Extensive Reading Lesson 78

英国首相于京郊小学启动气候变化世博遗产项目

 

UK Prime Minister David Cameron visited Machikou primary school in suburban Beijing on Nov.10. [sina.com]

英国首相大卫•卡梅伦于11月10日访问了北京昌平郊区的马池口中心小学以表示他对气候变化教育的支持，同时启动了英国大使馆文化教育处的世博遗产项目。

校长靳德宏和英国大使馆文化教育处气候变化项目总监梁丽博士在学校门前迎接首相并陪同 他前往教室观摩了一次旨在提高10至12岁学生气候变化意识的活动。带领学生开展本次活动的是英国大使馆文化教育处评选的三位青少年气候大使。随后，首相 卡梅伦与学生及气候大使一起参与到旨在提高能效的“物品生命周期”游戏中。

游戏结束时，首相在对学生的讲话中强调了应对气候变化影响以及保护物种多样性的重要意 义。他还对英国文化协会（在中国大陆地区作为英国大使馆及总领事馆文化教育处开展工作）致以敬意。陪同首相一起访问这所小学的成员还有英国文化协会主席文 龙先生及中国区主任白琼娜女士。首相对英国大使馆文化教育处安排此次活动表示感谢，并为英国的机构能够在中国组织这样的活动感到骄傲。

首相讲话结束后即启动了英国大使馆文化教育处气候变化世博遗产项目。他将从上海世博会 英国馆带来的一根“种子触须”赠送给两名学生代表。在本届上海世博会中，英国馆获得了“展馆设计金奖”。该馆由六万余根“触须”组成，每根触须里均嵌有一 枚独特的植物种子；中国媒体因其独特的造型设计而亲切地称之为“蒲公英”。英国大使馆文化教育处开展的气候变化世博遗产项目将向中国的学校赠送一千根“种 子触须”以及教学材料，以帮助教师在课程中讲授生物多样性等相关主题。

获赠“种子触须”的两名学生将自己以环保为主题创作的一幅绘画和两幅书法作品回赠给首相。访问结束前，首相还欣赏了学校民乐队演奏的传统乐曲《丹桂飘香》。

UK PM launches Shanghai Expo Legacy Programme in Beijing

UK Prime Minister David Cameron visited the Machikou primary school in suburban Beijing on Nov. 10 to underscore his support for education on climate change and launch the British Council's Expo Legacy Programme.

The Prime Minister was greeted at the school by Mr. Jin Dehong, the school's headmaster, and Dr. Rebecca Nadin, Director of the Global Climate and Sustanability Programme at the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy. He was led to a classroom where he observed a climate change awareness raising activity for students aged 10-12 led by three British Council "Climate Champions." Prime Minister Cameron then participated with the pupils and Climate Champions in a "Product Lifecycle Game" designed to promote energy efficiency.

At the game's conclusion, the Prime Minister delivered remarks that underscored the importance of tackling the effects of climate change and preserving the world's biodiversity. He also saluted the work of the British Council, whose Chair, Vernon Ellis, and China Regional Director, Joanna Burke, were in the classroom. The Prime Minster thanked the British Council for organizing the event and expressed his pride that a UK organization was undertaking such activities in China.

The Prime Minster then launched the British Council's UK-China Shanghai Expo Legacy Programme by presenting two students with a seed rod from the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. The UK Pavilion was awarded "Best in Show" and dubbed "the Dandelion" by the Chinese media for its design featuring 60,000 rods which each contained a distinct seed. The British Council's Climate Generation Expo Legacy Programme is distributing 1,000 seed rods from the Pavilion along with educational materials to schools across China as a tool for teachers developing biodiversity themes in their curriculum.

The two students who received the seed rod reciprocated by giving the Prime Minster a painting and two calligraphy scrolls which they had created on the theme of environmental protection. Before departing the school, the Prime Minster was also treated to a musical performance by a student orchestra who played on traditional instruments the folk song, "The Fragrance of Osmanthus Perfumes the Autumn Air."