The Young Can't Wait

By Severn Cullies Suzuki

When you are little, it's not hard to believe you can change the world. I remember my enthusiasm when, at the age of 12, I addressed the delegates at the Rio Earth Summit. “I am only a child,” I told them. “Yet I know that if all the money spent on war was spent on ending poverty(贫困) and finding environmental answers, what a wonderful place this would be. In school you teach us not to fight with others, to work things out, to respect others, to clean up our mess, not to hurt other creatures, to share, not to be greedy. Then why do you go out and do the thing you tell us not to do? You grown-ups say you love us, but I challenge you, please, to make your actions reflect(反省) your words.”

I spoke for six minutes and received a standing ovation. Some of the delegates even cried. I thought that maybe I had reached some of them, that my speech might actually spur(刺激) action. Now, a decade(十年) from Rio, after I've sat through many more conferences, I'm not sure what has been accomplished. My confidence in the people in power and in the power of an individual's voice to reach them has been deeply shaken.

When I was little, the world was simple. But as a young adult, I'm learning that as we have to make choices—education, career, lifestyle—life gets more and more complicated. We are beginning to feel pressure to produce and be successful. We are taught that economic growth is progress, but we aren't taught how to pursue a happy, healthy or sustainable way of living. And we are learning that what we wanted for the future when we were 12 was idealistic and naive.

Today I'm no longer a child, but I'm worried about what kind of environment my children will grow up in. I know change is possible, because I am changing, still figuring out what I think. I am still deciding how to live my life. The challenges are great, but if we accept individual responsibility and make sustainable choices, we will rise to the challenges, and we will become part of the positive tide of change.

60.The purpose of what the writer said at the age of 12 was to _______.

A.end poverty and make school beautiful

B.find environmental answers and keep the words that they always told themselves

C.end poverty and solve the problems about environment

D.find a wonderful place and clean it up

61.What does the underlined word “ovation” in the second paragraph refer to _____.

A.a long period of laughing               B.a warm welcome

C.an expression used for greeting      D.a long period of clapping and applause

62.It becomes clear that the writer is possibly _________ now.

A.in his teens      B.in his twenties  C.in his thirties    D.in his forties

There are many best –selling authors in Europe and one of them is a 15-year –old girl from Paris. She is Flavia Bujor. Flavia is selling more books than people three times her age.

She started writing her novel at the age of 12. At 14, she had her book published. Her best-seller is called The Prophecy of Stones (<<石头的预言>>). The Prophecy of Stones is a story about a girl in hospital. In the story, the girl imagine another world and in that world three heroines work together to save their land with magical stones. So far, the book has sold 20,000 copies in France and Italy and 30,000 in Germany! Flavia Bujor says that “writing is my passion(最爱)”, but she still enjoys being 15. She takes piano lessons and likes hanging out with friends. The French girl plans to spend her money on her college education,

50.The Prophecy of Stones tells about things happening in _______________.

A. our real world   B. an imaginary world   C. the outer space  D. both A and B.

51.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ______________.

A. She likes to do things people of her age do 

B. She feels happy to be a 15- year –old best –selling author.

C. She does not wish to grow up.

D. She thinks15 is the best age for her as an author

52.What may be the best title for the article?

A. The Prophecy of Stones attracts most attention.

B. A 15-year –old girl becomes best-selling author.

C. Good school girl and best – selling author

D. Young author has more readers.

53.This passage probably appears _____________.

A.    in a story book               B. in a textbook

C.    in a newspaper               D. in a fashion magazine

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