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2014年托福考试精选练习及答案(第三套)

中华考试网 2014-05-29 【大中小】

　　YouthInvolvement Critical to Addressing WorldProblems

　　Washington— If the future lies with the young, why wait for the future?

　　Thatseems to be the new tack the U.S.Department of State is taking by engaging youngpeople in its diplomacy.

　　“Webelieve that young people are critical to addressing many of the world’s mostpressing problems, and we think our work is stronger when young people areinvolved, ” says Zeenat Rahman, who serves asSecretary of State John Kerry’s special adviser on global youth issues.

　　Asdirector of the Office of Global Youth Issues, a position she assumed in June2012, she says: “The core message that I have foryoung people is that you matter to the Department of State.”

　　“Weare growing in leaps and bounds inimproving the way that we engage with young people, ” Rahman said. “Since Ibegan my tenure, we’ve doubled the number of Embassy and Consulate-facilitatedYouth Councils, we’ve engaged the private sector partners to see how we canimprove economic opportunities for young people, and we’ve worked really hardto engage in an actual two-way dialogue with young people, and facilitatingopportunities to develop their skills and networks.”

　　Thereare currently 61 U.S. Embassy and Consulate-facilitated Youth Councils. They serve, according to Rahman, to connect U.S. diplomats tomotivated young people who drive the development of their own action plans ontopics such as youth employment, civic and political engagement, conflictresolution, women’s empowerment, civilian security, and education byidentifying issues and concerns that resonate with their peers and the localcommunity.

　　“Manyof these councils are fairly new, ” Rahman said, “but Youth Council members arecollaborating to create positive changes in their societies.

　　“Forexample, the council in Madagascar designed and conducted public opinionsurveys about ethics in politics and used the responses to draft a Code ofConduct for politicians. Youth Councils in Latvia and Macedonia are connectingthrough an exchange program that examines solutions to youth unemployment inboth countries.

　　“InAlgeria, council members arranged a workshop to teach youth résumé-writing andjob interview skills. Youth Council members in Nepal have increased awarenessabout the work of young community activists and the legal rights of Nepalesewomen via weekly radio programs.

　　“InMexico, Youth Councils in Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo are working to preventat-risk youth from joining gangs, while the council in Cambodia willcollaborate with the private sector to focus on enhancing employmentopportunities and internships for youth.

　　“Whatmakes these councils sustainable, ” Rahman said, “is that the young peoplethemselves are leading on these initiatives in partnership with U.S. diplomatswho are committed to youth empowerment.”

　　Mindfulthat some 75 million young people around the world are without jobs, PresidentObama has highlighted entrepreneurship as a pillar of U.S. global engagement,underscoring the importance of entrepreneurship as one of the most powerfulways for individuals to improve their economic circumstances, Rahman said.Using social media tools and workshops, the State Department works to assistyoung people in attaining the business skills they need to be successfulentrepreneurs, such as how to develop innovative ideas, build a business planand win over potential investors.

　　TheState Department, Rahman said, launched the Startup Youth Initiative inDecember 2012 at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Dubai and reached 200young people. “Through the initiative, ” she said, “we have directly impactedyoung entrepreneurs through hands-on skills building [workshops], but we arealso highlighting some of the rising entrepreneurial stars in each geographicregion, providing role models for other youth, driving additional resourcestowards building leadership and entrepreneurship capacity among them, andproviding a positive narrative that frames youth as part of the solution tomany of the economic problems that face young people.”

　　重点词汇

　　1. sector['sektə]

　　n. 部门;扇形，扇区;象限仪;函数尺vt. 把…分成扇形

　　2. civic['sivik]

　　adj. 市的;公民的，市民的

　　3. investor[in'vestə]

　　n. 投资者

　　4. awareness[ə'wɛənis]

　　n. 意识，认识;明白，知道

　　5. engage[in'ɡeidʒ]

　　vt. 吸引，占用;使参加;雇佣;使订婚;预定vi. 从事;答应，保证;交战;啮合

　　6. tack[tæk]