English Reading Practice

Human Right Number 9:
No Unfair Detainment

To detain means to keep somebody in a place, such as a police station or a prison, and prevent them from leaving.

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

2. Read the story "No Unfair Detainment" just below it.

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

Here is the No Unfair Detainment 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 9 (the simplified version):

"9. No Unfair Detainment. Nobody has the right to put us in prison without good reason and keep us there, or to send us away from our country."

Now read the short story about this important human right.

No Unfair Detainment 

Marcy is in a difficult marriage. Her husband is very strict. He gives her many rules. He tells her whom to talk to, what to do, and where to go.

The longer they are married, the stricter he gets. Marcy feels more and more uncomfortable. She tries to find reasons to leave the house more often.

One day, Marcy's husband tells her that she can't leave the house at all anymore without permission. He tells her she has to stay home. He puts an alarm on the doors and windows so that if she tries to leave, the alarm rings.
 
This scares Marcy. She feels like a prisoner. She calls her friend Theresa.

Theresa tells Marcy that her husband's behavior is against the law. Theresa tells Marcy that she has rights.

Theresa goes to Marcy's house to get her. She takes Marcy to her house, and gives her all the help she needs.

Marcy calls her husband and tells him how she feels. She tells him that she knows he wants the best for them, but she will not be controlled like that anymore. Marcy's husband realizes that he is wrong and he gets help too.

And now, practice:

Exercise 01

Please share this page with others: