TOPIC——Tourism and Ecology: Learning through Travel

第八届“21世纪杯”全国英语演讲比赛冠军——顾秋蓓

A Scene to Remember

Gu Qiubei

Shanghai International Studies University

Advisor: Gong Longsheng

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today I would like to begin with a story.

下午好，各位先生女士们

There was once a physical therapist who traveled all the way from America to Africa to do a census about mountain gorillas. These gorillas are a main attraction to tourists from all over the world; this put them severely under threat of poaching and being put into the zoo. She went there out of curiosity, but what she saw strengthened her determination to devote her whole life to fighting for those beautiful creatures. She witnessed a scene, a scene taking us to a place we never imaged we've ever been, where in the very depth of the African rainforest, surrounded by trees, flowers and butterflies, the mother gorillas cuddled their babies.

今天，我想首先用一个小故事。曾经有一个物理治疗师谁亲赴从美国到非洲做一个关于山地大猩猩普查。这些大猩猩是对游客的吸引力，主要来自世界各地，这使他们严重不足的偷猎威胁，目前到动物园付诸表决。她去了好奇，但她看见她的决心，增强她的一生奉献为这些美丽的生物战斗。她亲眼目睹的场景，场景带我们到一个地方，我们从来没有影像，我们经历过的，其中在非洲热带雨林的深处，树木，花卉，蝴蝶，大猩猩包围的母亲拥抱自己的婴儿。

Yes, that's a memorable scene in one of my favorite movies, called Gorillas in the Mist, based on a true story of Mrs. Dian Fossey, who spent most of bet lifetime in Rwanda to protect the ecoenvironment there until the very end of her life.

是的，在我最喜欢的电影之一难忘的场景，呼吁在薄雾大猩猩的基础上，戴安娜弗西夫人，谁在此度过了一生中最卢旺达保护，直到她生命的最后的生态环境有真实的故事。

To me, the movie not only presents an unforgettable scene but also acts as a timeless reminder that we should not develop the tourist industry at the cost of our ecoenvironment. 对我来说，电影，不仅提供了一个难忘的场景，而且也是一个永恒提醒我们，我们不应该在发展我们的生态成本，环境，旅游业行为。

Today, we live in a world of prosperity but still threatened by so many new problems. On the one hand, tourism, as one of the most promising industries in the 21st century, provides people with the great opportunity to see everything there is to see and to go any place there is to go. It has become a lifestyle for some people, and has turned out to be the driving force in GDP growth. It has the magic to turn a backward town into a wonderland of prosperity. But on the other hand, many problems can occur---natural scenes aren't natural anymore.

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Deforestation to heat lodges is devastating Nepal. Oil spills from tourist boats are polluting Antarctica. Tribal people are forsaking their native music and dress to listen to U2 on Walkman and wear Nike and Reeboks.

今天，我们生活在一个繁荣的世界，但仍这么多的新问题的威胁。一方面，旅游业作为21世纪最有前途的产业之一，为我们提供了极好的机会都没有看到人都会看到，并前往任何地方有去。这已成为一些人的生活方式，并已被证明是在国内生产总值增长的推动力。它的神奇，把一个繁荣仙境1落后的小城。但在另一方面，可能会出现很多问题-自然景观不自然了。砍伐森林的热小屋是毁灭性的尼泊尔。旅游船油泄漏污染是南极。部落的人丧失了本土音乐和服饰，听取他们对随身听U2和穿耐克和锐步。

All these appalling(令人震惊的) facts have brought us to the realization that we can no longer stand by and do nothing, because the very thought of it has been eroding(侵蚀) our resources. Encouragingly, the explosive growth of global travel has put tourism again in the spotlight, which is why the United Nations has made 2002 the year of ecotourism, for the first time to bring to the world's attention the benefits of tourism, but also its capacity to destroy our ecoenvironment.

