环球英语 — 239：Top 20 Under 20

Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program, I’m Joshua Leo

Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 3
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Voice 4
“What will you do when you are older?”

Voice 5
“Wait until you are an adult, then you will understand.”

Voice 1
These are the kinds of words that many young people hear from adults every day. Young people may feel as if they are not important until they become adults. But this is not true. Today’s Spotlight is on young people who are doing amazing things.

Voice 2
Since 2004, a group called Youth in Motion² has given awards to young people. This group recognizes young Canadians who have shown leadership, innovation³, and achievement. These are young people that are doing amazing things.

Voice 1
Every Year, Youth in Motion chooses twenty [20] young people who are under the age of twenty years old. They call these young people the “Top Twenty Under Twenty”. In 2007, nine young men and eleven young women won the Top Twenty Under Twenty award. The winners of the awards range in age. The youngest is twelve years old. The oldest is nineteen.

Voice 2
These young people have done many different things. Some have started their own businesses. Some have helped people in their community. And others have started aid groups. Let’s look at a few of these twenty amazing young people.

Voice 1
April Dutheil lives on the Queen Charlotte Islands in Canada. The Queen Charlotte Islands are just off the coast of British Colombia, on the far Western side of Canada. Only six thousand [6000] people live there. April noticed a problem in her community. There were not enough emergency health care workers. If a person needed to go to the hospital, it took a long time. There were also not enough hospitals in the area.

Voice 2
April asked her community government for some money. She wanted to teach people simple emergency health care. This way, people would be able to help each other in emergencies. She formed two classes to teach CPR. CPR is a method of helping⁴ a person who is not breathing. The program taught twenty four [24] people how to give CPR. April hopes to continue improving health care. Today, she is in school to become a doctor.

Voice 1
Another award winner also cares strongly about health care. Cody Clark is twelve years old. When Cody was younger, doctors told his parents they had cancer. On a visit to the emergency area of the hospital, Cody had an idea. He knew that visiting the hospital could be a frightening experience for children. He decided⁵ to do something about it.

Voice 2
Cody started collecting things for children who were staying in the hospital. He put these things together and called them “Cody’s Comfort Kits⁶.” These kits are for children from the age of one to sixteen. The kits contain things such as blankets, toys, games, films, and books.

Voice 1
Cody has given his Comfort Kits to over one hundred [100] children. He has also created kits for old people who are in the hospital. And he continues to help people. He believes he can make a difference in the world one person at a time.

Voice 2
Samantha Milner is changing the world with her own business. She started this busines when she was just eleven years old. Samantha sells gifts and jewellery⁷. Over five hundred [500] stores carry her products. Samantha also sells things on the internet. Samantha’s business has made over one million [1,000,000] dollars.

Voice 1
But Samantha does not keep all this money she makes. Over the past five years she has given over forty thousand [40,000] dollars to aid groups. This money helps homeless people, children, and animals. Samantha is also selling a special bracelet⁸. This is worn⁹ on the wrist¹⁰. She will give half of the money she makes from this bracelet to fight AIDS in Africa.

Voice 2
Gavin Bennett is also helping people in need. He wanted to help young people in his community of Brampton, Ontario. He saw that many children in his community did not have computers to use. Gavin started a group that gave children access to computers. The group teaches children how to use these computers.

Voice 1
But children there learned¹¹ about more than just computers. Gavin wanted to make the lives of these children better. In his program, children learn many skills. The children develop problem solving skills. They learn how to behave better, and have fun while learning¹². Gavin wants to give these children a better future. He wants them to grow and learn, even though they do not have a lot of money.

Voice 2
Gavin’s work has given him more possibilities to help young people in his community. He serves on the mayor’s youth council¹³ in his local government. He helps the government serve young people in Brampton.

Voice 1
Samantha Whiteside had a different way of helping young people. Samantha suffers from Juvenile¹⁴ Arthritis¹⁵. This is a painful condition that affects the material between her bones. Samantha wanted to help young people with the same problem.

Voice 2
Samantha is very good at swimming. She decided to use her skill to help others. In the summer of 2006 Samantha swam fifty–two [52] kilometres across lake Ontario. She was second youngest person ever to do this.

Voice 1
You may be asking, “How does swimming help people?” Well, Samantha had people sponsor¹⁶ every kilometre she swam. People gave a particular amount of money with each kilometre Samantha swam. In the end, she collected over twenty five thousand [25,000] dollars to fight Juvenile Arthritis.

Voice 2
Many people may think that young people are not able to do great things. But April, Cody, Samantha, Gavin, Samantha and the other winners prove that is wrong.

Voice 1
There is a similar idea in the Christian¹⁷ Bible¹⁸. In the book of Timothy, a follower¹⁹ of Jesus named Paul writes this to his friend:

Voice 3
“Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young. Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love and in what you believe.”

Voice 2
God knows that young people are able to do great things. He wants the good work of young people to encourage other people to do good things.

Voice 1
Remember the stories of these young people. They show that a person can do great things, no matter what age they are. Do not let anyone look down on you because of your age. Instead, be an example that young people and adults can follow!

 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 motion   

n.打手势，示意，移动，动作，提议，大便；v.运动，向...打手势，示意

参考例句：

• She could feel the rolling motion of the ship under her feet.她能感觉到脚下船在晃动。
• Don't open the door while the train is in motion.列车运行时，请勿打开车门。

3 innovation   

n.改革，革新，新观念，新方法，新发明

参考例句：

• There are all sorts of possibilities for technical innovation.技术革新的门道很多。
• An enterprise should encourage innovation.企业应鼓励创新。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

7 jewellery   

n.[总称]珠宝；珠宝饰物 (=jewelery)

参考例句：

• She never wears jewellery.她从不戴首饰。
• The police recovered the stolen jewellery.警察追回了失窃的珠宝。

8 bracelet   

n.手镯，臂镯

参考例句：

• The jeweler charges lots of money to set diamonds in a bracelet.珠宝匠要很多钱才肯把钻石镶在手镯上。
• She left her gold bracelet as a pledge.她留下她的金手镯作抵押品。

9 worn   

adj.用旧的，疲倦的；vbl.wear的过去分词

参考例句：

• The child's trousers have worn through at the knees.孩子裤子的膝盖处磨破了。
• My shoes are worn out.我的鞋子穿坏了。

10 wrist   

n.手腕，腕关节

参考例句：

• They took her by the wrist.他们握住她的手腕。
• He received a bullet in the wrist.他手腕上中了一弹。

11 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

12 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

13 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

14 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

15 arthritis   

n.关节炎

参考例句：

• Rheumatoid arthritis has also been linked with the virus.风湿性关节炎也与这种病毒有关。
• He spent three months in the hospital with acute rheumatic arthritis.他患急性风湿性关节炎，在医院住了三个月。

16 sponsor   

vt.发起，主办；资助；n.发起者，资助人

参考例句：

• Sponsor stated they have no idea where he is.赞助方表示他们不知道他在哪儿。
• The sponsor has permanent ad on the website commonly.赞助商一般在网站上有永久性广告。

17 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

18 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

19 follower   

n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒

参考例句：

• He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。