Unit 1: Tarea 1: Appearence

Read the following text:

THE BEST WAY TO WALK OUR BABIES

When we take our babies for a walk in the park we put them into a chair with wheels, which we push. This is called a pushchair or buggy and there are basically two types. With the conventional – or away-facing - type we push as we walk behind the children and have no eye-contact with them. With the face-to-face type the children sit opposite us and we can see them while we push.

Most parents wouldn’t include the particular model of pushchair as an important factor in the daily walk, the benefits of which they see primarily in terms of fresh air and contact with the outside world. Surprisingly, however, research following concern from primary teachers that more and more children are arriving at school unable to communicate, interact or play with their fellow pupils, has found that the difference - seemingly unimportant – between away-facing buggies and face-to-face ones may be crucial to children's future.

The study shows that the most popular style of baby buggies – facing away from the pushing parent – may be hampering children’s development and storing up future trouble for them at school and in later life.

Children are at their most receptive between the ages of one and three and consequently, the study states, at this stage in their development, every opportunity for interacting with an adult is valuable.

Whilst the vast majority of infants and mothers using face-to-face buggies are sharing conversation and laughter, children in the away-facing buggies, which account for 86 per cent of the total used, can’t see their pushing parent and are hence unable either to talk to or laugh with them during their outings. This, we are told, may result in their being less able to communicate with classmates when they go to school.

The experiments carried out have furthermore revealed that babies are twice as likely to fall asleep when facing their parent and that there is also a slight fall in their heart rate, both of which could be taken as indicators of reduced stress levels. The research has also concluded that because the infants in away-facing buggies suffer increased stress through having less sleep while they are being pushed, it could be more difficult for them to cope with stress later in life.

Adapted from a report by Richard Garner, The Independent, November 21, 2008

1. Say whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE according to the text and copy the evidence from the text to support your answers. No marks are given for indicating only True or False.

1. Most parents don’t think the type of buggy or pushchair they use is very important. True: Most parents wouldn’t include the particular model of pushchair as an important factor in the daily walk.

2. The use of away-facing buggies may have negative repercussions on the child's development. True: The study shows

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