所有这些令人震惊的事实使我们认识到，我们不能再袖手旁观，什么都不做，因为它认为非常侵蚀了我们的资源。令人鼓舞的是，全球旅游的爆炸性增长已经把旅游业再次在聚光灯下，这就是为什么联合国20xx年提出的生态旅游首次提请全世界注意旅游业的好处，但也其能力，破坏我们的生态环境。

Now every year, many local ecoenvironmental protection organizations an: receiving donations--big notes, small notes or even coins--from housewives, plumbers(水管工人), ambulance drivers, salesmen, teachers, children and invalids(残疾人), Some of them can not afford to send the money but they do. These are the ones who drive the cabs, who nurse in hospitals, who are suffering from ecological damage in their neighborhood. Why?

Because they care. Because they still want their Mother Nature back. Because they know it still belongs to them.

现在每年有很多地方环境保护组织接受捐赠-大笔记，笔记，甚至小硬币-从家庭主妇，管道工，救护车司机，售货员，教师，儿童和残疾人。其中一些人可没有钱给的钱，但他们这样做。这是谁驾驶的出租车，谁在医院护士，谁从他们所在地区的生态破坏的痛苦。为什么？因为他们的照顾。因为他们仍然希望他们回到大自然。因为他们知道它仍然属于他们。

This kind of feeling that I have, ladies and gentlemen, is when it feels like it, smells like it, and looks like it, it's all coming from a scene to remember, a scene to recall and to cherish. 这种感觉，我有，女士们，先生们，是当它的感觉，喜欢这种气味，而且看来，这一切都从一个场景来记住，一个场景回顾和珍惜。

The other night, as l saw the moon linger over the land and before it was sent into the

invisible, my mind was filled with songs. I found myself humming softly, not to the music, but to some- thing else, someplace else. a place remembered, a place untouched, a field of grass where no one seem to have been except the deer.

有一天晚上，我看见月亮徘徊在土地和前被送进了无形的，心里却充满了歌曲。我发现自己轻轻哼唱，而不是音乐，而是别的东西，别的地方，一个地方记住，一个地方不动，一个草地，再没有人似乎除了鹿被。

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And all those unforgettable scenes strengthened the feeling that it's lime for us to do

something, for our own and our coming generation.Once again, I have come to think of Mrs. Dian Fossey be- cause it's with her spirit, passion, courage and strong sense of our ecoenvironment that we are taking our next step into the world.

和那些难忘的情景更增强了的感觉，现在需要我们做一些事情，为我们自己和我们的未来一代。

再次，我所认为的夫人戴安娜弗西，因为它与她的精神，热情，勇气和强烈的生态环境，我们的感觉是，我们正在进入世界的下一个步骤。

And no matter who we are, what we do and where we go, in our mind, there's always a scene to remember, a scene worth our effort to protect it and fight for it.

不管我们是谁，我们做什么，而且我们去，在我们的脑海，总有一个场景要记住，一个值得努力保护，并争取的场景。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

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第二篇：21世纪英语演讲比赛演讲稿

21世纪英语演讲比赛演讲稿

十五届季军 Sports brings us together

Sports are more than competitions. To me, they mean growth under the care of others. I learned this the hard way.

I used to be very shy and often felt lonely. Although I did well in all the academic subjects, I was afraid of physical education. My classmates often laughed at me.

―Look at that girl,‖ they said. ―Her feet don‘t leave the ground when she runs!‖ Their words embarrassed me. Moreover, whenever the teacher organized some competitive games, no one in the class liked to have me as their partner or team member. As a result, I often ended up looking at others enjoy their games.

Things would go on like that if not for a sports meet in my high school. By mistake, my name was put on the list of those who would compete in the women‘s 1500 meters race. By the time people found the mistake, it was too late to change. My desk-mate was a natural athlete. She said to me, ―I couldn‘t run that race in your place, because I‘ve signed up for three items already.‖ Other athletic girls of the class said the same.

I was utterly dumbfounded. 1500 meters! Running against the best runners from other classes! And in front of students of the entire school! It would be the worst nightmare I‘d ever have!

―You still have time to catch up because there is still one month before the sports meet,‖ they all said this to me, including my teacher.

My desk-mate patted me on the shoulder, ―Cool! You will run for our class! And we will do training together.‖ Yes, this is not just for myself, but for my class too, I said to myself. But still, 1500 meters to me was like Mount Everest to a beginning climber. I had no idea even how to start my preparation.

