How to Be a Good
Citizen
What is
citizenship?
Citizenship means being a
citizen, or member of a group. When you are a part of a group, you have certain
rights and responsibilities.
What is a right?
A right is something you are
allowed to have. The right to vote means, when a citizen turns 18, he/she
is allowed to vote for who they want to be president or even vote on how money
in his/her town should be spent. Citizens also have the right to a free public
education. Some countries don’t have those rights.
What is a
responsibility?
Responsibilities are things
people have to do because it is doing their fair share. In other words, it is
the duty to do something. A responsibility of a citizen would be to obey the
law. People, who don’t obey the law, are not only hurting themselves, but
others too. It wouldn’t be fair if a person drove too fast, because it could
hurt someone else. That’s why when people break the law they get into trouble.
There are responsibilities for everyone, everywhere. Even at home and school.
Other responsibilities are being polite, being fair, telling the truth, or
doing something when you say you will.
Who makes the rules
for people to follow?
It may be difficult sometimes
to want to follow rules, but rules are made so that people don’t get hurt
physically or with words. Parents make rules to keep you safe from dangerous
people or places. Police officers make sure people don’t break laws. It isn’t
because they like to find bad people, but because they want to make sure
others don’t get hurt. Teachers and principals want students to follow rules at
school. If there weren’t any rules at school, how could anyone get their
education that they have a right to?
COMPREHENSION
1. Complete the following
definitions with the right word(s) from the text.
a.
Citizenship is the state of being a______________of a
particular______________ and having______________ and ______________because of
it.
b. A right is a privilege that you
______________. In our country, you have ______________ such as ______________ , the right to ______________ and ______________.
c. Responsibility simply means
______________. Examples of responsibility
include______________, ______________ and ______________.
2. Decide if these statements are
true or false; then, justify your answer.
a. According to the writer, all the countries have the right to education.
Truer Falser
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
b. People who
don’t respect the law hurt only themselves.
Truer Falser
………………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
c. In the writer’s country, the right
to vote means, when a citizen turns 28.
Truer Falser
………………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
3. Answer the following questions
briefly, in your own words as far as possible.
a. What does the right to vote enable the citizen to do?
………………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
b. What would the responsibility of
the citizen be?
………………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
c. Why are rules made?
………………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
d. Why do parents make rules?
………………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4. Put the words between brackets
before the appropriate definition/ meaning.
(Allowed, fair, obey, rule )
a……………………………….: To act according to
what you have been asked or ordered to do by someone in authority or to behave
according to a rule, law or instruction.
b……………………………….: Have the right to do something.
c……………………………….: An accepted principle
or instruction that states the way things are or should be done, and tells you
what you are allowed or are not allowed to do.
d……………………………….: Treating someone in a
way that is right or reasonable, or treating a group of people equally and not
allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment.
5. Find in the text the antonyms of
the following words.
a. Prohibited :…………………….……………
b. Disobey :…………………….……………
6. What do the underlined words in
the text refer to?
a. He/ She (
paragraph 2):…………………….……………
b. They ( paragraph
4):…………………….……………