Page 27 - English Expedition Class 6

have to worry of these things when you were my age? All this is happening before our eyes and yet
we act as if we have all the time we want and all the solutions.
I’m only a child, and I don’t have all the solutions. I want you to realize, neither do you.
You don’t know how to fi x the holes in our ozone layer.
You don’t know how to bring the salmon back
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up a dead stream.
• How was the ECO volunteers’ trip to
You don’t know how to bring back an animal
Rio funded?
now extinct.
• Why does Severn fear that she may
And you can’t bring back the forest that once
lose her future?
grew where there is now a desert.
If you don’t know how to fi x it, please stop • Why are plants and animals
breaking it. becoming extinct?
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Here you may be delegates of your • What do Severn’s dreams tell you
government, business people, organizers, about her?
reporters or politicians. But really you are mothers • What is Severn referring to when she
and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, asks ‘Did you have to worry of these
and all of you are someone’s child. things when you were my age?’
I am only a child, yet I know we are all part of
a family – fi ve billion strong. In fact, thirty million
species strong. And borders and governments will never change that.
I am only a child, yet I know that we’re all in this together and should act as one single world
towards one single goal. In my anger, I am not blind, and in my fear, I am not afraid of telling the
world how I feel. In my country, we make so much waste. We buy and throw away, buy and throw
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away, buy and throw away, and yet Northern countries will not share with the needy. Even when
we have more than enough, we are afraid to share. We are afraid to let go of some of our wealth.
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In Canada, we live the privileged life with
plenty of food, water and shelter. We have watches,
• Why do you think Severn reminds
bicycles, computers and television sets. Th e list
everyone of their family ties?
could go on for two days.
• What is the single goal of the single
Two days ago, here in Brazil, we were shocked
world?
when we spent time with some children living on
• What does having a privileged life
the streets. Th is is what one child told us, ‘I wish I
mean?
was rich. And if I were, I would give all the street
children food, clothes, medicines, shelter, and love • Severn repeats the line ‘I am only a
child’ throughout her speech. What
and aff ection.’ If a child on the streets, who has
eff ect does this create?
nothing, is willing to share, why are we, who have
everything, still so greedy?

5 salmon: a type of sea fi sh which swim upstream to lay 8 privileged: (here) having advantages which are not
their eggs available to most other people, usually because of
6 delegate: representative one’s social or fi nancial status
7 Northern countries: the prosperous, developed nations of
Europe and North America
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