Fortunately, my desk-mate gave me a hand. Every afternoon after class, several of us ran together. When the fear of being laughed at struck me, I saw others running right beside me. They gave me strengths. While we were running, some others would stand by the tracks cheering for us.

One month certainly couldn‘t make me a good runner. But when I was standing behind the start line, I no longer felt lonely or afraid. I saw my classmates standing by the tracks waving at me as if about to run beside me.

With the shot of the starting gun, I dashed out and ran as fast as I could, as if it were a 200-meter race. Soon I was out of breath and slowed down. Other runners passed me one by one, and gradually I had no idea how many of them were still behind me. My legs were getting heavier and heavier, and I might fall down at any moment. However, I suddenly heard my classmates chanting my name. My desk-mate even ran along the tracks beside me and cheered for me at the same time, just like the month-long training we did together.

As expected, I was almost the last to cross the finish line. Immediately, my classmates held my arms and urged me to walk on my feet and not to sit down. I was

surrounded, with all kinds of drinks handed to me. I felt a kind of warmth I had never felt before. Even though I was almost the last to finish the race, I was full of confidence that I would improve in the future.

That sports meet was an unforgettable experience. The memory of my classmates cheering for me, holding my arms and handing me drinks stays fresh on my mind. Sports are no longer about winning or losing. They give me a lot of confidence, both confidence in my fellow students and confidence in my own potential. I am no longer lonely, no longer afraid. Sports have brought me close to my classmates and helped us grow together.

Now, I participate in the sports meet every year. Even if I am not competing, I would help my classmates with their practice, just like the way my desk-mate and others ran with me.

十五届亚军Breathing with Dreams

I have a question for you. ?Do you know how to breathe?‘ Okay, I know what you are thinking now, ―Girl, are you kidding me? Everybody knows how to breathe.‖ Actually, if I were you sitting down in there one year ago, I would think, ―How did she make it to the final?‖

Alright, seriously speaking, what I am talking about is ―the art of breathing‖, and it‘s about breathing in a Yoga way: peacefully and always under control. What it reveals is the real essence of perseverance, ―In order to achieve, sometimes, you need to wait.‖ And when it comes to things you really want in life, it is as hard as it could possibly be.

For me, singing is a life thing. When I am singing on the stage, I feel whole-heartedly involved, and the self-fulfillment it renders is inexplicably thrilling. But with all the realistic problems I need to face in life, all those I want seem too far to be true– so far that I am terrified that I will never ever be able to get there and that gradually I will be carried away by the currents and torrents of life. I‘ve been drowned into this ambivalence for so long. Now, with a refined perspective towards self-realization, I am waiting, in a graceful posture, and knowing that I am going to get there. And on this, I should say, I owe Yoga a thank-you.

I still remember, about one year ago, I attended a Yoga course for the very first time. And to tell you the truth, I went there for a nice figure. However, after practicing for some time, I discovered that there was an ineffable inner-strength burgeoning sneakily in me while I totally focused. In order not to let go this significant power, I started to picture all I wanted in my mind while I was fully concentrating, for I believe the wings of imagination could make things possible. I learned to breathe with my dreams, shaping the eagerness into this elegant gesture of persisting.

And now, if you ask me what exactly is ―the art of breathing‖, I would say it is indeed ―the art of living‖. It combines the search of balance, the grace of patience, and the awareness of appreciation.

So even though feelings are tied up with life routines, I could still hold onto that free EGO which I have always adored: the girl who is singing under the spotlight, with all her heart and soul; the girl who is persevering with all she believes in and

always feels grateful for what has been bestowed on her.

That girl is now standing right here in front of you, hoping that you are all as lucky as she is, living with dreams and love. No matter how tough things get, I tell myself, I tell myself that, every single thing I am doing now is every step closer to that very moment of my trajectory, just like every Yoga breath to every blossom moment of my life.

十五届冠军 The rhythm of life

How well are we in tune with the rhythm of life? In our busy day to day existence, we don‘t often stop to ask ourselves this question. At least I don‘t. And it wasn‘t until I joined a competitive sporting event that I learned a most important lesson – we must place our mind in harmony with the natural order of things to be successful.

