In general, laws for children are a good thing.

One hundred years ago in industrial countries, children worked 18 hours a day in a factory at age seven. The factory owner could beat a child who fell asleep or was not fast enough. Both parents and teachers could do the same.

Today, there are many laws about children all over the world. Some people think children must obey (遵守) rules or they should be punished (惩罚), others do not agree. The Intuits or Eskimos in Alaska almost never punish their children. The parents don’t hit them. If the children go too far, the parents punish them by making fun of them.

Children in other parts of the world are not as lucky as Eskimo children. American parents can spank (打臀部) their children at home, but a teacher cannot hit a child in a public school. This is also true in Germany. In contrast (对比), it is against the law for anyone to hit a child in Sweden. Swedish parents cannot spank their children. The children also have a special government official who works for their rights. There is even a plan for children to divorce (分离) from their parents though this is not a law yet!

【小题1】What would the teachers do if a child in industrial countries fell asleep in class 100 years ago?
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【小题2】What does “go too far” mean in Chinese?
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【小题3】Can a teacher in Germany hit his students in public school?
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【小题4】In which country can parents spank children at home?
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【小题5】What’s the main idea of this article?
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