for
7 in theory
8 citizens
9 minimum
A (v) fought hard to get
B (exp) to not realise how lucky you are to have
something
C (v) said something that was not true
D (n) people who belong to a particular
country
E (n) things that you are allowed to do or to
have by law
F (adj) the least / smallest / lowest possible
G (idiom) used to describe an idea that is
supposed to be true but may be wrong
H (idiom) in reality, in fact
I (adj) this describes something that you must
do, you have no choice
WHOLE CLASS   Return to the Student’s Book.
Do Ex 5 and Ex 6 with your class.

VISION 3  Reading worksheet 6.7  BASIC MATURA   PHOTOCOPIABLE   © Oxford University Press

Vision L3 Reading WS.indd 12 05/06/2019 08:36