Let me tell you what happened.

I decided to take part in an International Marathon in my hometown last year. Being an ambitious person, I hoped to finish it within 5 hours, accompanied by my friend with whom I had trained.

The big day finally arrived. "Ready...set...bang" And we were off.

At first, we kept a rapid pace and ran nonstop. At this pace, we finished the first 20 kilometers in 2 hours and I thought running a marathon was a piece of cake. Then my running mate began to slow down. I urged him to keep running at the same pace but he said no, he wanted to conserve his energy. I felt I had partnered with the wrong person, therefore, I sprinted on and left him behind in the dust.

A few kilometers later, I began to understand his strategy as my pace slowed to a jog then a walk. After that I was incapable of moving another step. I was humiliated as more and more people ran passed me. More than once I thought "Maybe I should quit." I started to doubt my ability to finish this race.

At this moment, my running mate caught up with me and slapped me on the back. ―Follow me,‖ he shouted. He had balanced his marathon pace and was encouraged me to do the same. For the rest of this grueling contest, we walked, jogged, ran a few miles, and walked again. Slowly, painfully but hopefully this time, we established the most suitable pace within the natural flow of our physical capabilities.

Eventually we accomplished our first Marathon of 42 kilometers in 4 and half hours. I asked myself, what did this marathon mean to me? My Marathon experience became an influential metaphor for my life about how we must learn to pace ourselves in everything, by being in tune with the rhythm of life.

Like the tide that ebbs and flows, we must listen to advice but make our own decisions. Like the show at dawn and dusk, we must learn to balance pride and modesty. And from the way the wind can both shout and whisper, we must learn when to be strong and when to be gentle, for everything moves in its own rhythm and its

own yin and yang elements. It is the interaction of these complementary extremes that produces harmony, as Laozi said, extremes meet. Since the marathon, this notion of two opposite forces working together has been my running partner, so to speak. Yin and yang exist everywhere, constantly interacting, and never existing in an absolute condition.

Ladies and Gentlemen, life is like running a marathon, let us discover, define and develop a natural rhythm of life, in order to achieve both harmony and success. Thank you for listening.

十四届冠军：What would you do if you had only one day left to live?

―What would you do if you had only one day left to live?‖

I asked this question to my young students when teaching English this winter. What were their answers?

―I would watch television!‖ the first answer. ―I would play with the computer!‖ the second one. ―I would play with computer TOO.‖ The girl finished her sentence perfectly with a serious smile. Indeed how cute and innocent that smile was, but how seriously my heart was hurt. I was too frightened to listen to more answers like that. Ten years ago, at their age, I had a different answer: I would spend the last day of my life gazing at the face of my dear grandmother until I inscribed every detail of it onto my mind.

When grandmother was getting old and weak, my family bought her a telephone so I could save time and the trouble of traveling to her home by making phone calls instead. Later we bought her a television so she could watch modern dramas by herself. Then grandma must have been, we assumed, very contented and happy.

But I never really knew how grandma felt. She silently passed away without a word one night. When I heard about her death, a chilling pain pierced my empty heart. The pain grew even sharper as I tried to remember in detail exactly how grandma looked and I failed completely! How could I remember? I had not visited her for ages—it seemed like a century! My memories of her dissolved into thin air and leaked away like water.

Even though I have a telephone, can she hear me now?

Even though I might be on television, can she see me now?

Even though I have modern telecommunications, can she still communicate with me now?

With all these ―tele‖s, I was powerless.

Don‘t people just love the word of ―tele‖, which means far away. Indeed this is how modern technology has changed our world. But please don‘t forget this other word with ―tele‖: telepathy: which refers to human beings‘ inborn ability to connect to our loved ones. Our minds are supposed to read each other‘s minds; our hearts are supposed to feel each other‘s hearts — and fulfill these without any forms of tool! But the moment I desperately struggled to remember grandmother‘s face, the telepathy between her and me had shut down forever. With the help of modern technology, I killed our telepathy.

