1Malcolm Is a Handsome Young Man. He Has a Shock of Dark Brown Hair with Skin and Eyes

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1Malcolm is a handsome young man. He has a shock of dark brown hair with skin and eyes to match-like most of his countrymen. But for much of his life, his expression looked unsettled. Malcolm's heart used to feel heavy. He never had a real home. Malcolm was homeless on the streets of Brazil.

2Sixteen-year-old Malcolm ended up on the streets, but that was just the beginning of his problems. He got into trouble with the police. He was cold in the winter. He didn't know how to take care of himself. He never had enough to eat. Soon, he turned to alcohol to help himself feel better, but that made everything worse. Malcolm felt lonely and isolated. He says, "I used to go to empty houses and hide in there during the day and only come out at night. Basically, you feel as though you're nobody."

3Malcolm went in and out of prison, too. Then, one day his probation officer told him about a housing association that could help him. It was still hard for Malcolm to adjust to a new routine. At first, he shared a small apartment with four other young men. Today, he has only one roommate. He has learned to take care of himself. He feels that he is finally making some progress in his life. Malcolm is lucky, but other homeless people in Brazil still need help.

4The world is becoming more aware of the problem of homelessness in Brazil. In the country's largest city, Sao Paulo, hoodlums attacked ten homeless people while they were sleeping in the downtown areas. Some of these people died. Even though homeless people were often ignored in Brazil, this ruthless attack got a lot of attention in the media. Human rights groups wanted to find out the real story.

5After that, television and radio stations interviewed many homeless people. They explained that they slept together in groups for protection. On man held up a plank of wood for the television cameras. He said, "We sleep together for protection, and one of us always stays awake, just waiting for the attackers to come."

6Sao Paulo has an enormous population. About eighteen million people live there. At least 10,000 people are homeless. Homeless people can be found under bridges and on park benches in the cities. They beg for food and money. They even stop cars at intersections. Malcolm remembers how the tourists used to stare straight ahead and ignore him. He knows that they were afraid of him. He hopes that he never has to do that again. He knows also that many people who visit beautiful Brazil are concerned about the obvious suffering of many of its homeless citizens.

7Brazil covers almost half of South America and is the largest country of that continent. It covers over 3 million square miles. Because of its size, it has many different kinds of geography. Its climate also varies a lot, even though more than 90% of the country has a tropical climate. There are five major regions in the country, and each one has its own unique ecosystem. The Amazon River has over 200 tributaries all over Brazil.

8Brazil's greatest treasure might be the lush Amazon rainforest. It contains amazing creatures and plants. Scientists hope that some rainforest plants might provide cures for diseases in the future. While the rainforests might provide answers for medicine in the future, they provide an important function for Earth today by supplying oxygen. The deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has concerned many people all over the world.

9Malcolm lives far from the rainforest. He lives in the heart of his city. Today, Malcolm's bright brown eyes sparkle with hope. He has heard of the saying, "home is where the heart is." He is grateful that his heart...and the rest of him...finally have a real home!

1.  What is the name of Brazil's largest city?

2.  Approximately how many people live there?

3.  About how many people are homeless in the city?

4.  What happened there that got media and worldwide attention?

5.  Describe what the geography of Brazil is like?

6.  What do scientists think that they will find in the rainforest of Brazil?

7.  What should be done to stop the deforestation of the rainforest? Why?