一個普通的北京女孩，卻以實際的環保行動被選入"中國環境大使"的明星行列。

WEARING a pair of glasses and plain clothes, 16-year-old Yao Yuan looks no different from other girls of her age. But in recent weeks she has found herself in the spotlight as one of Chinas first 10 "Environmental Ambassadors" (環境大使).

"It is a real surprise to me," said the Senior 1 girl from No 2 High School Attached to Beijing Normal University. "I just enjoy what I do. I never thought it would bring me something like this."

Yao Yuan shows her certificate as "Environmental Ambassador".

It is hardly surprising she feels this way. The other nine ambassadors are all household (家喻戶曉的) names such as Feng Gong and Wu Xiaoli.

Yao first became interested in environmental protection four years ago. She took part in a bird-watching activity organized by one of her mothers friends, a member of the well-known Chinese environmental group, Friends of Nature. She was particularly impressed by the knowledge of a professor named Gao Wu.

"He could tell which birds were there by their twittering (鳥鳴)," Yao remembers with a smile.

From that day on, she always had a great love for the natural world.

"If you mention bird watching, some people just think of birds being raised as pets at home, or those in the cages carried by old people," she said. "Only when you face the birds in nature will you understand what beauty means."

Born into a family of environmentalists, Yao has modelled herself on her parents. The family put their used paper, bottles and kitchen leftovers (剩飯剩菜) into separate dustbins for recycling.

They also have a range of measures intended to save water used in daily household tasks.

"After washing clothes, the water is kept in barrels and used to flush (沖洗) the toilet," she explained.

More water is saved by putting a large bottle in the toilet tank. "Although a bottle of water doesnt seem like much, it makes a big difference over time," she said.

Yao is a hard-working student and has no problem balancing her studies and activities.

"She spends most of her weekends on extra-curricular (課外的) activities, especially those related to her English studies," said her father, Yao Yijun.

From: www.21stcentury.com.cn

Can be used as classroom link for Unit 9 SB2