This shall never happen again! The ―tele‖s are great inventions. But ―telepathy‖ gives them the warmth of a human face. Let‘s harness the power of television to excite our kids to develop their telepathy with nature… so that they can read the secret language of flowers. Let‘s make the telephone lines provoke us to preserve our telepathy with each other, so we can connect in a warm and feeling way. Let technology keep our ―telepathy‖ ALIVE! We need to wake up and make this happen. I told my grandma‘s story to those young kids that day. They got very quiet. They asked me for a second chance to answer the question. They had come to a new understanding – that very moment they had made to me and to our future together, a dear promise.

Thank you very much!

十四届季军 Milkman vs. Mailman

With the development of science and technology, change has penetrated into every aspect of our daily life. To illustrate that, I‘d like to make a comparison of these two seemingly insignificant things: milkman and mailman, whose differences indicate our changing way of living with the times.

Home milk delivery has almost gone extinct in China now, also gone with it are the milkmen, who once delivered bottled fresh milk door-to-door. On the other hand, mailman‘s business or the courier service has thrived as online shopping gains popularity. However, in retrospect, I find something has been lost in this transition, something Shakespeare called as ―the milk of human kindness‖.

When I was a kid, milk wasn‘t for sale everywhere. For the families who need it, they depended on the milkmen to take it from the local dairy farms to their houses. In our neighborhood, there was such a milkman, whose arrival was much anticipated by the children and always brought us laughter and joy. He knew the name of every kid and could easily see through our tricks. If we didn‘t behave, he would side with our parents and threaten to rob us of the nutritious drink. The entire neighborhood was acquainted with him; saw him as a member of the community just like the many residents or street vendors. There was a bond between all of us for it was not only the commodities that been transacted, but also a sense of caring and dependability. And that small box fixed onto our door, other than being a drop-off point for milk; it was a communication junction between the people as we took the initiative to reach out to others.

Fast forward to today, milk is ubiquitous with no dedicated delivery system. But the convenience level of our live has gone up a notch. Almost everything is for sale online, which spares us all the travelling and talking. With a few ready clicks, shopping is done. The rest is left for those speed delivery companies. Usually it‘s a grumpy mailman, who reaches us through cell phone, urging everyone to pick up their parcels as soon as possible. And the minute the receipt is signed, we rush back to unpack while the courier dashes to the next destination. There is barely a conversation carried out, nor do we feel the need to talk to such a stranger, who changes from time to time frequently. It seems that people are always in a hurry now, though we have more conveniences, still we run short of time to stop and stare, to speak and share.

Call me an old-timer, but I think the personal touch represented by the milkman is what has been missing in the modern society. William Wordsworth once wrote that ―Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.‖ Modern technology may have multiplied our possessions or gave us more conveniences, but we run the risk of reducing our values if we lay waste our power of interpersonal relationships.

十四届亚军 If I had a magic wish

Honorable judges, ladies and gentlemen,

The fairytale of Aladdin has always been my childhood favorite. I was mesmerized by how Aladdin used his three magic wishes. As a small girl, I dreamed of having the magic wishes to go wherever I wanted to go and see whatever I wanted to see. As you can probably guess, I haven‘t found my genie in the lamp yet, however, I have found something just as exciting and it has made marvelous changes in not only my life, but the lives of all human-beings. It is called technology.

I still remember how my father told me about his childhood back in those days when China was not as open and developed as it is now. Children would run for kilometers to school, make toys with wood by themselves, and the biggest dream of a child was holding two jars of sugar, one white, the other brown in each arm and having the choice of eating whichever he wanted. Just look at what we have now. Magnificent technological advancement has opened up a whole new world to us.

However, just as our lives become more convenient, problems arise from this new life style. We seem to be caged in the modern technology; we are thinking alike as a result of using the same search engine, we are getting lazy as most of our work can be done by machines, and we are alienating people around us for we are more comfortable talking on phones and typing in front of a computer.

If I was given the chance to make my magic wishes now, I would wish we could go back in time and live for three days without advanced technology. I wonder what we would do in those three days. Here is what I imagine.

On the first day, people would be feeling so uncomfortable with the new situation that they would probably be confused and just not know what to do. The world would be in a mess for the whole day.

