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1b It’s the law

1 Warm-up

TEEN
Look at the signs and say what you mustn’t
do. Use the phrases in the box.

• You are not allowed to eat in the classroom. LAWS
• It’s strictly forbidden to park your car in front
of a police station.
Laws affect our lives every day, but people
© MM Publications
have very different opinions about what
should be legal and what should be illegal,
Vocabulary depending on where they live.
• You’re not allowed • It’s illegal to...
to... • .. is against the Entertainment
.
• It’s strictly law. Teens around the world enjoy hanging out at malls
forbidden to... • ... is banned... and in other public places. However, if you live in the
USA, you may have to make sure to get back home
before a certain time whenever you go out with your
friends. That’s because some cities and states have
their own laws about what time young people can be
outdoors at night without an adult. For example, in
Bakersfield, California, teenagers under 18 mustn’t be
out after 10 p.m., whereas in San Francisco, you can
stay out until midnight even if you are under 14. These
laws were created to keep teenagers safe, but also
because some shopkeepers complain that crowds
of teenagers frighten away their customers. In the
UK, many teens like playing video games that feature
fighting and violence, just as young people everywhere
do. However, video game shops aren’t allowed to sell
games with a lot of violence to young teens.
Marriage
The ancient Romans allowed girls to get married at
12 and boys at 14, without their parents’ consent. In
Scotland this law was applied until 1929, but not many
2 Read  people got married so young. In the Middle Ages,
however, marriages at a young age were common, but
life was harder and shorter then and people didn’t live
A. Read the five laws below and guess to be very old. Today, in the UK you can get married
whether they are True or False. Write at 16 with one parent’s consent. At 18, you don’t need
T or F. Then read and check your your parents’ consent.
answers.
Pets
1. In all states in the USA, it’s illegal for In the UK, you used to be able to legally own a pet
at the age of 12, but many people believed that this
teenagers under 14 to be out after 10 p.m. was too young. They said that a 12-year-old might be
excited about the pet at first, but could get tired of
2. In the UK you can get married without taking care of the animal and neglect it. As a result,
your parents’ consent from the age of 14. the age was increased to 16. Of course, many kids are
responsible pet owners but, until they become 16, it is
3. Children under 16 cannot buy a pet in the UK. their parents who are legally responsible for any pets
in the house.
4. It’s against the law for fourteen-year-olds
to mow the lawn in the USA. Work
Looking for your first job? Do you know at what age
5. In New Zealand only cyclists under 12 have you are legally allowed to work? In the USA, it’s 14
to wear a helmet. and in the UK, 13. In India, teens can work at 14, with

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