As a young girl growing up in France, Sarah Toumi dreamed of becoming a leader who could make the world a better place. Her passion to help others was awakened when, from the age of nine, she accompanied her Tunisian father to his birthplace in the east of the country during holidays. There she organized homework clubs and activities for children.
Toumi witnessed first-hand the destructive effect of desertification. “Within 10 years rich farmers became worse off, and 10 years from now they will be poor. I wanted to stop the Sahara Desert in its tracks.” A decrease in average rainfall and an increase in the severity of droughts (干旱) have led to an estimated 75 percent of Tunisia’s agricultural lands being threatened by desertification.
Toumi recognized that farming practices needed to change. She is confident that small land areas can bring large returns if farmers are able to adapt by planting sustainable crops, using new technologies for water treatment and focusing on natural products and fertilisers (肥料) rather than chemicals.
In 2012, Toumi consolidated her dream to fight the desert. She moved to Tunisia, and set up a programme named Acacias for All to put her sustainable farming philosophy into action. “I want to show young people in rural areas that they can create opportunities where they are. Nobody is better able to understand the impact of desertification and climate change than somebody who is living with no access to water.”
By September 2016, more than 130, 00 acacia trees had been planted on 20 pilot farms, with farmers recording a 60 per cent survival rate. Toumi estimates that some 3 million acacia trees are needed to protect Tunisia’s farmland. She expects to plant 1 million trees by 2018. In the next couple of years, Toumi hopes to extend the programme to Algeria and Morocco.
【小题1】How did Toumi’s holiday trips to Tunisia influence her?| A．They fired her enthusiasm for helping others. |
| B．They helped her better understand her father. |
| C．They made her decide to leave the country. |
| D．They destroyed her dream of being a teacher. |
| A．Cold weather. | B．Soil pollution. | C．Low rainfall. | D．Forest damage. |
| A．To create job opportunities for young people. |
| B．To facilitate the protection of their farmland. |
| C．To persuade the farmers not to use fertilizers. |
| D．To help the children obtain a basic education. |
| A．Patient and honest. | B．Selfless and humorous. |
| C．Devoted and selfless. | D．Positive and responsible. |
