Why read this: This short text helps your class talk about young people, school, and jobs in another country. It uses simple sentences and one big idea: in Britain, almost one million young people are not at school and not at work. The text is easy to read, but the topic is real. Your students can compare Britain with their own country.
What to notice: Notice the long phrase 'not in education, employment or training' and the short word 'Neets'. They mean the same thing. Also notice the four causes in paragraph 3, written as 'First, Second, Third, Fourth'. These signal words help students follow a list. The text uses 'three times smaller' to compare two countries, which is a useful pattern for A2 learners.
Skills practised: Students practise reading short, simple sentences for the main idea. They learn to find a list of reasons in a text. They also practise comparing numbers and countries. The Open Questions ask them to list four causes and to describe what the Netherlands does well. Both tasks build retrieval and basic comparison skills.
Britain's Young People: Many Not in School or Work
Almost one million young people in the UK are not studying or working. A new report says it is a serious problem.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
In Britain, almostalmost: Very nearly but not completely. — 几乎；差不多 one million young people are not in school and not in workwork: a job; the activity that someone does regularly to earn money — 工作；职业. They are also not learning a job, and they are 16 to 24 years old. People call them not in education, employment or training: the official name for a young person who is not at school, not at a job, and not in any job-training programme — 既不上学也不工作或培训, or Neetsneet: A person not in employment, education or training — 尼特族（不就业、不上学、不培训的人） for short. This number is the highest in more than ten years.
Britain has one of the highest numbers of young Neets in rich Europe. Only a few rich countries in Europe have more. The Netherlands has a much smaller number. It is three times smaller than Britain's.
A new report says four things make this problem worse. First, more young people have poor health, and many have problems with mental health: how a person feels in their mind, like feeling happy, sad, or worried; problems with mental health include things like long sadness or strong worry — 心理健康. They feel sad or worriedworried: Feeling anxious or troubled about something that might happen. — 担心的；忧虑的 for a longlong: Lasting for a great amount of time — 长久的 time. This makes it hard to study or look for a job. Second, British schools do not teach enough job skills. Third, the help from the governmentgovernment: The group of people who run a country. — 政府 is weakweak: Not having much physical strength or power. — 虚弱的；软弱的. Fourth, good jobs are harder to find.
The report comes from a researchresearch: Careful study to find information about a subject — 研究；调查 groupgroup: A column in the periodic table of chemical elements — (周期表)族 called the Resolution Foundation. The leaderleader: A person who is in charge of a group. — 领导者；领袖 of the report is a woman named Lindsay Judge. She says Britain must do more to help young people. She wants better health carecare: Serious attention given to doing something correctly and safely. — 照料；小心；关心 for young mindsmind: The ability for rational thought — 心智；理性思考的能力 and more job training in schools. She also wants the government to give young people stronger supportsupport: To help someone or agree with someone's ideas or actions. — 支持；帮助.
Lindsay Judge says the Netherlands shows a better way. The Dutch systemsystem: A set of connected things or parts that work together as a whole. — 系统；体制 helps young people more, and it works well. Britain can learn from countries like the Netherlands. Without help, more young people in Britain will lose hope for the future.
In Britain, almostalmost: Very nearly but not completely. — 几乎；差不多 one million young people are not in school and not in workwork: a job; the activity that someone does regularly to earn money — 工作；职业. They are also not learning a job, and they are 16 to 24 years old. People call them not in education, employment or training: the official name for a young person who is not at school, not at a job, and not in any job-training programme — 既不上学也不工作或培训, or Neetsneet: A person not in employment, education or training — 尼特族（不就业、不上学、不培训的人） for short. This number is the highest in more than ten years.
Britain has one of the highest numbers of young Neets in rich Europe. Only a few rich countries in Europe have more. The Netherlands has a much smaller number. It is three times smaller than Britain's.
A new report says four things make this problem worse. First, more young people have poor health, and many have problems with mental health: how a person feels in their mind, like feeling happy, sad, or worried; problems with mental health include things like long sadness or strong worry — 心理健康. They feel sad or worriedworried: Feeling anxious or troubled about something that might happen. — 担心的；忧虑的 for a longlong: Lasting for a great amount of time — 长久的 time. This makes it hard to study or look for a job. Second, British schools do not teach enough job skills. Third, the help from the governmentgovernment: The group of people who run a country. — 政府 is weakweak: Not having much physical strength or power. — 虚弱的；软弱的. Fourth, good jobs are harder to find.
The report comes from a researchresearch: Careful study to find information about a subject — 研究；调查 groupgroup: A column in the periodic table of chemical elements — (周期表)族 called the Resolution Foundation. The leaderleader: A person who is in charge of a group. — 领导者；领袖 of the report is a woman named Lindsay Judge. She says Britain must do more to help young people. She wants better health carecare: Serious attention given to doing something correctly and safely. — 照料；小心；关心 for young mindsmind: The ability for rational thought — 心智；理性思考的能力 and more job training in schools. She also wants the government to give young people stronger supportsupport: To help someone or agree with someone's ideas or actions. — 支持；帮助.
Lindsay Judge says the Netherlands shows a better way. The Dutch systemsystem: A set of connected things or parts that work together as a whole. — 系统；体制 helps young people more, and it works well. Britain can learn from countries like the Netherlands. Without help, more young people in Britain will lose hope for the future.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
About how many young people in Britain are Neets?
- 02
Which country has a much smaller Neet problem than Britain?
- 03
What does the report say is one cause of the Neet problem?
- 04
List the four things the report says make the Neet problem worse in Britain.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Describe what the Netherlands does differently from Britain.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
About how many young people in Britain are Neets?
- 02
Which country has a much smaller Neet problem than Britain?
- 03
What does the report say is one cause of the Neet problem?
- 04
List the four things the report says make the Neet problem worse in Britain.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Describe what the Netherlands does differently from Britain.
Suggested length: ~50 words