2.1 / 2.

2 Reading
Name ___________________________________________ No. _______ Class: _________ Date ___________

Two speeches from the Climate Summit COP26

Brianna Fruean
When I was a little girl, I was taught the importance and
impact of words. In my culture there is a proverb that goes, “e
pala ma’a ae lē pala upu”. It means that even stones decay, but
words remain.
5 A lesson in knowing how words can be wielded. How text can
change everything. How each word you use is weighted. How
switching one word or number can reframe worlds. How
“climate action” can be vastly different from “climate justice”. How 2 degrees could mean “the
end” and 1.5 could mean “a fighting chance”.
10 You all have the power here today to be better. To remember that your meeting rooms and
drafting documents are not just black and white objects. To remember that in your words, you
wield the weapons that can save us or sell us out.
I don’t need to remind you of the reality of our vulnerable communities. You don’t need my
pain or tears to know that we’re in a crisis. The real question is whether you have the political will
15 to do the right thing, to wield the right words and follow it up with long overdue action.
If you’re looking for inspiration on climate leadership, take a look at young Pacific people. We
are not just victims of this crisis, we have been resilient beacons of hope.
As Pacific youth we have always rallied behind the warrior cry “we are not drowning, we are
fighting”. This is my message from Earth to COP. I hope you remember my words, because “e pala
20 ma’a ae le pala upu”.
https://www.thecoconet.tv (adapted; accessed in December 2021)

Txai Surui
My name is Txai Surui, I’m only 24 but my people have been
living in the Amazon Forest at least 6,000 years. My father, the
Great Chief Almir Surui, taught me that we must listen to the
5 stars, the moon, the wind, the animals, and the trees.
Today the climate is warming. The animals are disappearing.
The rivers are dying, and our plants don’t flower like they did
before. The Earth is speaking. She tells us that we have no more
time!
10 A friend asked me, will we continue to think that today’s injuries can be resolved with
ointments and painkillers, even though we know that tomorrow our own wounds will be deeper.
We need a different path, with both local and global changes. It’s not 2030 or 2050. It’s now. While
you are closing your eyes to reality, the land defender Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, my friend since when
I was a kid, was murdered for protecting the forest.
15 Indigenous people are on the front line of the climate emergency, and we must be at the centre
of the decisions happening here. We have ideas to post on the end of the world.
Let us stop the answering with lies and fake promises. Let us end the pollution of hollow words.
Let us fight for a liveable future and present. It is always necessary to believe this dream is
possible. May a utopia be our future on Earth.
https://medium.com (adapted; accessed in December 2021)

Editable and photocopiable © Texto | MySelfie 11 130

A B
Some tips for writing a speech Examples

a. Introduce yourself 1. “(…) end the pollution of hollow words (…)”

b. Make a great opening statement 2. “Indigenous people are on the front line of the
climate emergency, and we must be at the
c. Express your opinion centre of the decisions happening here.”
d. Address your audience directly 3. “In my culture there is a proverb that goes, 'e
e. Use personal details pala ma’a ae lē pala upu'.”
f. Use emotive and figurative language 4. “Let us stop the answering with lies and fake
promises. (…) Let us fight for a liveable future
g. Make a call for action
and present.”
h. Use contrast
5. “Let us fight for a liveable future and present.”/
“It’s not 2030 or 2050. It’s now.”
6. “My name is Txai Surui, I’m only 24 (…)”
7. “You all have the power here today to be
better.”
8. “(…) the land defender Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, my
friend since when I was a kid, was murdered for
protecting the forest.”

2. Find synonyms for the following words in the first text.

a. deteriorate ________________
b. change (verb) ________________
c. manage/use ________________
d. susceptible ________________
e. signals ________________

3. Find the opposite of the following words/expressions in the last

4. What or who do the highlighted words in the second text refer

Editable and photocopiable © Texto | MySelfie 11 132