Sasha Olsen went on a trip last summer with her family to Vietnam and Japan. She was afraid to see the ocean’s pollution levels and dying sea animals.
“We went on this trip and I was so excited,” said Sasha. She is 10 years old and lives in Bal Harbour, Florida. “But when I saw the way the oceans had become, I got worried. I wanted to know why things were this way but couldn’t find an answer. ”
When she returned home to Bal Harbour, she grew even more disturbed. She learned how some of the beaches in South Florida had been closed by The Health Department because the water had too much bacteria (细菌) in it.
Sasha sought the help of her cousin, Narmina Aliyev. Aliyev is 23 years old and a recent graduate of Nova Southeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in business. Together, they started a nonprofit Iwantmyoceanback in October.
Originally, the group started small, with friends coming together on the weekends to clean the beaches in Bal Harbour. Recently, however, Iwantmyoceanback has hosted events to raise money for beach cleanups and to donate (捐赠) to protection groups such as the Sea Turtle Conservancy, Oceana and World Wildlife Fund, Aliyev said.
In January, Sasha organized “Kids Heal the Oceans” at Bal Harbour beach. There, she spoke about the oceans’ problems and guests made art out of microplastics (微塑料) gathered from the beach cleanup. “At first, our guests were a little shy, but now they’ve felt inspired to speak up! Sasha has inspired many other kids to join Iwantmyoceanback and show people that we’re able to make a change if we come together,’’ Aliyev said.
On February 16, the group threw a Plastic-Free Party. The party included a beach cleanup and guests creating art from the plastic trash they collect. “It’s important to bring awareness not just through doing cleanups and meetings, but to show people they can come together through their hobbies and working together to a common goal,’’ said Sasha.
【小题1】What does the underlined word ‘‘disturbed’’ in paragraph 3 mean?| A．Disappointed. | B．Worried, | C．Nervous. | D．Excited. |
| A．The water was polluted. | B．There was sea research recently. |
| C．There were many dying sea animals. | D．There were many plastics on the beach. |
| A．Art. | B．Fishing. | C．Business. | D．Environmental protection. |
| A．Kids loving oceans. |
| B．Sasha’s friends. |
| C．Members of some conservation groups. |
| D．Graduates from Nova Southeastern University. |
