English Reading Practice

Human Right Number 27:
Copyright

1. Watch the video at the top of the page.

2. Read the story "Copyright" just below it.

3. Do the exercise at the bottom of the page.

Here is the Copyright video. You can watch it in your own language at www.youthforhumanrights.org. (Simply click the word "language" at the top of their homepage.)



The Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes 30 basic rights that each person has, simply because he or she is human.

This is human right number 27 (the simplified version):

"27. Copyright. Copyright is a special law that protects one’s own artistic creations and writings; others cannot make copies without permission. We all have the right to our own way of life and to enjoy the good things that art, science and learning bring."

Now read the short story about this important human right.

Copyright 

Viola loves to write poems. She is in the sixth grade. She writes at least six poems a day. So, she is very excited when her teacher gives the class a poetry assignment.

The assignment is to write a poem about birds. Viola has many poems about birds already, but she writes a new one anyway. She works very hard on it and is proud to give it the next morning.

Later that day, Viola's teacher asks to talk to her during recess. Viola cannot imagine what the teacher wants!

The teacher shows Viola a poem. It is one of her old poems! She wonders how the teacher got this poem.

The teacher says, "Shannon says this is her poem, but this sounds a lot like your poems. Does this look familiar to you?"

Viola tells the teacher yes, this is her poem, not Shannon's!
Later, the class returns from recess. The teacher says, "Class, we need to talk about copyright."

The students look confused. This word is new to them.

The teacher explains, "Copyright is a law that protects our ideas. When we create something, it is protected by copyright. This means that no one is allowed to steal it. We have the right to keep our own ideas, and to get credit for them. No one else can use them and present them like their own."

Viola sees Shannon looking at the floor.

The teacher continues. "It is wrong to steal someone else's poem."

Later that day, Shannon apologizes to Viola, and Viola offers to help Shannon create her own bird poem.

And now, practice:

Exercise 01

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