Vocabulary Focus:
- Despite
- Disrupt
- Rash
- Rapid
- Exhaust
- Severity
- Feeble
- Unite
- Cease
- Thrifty
- Miserly
- Monarch
Problems We Face
Despite wars, disease, and natural disasters, our world is experiencing a population explosion (boom) that threatens to change or disrupt life as we know it. Vast numbers of people must be fed and housed, and in the process, a whole rash of problems has descended upon the human race.
First has been the pollution of the air and the contamination of the water supply. Second has been the rapid exhaustion of fuels, minerals, and other natural resources. The response* to this situation has ranged from utter disbelief to exaggerated concern.
Since scientists themselves disagree on the severity of the problem, our feeble knowledge is surely unable to suggest the correct course of action. But we cannot stand still because there is too much at stake. We are, therefore, compelled to unite in our efforts to ensure that human life on this planet does not cease. We must learn to be thrifty, even miserly, with the gifts of nature that we have formerly taken for granted. If our past reveals a reckless squandering of our natural possessions, we must now find an intelligent guide* to their use so that we may remain monarchs of a world with peace and plenty.
- Despite: Terlepas dari, meskipun, tanpa menghiraukan
- Disrupt: Mengganggu, mengacaukan, merusak
- Rash: Terburu-buru, gegabah, sembrono
- Rapid: Cepat, kencang, deras
- Exhaust: Mengeksploitasi, menguras, melelahkan
- Severity: Kekerasan, keparahan, keganasan
- Feeble: Lemah, rapuh, tidak kuat
- Unite: Bersatu, menyatukan, bergabung
- Cease: Berhenti, menghentikan, mengakhiri
- Thrifty: Hemat, cermat, bijak dalam pengeluaran
- Miserly: Pelit, kikir, serakah
- Monarch: Raja, penguasa, raja-raja.
The Rash Rebellion
Despite the severity of the situation, the rebels did not cease their attacks on the palace. They were determined to disrupt the rule of the miserly monarch, who had imposed heavy taxes on the poor and hoarded all the wealth for himself. The rebels had been planning this uprising for months, but they had to act rapidly when one of their spies was discovered and tortured. They knew they had only one chance to unite the people and overthrow the tyrant. They fought with courage and passion, but they were also exhausted and feeble from hunger and lack of resources. The king’s army was well-trained and well-equipped, and they showed no mercy to the rebels. The battle was bloody and brutal, and many lives were lost on both sides. The rebels managed to reach the gates of the palace, but they were met with a final obstacle: a moat filled with crocodiles. They had no choice but to jump in and hope for the best. Some of them made it across, but others were devoured by the hungry beasts. The survivors stormed into the palace, hoping to find the king and end his reign of terror. But they were in for a shock: the king was nowhere to be found. He had escaped through a secret tunnel, taking his treasure with him. He had been too thrifty and rash to care about his people or his country. He had abandoned them all to their fate.
