Zhang Yaping, a 32-year-old woman, was awarded a poverty-alleviation ( 扶贫) prize by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development earlier this year. Despite difficulty walking, she overcame poverty through her own effort and helped many people around her.
Born in Gansu province, in 1988, Zhang contracted polio (小儿麻痹症) at a young age, which affected her ability to walk. When she was a junior high school student, a traffic accident caused permanent injury to her father's leg. Zhang had to drop out of school to take care of her father and for several years, continued learning by herself. She was admitted into a secondary technical school in 2009.
After graduation, she decided to work in her hometown. “My brother and sister were quite young, and my mother couldn't take care of both of them as well as my disabled father, so I could not go far,” says Zhang.
She tried her hand at various jobs, but found it difficult because of her leg ailment. She then decided to grow crops in a large scale, inspired by other villagers.
“At the beginning, I didn't have enough money or labor, so I went to villagers' homes every day trying to persuade them to join me, as well as exploring every means to collect money.” says Zhang.
Although she enjoyed a good start to her farming career, it wasn't long before a landslide caused by heavy rain and an earthquake in 2017 resulted in heavy damage to her cooperative. “The loss just robbed me of my confidence to continue. However, it occurred to me that it was I who encouraged other villagers to join the cooperative. If I gave up, I would be lacking in my responsibilities to them,” recalled Zhang. Finally, Zhang Yaping found her resolve and restarted her business with the help of local government. The cooperative gradually developed into a large-scale operation, which has benefited 206 households. They bid farewell to poverty and led a prosperous life.
“In the future, I want to expand the scale of the cooperative, form my own brand, promote deep processing of our products and apply more technology in raising our livestock. Although I walk slowly and take longer to get where I am going, I believe that someday I will overtake many others,” says Zhang.
【小题1】What did Zhang Yaping do after graduation?| A．She helped cure her father of the injuries. | B．She shared responsibilities of her mother. |
| C．She lent a large amount of money to others. | D．She found a good job in a large co-operation. |
| A．Large-scale operation. | B．Villagers' inspiration. |
| C．Government support. | D．Parents' encouragement. |
| A．Selfless and intelligent. | B．Independent and practical. |
| C．Hard-working and purposeful. | D．Responsible and cooperative. |
| A．To state an idea out of poverty. | B．To recommend farming ways. |
| C．To introduce a successful woman. | D．To assess the poverty-alleviation situation. |
