By Marilyn Jones/叢美清（編）

◆語篇導(dǎo)讀

埃爾納·格拉斯茲是阿桑特非洲基金會(huì)的聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人之一。該基金會(huì)在現(xiàn)有的教育體系內(nèi)開展工作，幫助學(xué)生在學(xué)業(yè)上取得成功，現(xiàn)已經(jīng)改變了50萬東非青少年的生活。希望讀完本文，人人都會(huì)有一種把愛傳承和發(fā)揚(yáng)下去，讓世界更加美好的想法。

Walking along at 5 a.m.in Silicon Valley street,Erna Grasz wondered whom she could call at that early hour.Across the world in East Africa,her friends Hellen Nkuraiya in Kenya and Emmy Moshi in Tanzania would be awake.So shemade a call toMs.Moshi and Ms.Nkuraiya.These early morning meetings started in 2006,which were about educating children and improving communities.

Grasz calls herself and her friends as“the three little crazy women”.They had a common idea that education could provide a way torealize their dreamsfor children.And before long,at the end of 2006,they founded Asante Africa（阿桑特非洲基金會(huì)）,a nonprofit organization（非營利組織）inordertoincrease the quality of learning in Kenyan and Tanzanian classrooms.It also provides life-skills training to develop leadership.

Asante Africa works within each country's existing（現(xiàn)有的）educational systems.It's not about building new schools butpaying more attention tochildren and teachers in middle school and high school—the grades when students are more likely todrop out.According toAsante Africa,more than 100,000 studentstook part inits programs last year,and over the past 11 years,the non-profit had served 500,000 students.

Sitting in her office in Oakland,Calif.Grasz talks about her decision to co-found the nonprofit.She makes sure that every person has the talent to achieve his or her dreams,but opportunity isn't always possible.“I succeededin my own lifebecause others saw my talent as a young person and provided opportunities for me,”she notes.So she wanted to“pay it forward”for farseeing（有遠(yuǎn)見的）professionals（專業(yè)人士）like Moshi and Nkuraiya,and young children with the same potential（有潛力的）.

◆語塊收藏

make a call to給……打電話

realize one's dream實(shí)現(xiàn)某人的夢想

in order to為了

pay more attention to更關(guān)注

drop out退出；退學(xué)

according to通過

take part in參加

in one's own life在自己的生命中

◆典句賞析

1.These early morning meetings started in 2006,which were about educating children and improving communities.這些關(guān)于教育兒童和改善社區(qū)狀況的晨會(huì)開始于2006年。

該句是含由which引導(dǎo)的非限制性定語從句的復(fù)合句。These early morning meetings started in 2006是主句，which were about educating children and improving communities是定語從句，其中which在從句中充當(dāng)主語，指代these early morning meetings.

2.It's not about building new schools but paying more attention to children and teachers in middle school and high school—the grades when students are more likely to drop out.她關(guān)注的并不是要建立新學(xué)校的問題，而是更加關(guān)注中學(xué)的孩子和教師——這些學(xué)生更容易輟學(xué)的年級。

此句中的be likely to do sth.是常見的搭配，意為“有可能……”；not...but...是連詞，意為“不是……而是……”。

3.She makes sure that every person has the talent to achieve his or her dreams,but opportunity isn't always possible.她確信每個(gè)人都有天賦去實(shí)現(xiàn)自己的夢想，但是機(jī)會(huì)是有限的。

該句是含由that引導(dǎo)的賓語從句的復(fù)合句。make sure是固定短語，意為“確保”；have the talent to do sth.是固定搭配，意為“有做某事的天賦、才能”。

◆理解自測

閱讀上述短文，從所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選擇最佳答案。

1.Grasz and her two friends founded an organization called Asante Africa in ________.

A.China B.India C.Africa D.America

2.The meaning of the underlined word“non-profit”in the passage is“________”.

A.非營利的 B.自費(fèi)的 C.流行的 D.合法的

3.There were ________students taking part in Asante Africa's programs last year.

A.10,000 B.100,000 C.50,000 D.500,000

◆詞句微練

根據(jù)所給漢語句子，完成下列英語句子。每空一詞。

1.你一到美國就給我打電話。

You will________________________________me as soon as you arrive in America.

2.我們只要努力學(xué)習(xí)就能實(shí)現(xiàn)我們的夢想。

We can ________________________so long as we study hard.

3.為了謀生，湯姆每天努力地工作。

Tom works hard every day ________________________make a living.

4.如果我們想擁有一個(gè)美麗的世界，我們應(yīng)該更加關(guān)注我們的環(huán)境。

We should ________________________________our environment if we would like to have a beautiful world.

5.參加課外活動(dòng)對我們的健康有好處。

It is good for our health to ________________________physical activities.