Time magazine’s tradition —“Person of the Year” originated in 1927, when it honored 25-year-old pilot Charles Lindbergh for the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean Though the magazine has recognized several young people for their global influence, it has never given the important honor to a teenager. But its 2019’s “Person of The Year” is the 16-year-old Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg.
Thunberg’s rise to global reputation is even more surprising given that just over a year ago, she was a shy 15-year-old anxious about the increasing threat of climate change. In August 2018, tired of the “refusal” of world leaders to take action, the young girl started camping out in front of the Swedish Parliament every Friday with a sign that said: “School Strike for Climate.”
The teen’s act of protest soon drew public attention, inspiring kids and adults worldwide to take action. By September 2018, her weekly strike became a global climate change movement called “Fridays for the Future”, with tens of thousands of students skipping school on this day to protest the inaction of the leaders of their respective countries. Her appeal for progress in environment protection also encouraged other young activists to begin their own climate change movements.
Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the US Youth-Led Sunrise Movement, says Thunberg “symbolizes the suffering, the frustration, the desperation, the anger — at some level, the hope — of many young people who won’t even be of age to vote by the time their futures are doomed.”
The teenager, who has single-handedly helped bring climate change to the forefront of the global conversation, owes her success to her Asperger’s syndrome (阿斯佩各综合征). She says, “I see the world in black and white, and I don’t like compromising. If I were like everyone else, I would have continued on and not seen this crisis. Right now, we have entered a new decade — a decade that will define our future. And I’ve seen hope, but it does not come from the governments or companies. It comes from the people.”
4. Why did Greta Thunberg camp out in front of Swedish Parliament every Friday?
A.To heighten public awareness of environmental protection. |
B.To show her support for school strike for climate. |
C.To condemn the government’s inaction on climate change. |
D.To win a global reputation as a teenager climate change activist. |
5. Where can we find the direct influence of Greta Thunberg’s behavior?
A.In paragraph2. | B.In paragraph3. |
C.In paragraph4. | D.In paragraph5. |
6. What kind of girl is Greta Thunberg according to the passage?
A.Positive and sensitive. | B.Uncaring but reliable. |
C.Selfish but intelligent. | D.Brave and determined. |
7. We can learn from the passage that _____________.
A.Charles Lindbergh is the first adolescent “Person of the Year” of Time magazine |
B.on account of Asperger’s syndrome, Greta Thunberg has suffered a lot |
C.all governments haven’t already taken effective measures to deal with climate change |
D.Varshini Prakash thinks little of Thunberg and her strike for climate change |