On the second day, as life goes on, people would have to find alternative ways to deal with their daily rituals: students would have to go to libraries for information they wanted instead of searching on Google; boys would have to express their affection to girls in person instead of sending an annoying txt message; and the young people of today would have the chance to experience the childhood of their parents. On this particular day, we could recover all we had lost in the modern world.

Then comes the third day. After the previous two days, we would gradually come to realize that we should have paid more attention to our studies and work as we actually have so much creativity and potential within ourselves. We would also realize that we should have spent more time with a friend, a parent or a child as we do love them, but we don‘t really understand them due to the lack of personal communication. We shouldn‘t have been so dependent on modern technology as it wasn‘t invented to confine us, but to inspire us. This last day would be spent in sparks

of new ideas and sweet moments with our loved ones.

Maybe some would argue that it is just my imagination, and that magic would never work in our world. True, but magic can always work in our hearts, helping us understand that we, instead of the machine, are the masters of the world. The key is to treasure our human initiative and connections, to see the world with our own eyes, explore the unknown with our minds and treat others with our hearts. Just like Aladdin didn‘t choose to use magic to gain a happy life, we can make our choice, too. And when we do, we will live, as in the fairy tales, happily ever after. Thank you.

蒋春晖：第13届―21世纪杯‖全国英语演讲比赛季军

Living without globalization

Take a look at the street, we can see people walking around in Nike and Adidas ，beyond the curb, long lines of vehicles shuttle like wind on the tar among which there‘re Mercedes-Benz ,BMW, Toyota ,and some of the Volkswagen whose price is definitely not so ―volks‖ at all. They‘re all heading for the same direction: the New Oriental School, coz the Olympics is around and learning English is currently the hottest way blowing away your after-work time and money in town. Everything about this picture is so global that you can hardly tell if it‘s Bei Jing or Belgium.

However, there‘s one grey speck on this splendid picture of globalization I just can‘t shift my eyes away from. It‘s a migrant worker covered with dirt. Pushing a large cart of bricks 5 times his own weight with his skinny arms, the man was about my age. His eyes hollow holes, for there‘s nothing but the hardship of survival in there. Was he married? Was he smart? Did he go to middle school? Or perhaps primary school? Where was he from? Is there anyone waiting for him at home?

As we look out to globalization with great expectation, there‘s also crisis lying within. But the crisis was not brought onto us from anywhere out there. It lies within our system and was made by ourselves. Some call it regional bias, some call it household permit system, but not matter what name it bears. It‘s the same thing we see in this country: born a countryman, always a countryman. And countryman here is not just a nickname suggesting where you live. It means that you can‘t have a lot of the basic public benefits like free compulsory education and medical insurance like the city men have. It means you would have to be times as outstanding as students from the metropolitans in exams to be admitted into good schools. In means, very much likely, in that migrant worker‘s case, that you can work and live in the city honestly for 10 years but people still despises you because they think they are somehow superior. It‘s true that globalization is all over the air, but despite it‘s the same air that we breathe ,I wonder how many of them feel it even exsit.

Does learning to compete in the global era involve migrant workers? I believe few would think so. Because usually what we care about are things like trade surplus, intercultural communication and Paris Hilton. But does it not involve migrant

workers?

Let‘s make an interesting assumption here. Today, I see a lot of young faces in this building, in 10 years, many of us will have our children. And I suppose that in 10 years, the migrant worker I saw on the street the other day and many like him will have their children. I can‘t help wondering with this globalization gap keep lying between the two of us, can my child work together with his children for the country in the future competition of the global era? And will this country be able to win the competition without its rural people which takes up about 80% of its total population? No! This situation must be changed! And the time is now! The long and weary journey to its final solution may take decades, or even centuries. But it starts with our little good will. If everyone in this room donate 10 yuan to the Hope project, we might be able to get the son of a migrant worker through junior school. By which we‘re not only helping them but also helping ourselves.

If we want to learn to compete with others, we‘ll first have to learn to take care of our own man , and if we want to learn to live with globalization,we‘ll first learn it, from those who live without it.

