4 . One Earth Award

About this award

Sponsored by the One Earth Fund, the One Earth Award offers $1,000 scholarships for four students whose works address the pressing issue of human-caused climate change.

Why should I create art or writing about climate change?

Some consequences of climate change include: sea-level rise, increase in air pollution, hurricane, droughts, extreme weather, and rising temperatures, among others. Your work can advance our thoughts about climate change and our understanding of solutions. It can also improve awareness of actions that we can take, in order to reduce the harm that human action has on our environment.

How do I apply?

Enter your work to any category in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. When selecting the category of your work, choose the One Earth Award. You will be required to include a personal statement on your work.

What should I write for the personal statement?

Your personal statement should be 50 words or more and answer the following questions:

What specific aspect of climate change does your work address?

What is your personal connection to this aspect of climate change, and why do you think talking about climate change is important?

Getting started on your work

These resources can help you learn about climate change and create your own art and writing about it.

Consider how poets talk about climate change with the Poetry Foundation.

Explore visual art activities and writing activities from the Teacher’s Climate Guide.

Try writing exercises developed by English Teachers Concerned about Climate Crisis.

1. What is the first thing to do to get the One Earth Award?

A．Choosing the One Earth Award.

B．Contacting the One Earth Fund.

C．Presenting the personal statement.

D．Visiting the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

2. What should be included about climate change in your personal statement?

A．What action you will take.	B．What you are concerned about.
C．Why your work is important.	D．What suggestion you will make.

3. Which part of the text intends to provide help in finishing your work?

A．How do I apply?

B．About this award

C．Getting started on your work

D．What should I write for the personal statement?

5 . On a tram smoothly pulling into the heart of Luxembourg City, Marck gives a smile and takes a look at the fabric of the seat next to him. For him, the city’s trams are more than just transport. More even than the focus of his job. They are about transforming his country and, perhaps, changing the world.

Marck is the director general of Luxtram, Luxembourg’s modern trams. It first started running services two years ago. Next year, Luxembourg will become the world’s only country to get rid of fares on all its forms of public transport. Luxembourg’s traffic problems come from its army of workers. The population of the capital city almost doubles during the working day, when more than 110,000 people travel in and out.

After three decades when its roads have become so crowded, Luxembourg is going to do something remarkable. Free fares, and a plan to persuade people to switch from cars to trams or trains. Marck, along with many others, is excited to see what happens next. “The fact that this is free means that everyone can use it — young or old, rich or poor,” he said. “Everyone can say to themselves it’s better to leave the car at home. We must continue to improve and extend the network. It must always be comfortable, well-connected, efficient.”

Lydie Polfer, the city’s mayor, says she hopes to reach the point where more than a third of people come into the city using public transport — at the moment, it’s less than one in five. She said, “It’s not practical to ban cars because some people, like the elderly, need them. But everyone has to be aware that he or she can do something to improve the situation. There is an expression in German — you are not in the traffic jam — you are the traffic jam, and that is true. I think that making it free will be the biggest arguments for people to use public transport. ”

1. Why does Marck think the city’s trams are more than just transport?

A．The trams are his goal that he strives for.

B．There are more means of transportation than trams.

C．City’s trams bring more changes beyond transport.

D．The trams are the heart of Luxembourg City transport system.

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The cause of the traffic problems.	B．The means of public transport.
C．The development of running services.	D．The increase of working population.

3. What concerns people most when using the public transport?

A．The convenience.

B．The fare.

C．The comfort.

D．The efficiency.

4. What can be inferred from what Lydie Polfer said?

A．The elderly needn’t use public transport.

B．It’s possible to persuade most people to use the trams.

C．Everyone can do his part to improve transport situation.

D．Those who don’t take public transport cause traffic jams.