第十一届―21世纪·澳门之星杯‖全国英语演讲比赛冠军——曹丰 清华大学

演讲稿：Our Future: A Battle between Dreams and Reality

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen:

When I was in the primary school, I have a dream. I want to invent a device which could bring you from one place to another in no time at all. When I was in the secondary school, my dream was to study in my ideal university. And when eventually I got into the university, my dream was to graduate.

How pathetic! When we grow up, we dream less and become more realistic. Why? Why do we have to change our dreams, so, so in order to let it be "fulfilled"? Why do we have to surrender to the so-called "reality"? What IS the reality actually?

Ladies and gentlemen, the reality is not real. It is a barrier keeping us from all the possible fantasies. Flying, for example, had been a dream to mankind for thousands of years. A hundred years ago, "man could not fly" was still regarded as the "reality". Now if that was really the reality, what did the Wright brothers do? How did some of you get to Macau? Only when we believe that the reality is not real can we soar with our dreams.

People say that our future is a battle between the reality and our dreams. And if, unfortunately, Mr. Reality wins this war, then I see no future of mankind at all. AIDS will never be curable as this IS the reality; People living in the undeveloped countries will suffer from starvation forever as this IS the reality; 4)Disputes among different countries would never be settled as this misunderstandings and intolerance IS the

reality.

Ladies and gentlemen, how many of you have a dream of being able to make a lot of money? Please raise your hands. Oh, quite a number of you! Actually, ladies and gentlemen, this is not a dream, but a task. Every one of us has to make a living, right? Anyway I hope your task will be accomplished. How many of you think that you have already fulfilled your dream and that you don't dream anymore? Dear

5)adjudicators, what do you think? C.S. Lewis once said, "You are never too old to dream a new dream." So for our future, please dream and be unrealistic.

Now that I am a university student, my goal is to graduate with excellences. But at the same time, I have a dream deeply rooted in our future. One day, people living in the areas now 6)sweltering with the horror of wars will be able to sit with their families and enjoy their every moment. One day, people from the rich countries are willing to share what they have with those from the poor countries and those from the poor countries will eventually be able to make their own happy living themselves. One day, different cultures in this age of globalization will coexist with tolerance and the unfriendly confrontations among them will be 7)eliminated. One day, the globe will share the dream with me and we will all contribute to making our dream come true. One day, our dream will defeat the reality! Thank you very much.

第十届冠军演讲稿：From Walls to Bridges

I'm studying in a city famous for its walls. All visitors to my city are amazed by the imposing sight of the city walls, silhouetted by the setting sun with gold and shining lines. With old, cracked bricks patched with lichen, the walls are weather-beaten guards, standing still for centuries in protecting the city.

Our ancestors liked to build walls. They built walls in Beijing, Xi'an, Nanjing and many other cities, and they built the Great Wall, which snakes through half of our country. They built walls to ward off enemies and evil spirits. This tradition has been maintained to this day as we still have many parks and schools walled off from the public. I grew up at the foot of the city walls, and I've loved them since my childhood. For a long time, walls were one of the most natural things in the world.

My perception, however, changed after a hiking trip to the Eastern Suburbs, a scenic area of my city. My classmates and I were walking with some international students. As we walked out of the city, we found ourselves flanked by taller and taller trees, which formed a huge canopy above our heads. Suddenly an international student asked me, "Where is the entrance to the Eastern Suburbs?"

"We're already in the Eastern Suburbs," I replied.

He seemed taken aback, "I thought you Chinese have walls for everything." His

remark set off a heated debate. At one point, he likened our walled cities to "jails," while I insisted that the Eastern Suburbs were one of the many places in China that had no walls.

That debate had no winners, but I did learn a lot from this international student. For instance, he told me that universities like Oxford and Cambridge were not surrounded by walls; the campuses were just part of the cities. I have to admit that we do have many walls in China, and as we are developing our country, we must carefully examine them, whether they are physical or intangible. We will keep some walls but tear down those that impede China's development.

Let me give you an example.

A year ago, when I was working on a term paper, I needed a book on business law and found a copy in the law school library. However, the librarian turned down my request with a cold shoulder, saying, "You can't borrow this book, you are not a student here." In the end, I had to spend 200 yuan buying a copy; meanwhile, the copy in law school was gathering dust on the shelf.

At the beginning of this semester, I heard that my university has started not only to unify its libraries but also link them up with libraries of other universities, so my experience will not be repeated. Barriers will be replaced by bridges. Through an inter-library loan system, we will have access to books from any library. With globalization, with China integrated into the world, I believe many of these intangible walls will be knocked down.

I know globalization is a controversial issue, and it is hard to say whether it is good or bad. But one thing is for sure: it draws our attention to China's tangible and intangible walls and forces us to examine their roles in the modern world.

And how about the ancient walls in my city and other cities? Should we tear them down? Just the opposite. My city, like Beijing and other cities, is actually making a great effort to preserve the walls. These walls attract not only historians and archeologists but also many schoolchildren trying to study our history and cultural heritage. Walls have turned into bridges to our past and to the rest of the world. If the ancient builders of these walls were still alive today, they would be proud to see such great change in the role of their walls. They are now bridges that link East and West, South and North, and all countries of the world. Our cultural heritage will survive globalization.

第九届冠军演讲稿：The Doors that Are Open to Us

Good morning ladies and gentlemen:

The title of my speech today is "The Doors that Are Open to Us ".

The other day my aunt paid me a visit. She was overjoyed. "I got the highest mark in the mid-term examination!" she said. Don't be surprised! My aunt is indeed a student; to be exact, a college student at the age of 45.

Last year, she put aside her private business and signed up for a one-year, full-time management course in a college. "This was the wisest decision I have ever made," she said proudly like a teenage girl. To her, college is always a right place to pick up new ideas, and new ideas always make her feel young.

"Compared with the late 70s," she says, "now college students have many doors." My aunt cannot help but recall her first college experience in 1978 when college doors began to be re-opened after the Cultural Revolution. She was assigned to study engineering despite her desire to study Chinese literature, and a few years later, the government sent her to work in a TV factory.

I was shocked when she first told me how she (had) had no choice in her major and job. Look at us today! So many doors are open to us! I believe there have never been such abundant opportunities for self-development as we have today. And my aunt told me that we should reach our goals by grasping all these opportunities.

The first door I see is the opportunity to study different kinds of subjects that interest us. My aunt said she was happy to study management, but she was also happy that she could attend lectures on ancient Chinese poetry and on Shakespearean drama. As for myself, I am an English major, but I may also go to lectures on history. To me, if college education in the past emphasized specialization, now, it emphasizes free and well-rounded development of each individual. So all the fine achievements of human civilization are open to us.

The second door is the door to the outside world. Learning goes beyond classrooms and national boundaries. My aunt remembers her previous college days as monotonous and even calls her generation "frogs in a well." But today, as the world becomes a global village, it is important that our neighbors and we be open-minded to learn with and from each other. I have many fellow international classmates, and I am applying to an exchange program with a university abroad. As for my aunt, she is planning to get an MBA degree in the United Kingdom where her daughter, my cousin, is now doing her master's degree in biochemistry. We are now taking the opportunity to study overseas, and when we come back, we'll put to use what we have learnt abroad.

The third door is the door to lifelong learning. As new ideas appear all the time, we always need to acquire new knowledge, regardless of our age. Naturally, my aunt herself is the best example. Many of my aunt's contemporaries say that she is

amazingly up-to-date for a middle-aged woman. She simply responds, "Age doesn't matter. What matters is your attitude. You may think it's strange that I am still going to college, but I don't think I'm too old to learn." Yes, she is right. Since the government removed the age limit for college admissions in 2001, there are already some untraditional students, sitting with us in the same classrooms. Like these people, my aunt is old but she is very young in spirit. With her incredible energy and determination, she embodies both tradition and modernity.

The doors open to us also pose challenges. For instance, we are faced with the challenge of a balanced learning, the challenge of preserving our fine tradition while learning from the West, and the challenge of learning continuously while carrying heavy responsibilities to our work and family. So, each door is a test of our courage, ability and judgment, but with the support of my teachers, parents, friends and my aunt, I believe I can meet the challenge head on. When I reach my aunt's age, I can be proud to say that I have walked through dozens of doors and will, in the remainder of my life, walk through many more. Possibly I will go back to college, too.

Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen