“21世纪·爱立信杯”全国英语演讲比赛冠军得主的演讲稿：
   TomeMarch28thwasaluckyday.ItwasonthatparticulareveningthatIfoundmyselfatcentralstage,inthespotlight.Winningthe"21stCentury·EricssonCup"SeventhNationalEnglishSpeakingCompetitionisamemorythatIshalltreasureandonethatwillsurelystay.
   　　MoreimportantthanwinningtheCupisthefriendshipthathasbeenestablishedanddevelopedamongthecontestants,andthechancetocommunicateoffstageinadditiontocompetingonstage.AlsothecompetitionhelpsboostpublicspeakinginChina,askillhithertoundervalued.
   　　Forme,though,thecompetitionisamorepersonalexperience.Habituallyshy,Ihadbeenreluctanttotakepartinanysuchactivities.Encouragedbymyfriends,however,Imadealast-minutedecisiontogiveitatry.InthecourseofpreparationIsomehowrediscoveredmyself,atruerme.
   　　Ifoundthat,afterall,Ilikecommunicatingwithotherpeople;thatexchangingviewscanbesomuchfun—andsomuchrewarding,bothemotionallyandintellectually;thatpublicspeakingismosteffectivewhenyouareleastguarded;andthatitisessentialtosuccessineverywalkoflife.
   　　Atamorepracticallevel,Irealizedknowingwhatyouaregoingtosayandhowyouaregoingtosayitareequallyimportant.Totaketheoriginalideasoutofyourheadandtransplantthem,sotospeak,tothatofothers,youneedtohaveanorganizedmind.Thisabilityimproveswithtraining.
   　　Yetthereshouldnotbeanylossoradditionordistortionintheprocess.Thoseideasthatfinallyfindtheirwaysintosanotherheadneedtoberecognizablyyours.Languageisameanstotransmitinformation,notameanstoobstructcommunication.Itshouldbelucidtobepenetrating.
   　　InChina,certainpublicspeakingskillshavebeenundulyemphasized.Willitreallyhelp,wearecompelledtoask,tobangatthepodiumoryellatthetopofyourlungs,ifyouhavecomewithapoorlyorganizedspeech,amuddledmind,andunwillingnesstotrulyshareyourviews?
   　　Aboveall,thesinglemostimportantthingIlearntwasthatasapublicspeaker,youneedtopayattention,firstandforemost,tothecontentofyourspeech.Andsecond,thestructureofyourspeech:howoneidearelatesandprogressestoanother.
   　　Onlyafterthesecomedeliveryandnon-verbalcommunication:speedcontrol,platformmanner,andsoon.Pronunciationisimportant,yetofgreaterimportanceisthis:Isyourlanguagecompetentenoughtoexpressyourideasexactlythewayyouintendthemtobeunderstood?
   　　IwasinformedafterwardsthatIwaschosentobethewinnerformy"appropriatelywordedspeech,excellentpresenceandquick-wittedresponse".Insoremarking,thejudgesclearlyshowedtheirpreference:theycometolistenformeaningfulideas,notforloosejudgments,noreasylaughters.
   　　Somecontestantsfailedtoaddresstheirquestionsheadon.Somewereableto,butdidnotknowswherestostop—thedraggingonbetrayedtheirlackofconfidence.Therootcausewasthattheydidnotlistenattentivelytothequestions.Ortheywerethinkingofwhattheyhadprepared.
   　　AsIsaidinmyspeech,"Itisvitallyimportantthatweyoungpeopledomoreseriousthinking...totakethem[issueslikeglobalization]onandgivethemhonestthinkingisthefirststeptobepreparedforbothopportunitiesandchallengescomingourway".Weneedtorespondhonestly.
   　　Acompetitionlikethisdrawstalentedstudentsfromalloverthecountry.Andofcourse,Ilearntmorethingsthanjustaboutpublicspeaking.Sinceinthefinalanalysis,publicspeakingisallabouteffectivecommunication.Andthisgoestrueforallcommunications,whatevertheirsetting.
   　　Andthefollowingisthefinalversionofmyspeech:
   　　GLOBALIZATION:
   　　OPPORTUNITIESANDCHALLENGES
   　　FORCHINA'SYOUNGERGENERATION
   　　Thirtyyearsago,AmericanPresidentRichardNixonmadeanepoch-makingvisittoChina,acountrystillisolatedatthattime.PremierZhouEnlaisaidtohim,"Yourhandshakecameoverthevastestoceanintheworld—twenty-fiveyearsofnocommunication".Thirtyyearssince,ChinaandAmericahaveexchangedmanyhandshakes.Thefundamentalimplicationofthisexampleisthattheneedtocommunicateacrossdifferencesincultureandideologyisnotonlyfeltbythetwocountriesbutbymanyothernationsaswell.
   　　Aswecanseetoday,environmentalistsfromdifferentcountriesaremakingjointeffortstoaddresstheissueofglobalwarming,economistsareseekingsolutionstofinancialcrisesthatrageinaparticularregionbutnonethelesscrippletheworldeconomy,andpoliticiansanddiplomatsaregettingtogethertodiscusstheissueofcombatingterrorism.Peaceandprosperityhasbecomeacommongoalthatwearestrivingforallovertheworld.UnderlyingthismightytrendofglobalcommunicationistheechoofE.M.Forster'swords"Onlyconnect!"
   　　WiththeITrevolution,traditionalboundariesofhumansocietyfallaway.Ourculture,politics,societyandcommercearebeingsloshedsintosonelargemeltingpotofhumanity.Inthisinterlinkedworld,therearenooutsiders,foradisturbanceinoneplaceislikelytoimpactotherpartsoftheglobe.Wehavebeguntorealizethataworlddividedcannotendure.
   　　Chinaisnowactivelyintegratingsintostheworld.OurrecententrytotheWTOisagoodexample.Fordecades,wehavetakenprideinbeingself-reliant,butnowwerealizetheimportanceofparticipatinginandcontributingtoabroadereconomicorder.FromaprecariousroleintheworldarenatoourpresentWTOmembership,wehavecomealongway.
   　　Butwhatdoesthewayaheadlooklike?Insomepartsoftheworldpeoplearedemonstratingagainstglobalization.Aretheyjustified,then,incriticizingtheglobalizingworld?Insteadofnarrowingthegapbetweentherichandthepoor,theysay,globalizationenablesthedevelopednationstoswallowthedevelopingnations'wealthindebtsandinterest.Globalization,theyargue,shouldbeaboutacommoninterestineveryothernation'seconomichealth.
   　　WeareremindedbyKarlMarxthatcapitalgoesbeyondnationalbordersandeludescontrolfromanyotherentity.Thishasbecomeareality.Multinationalcorporationsareseekingthelowestcost,thelargestmarket,andthemostfavourablepolicy.Theyareoftenpowerfullobbyistsingovernmentdecision-making,ruthlessexpansionistsintheglobalmarketandadevastatingpresencetolocalbusinesses.
   　　ForChina,stillmorechallengesexist.Howarewegoingtoensureasmoothtransitionfromtheplannedeconomytoamarket-basedone?Howtoconstructalegalsystemthatissoundenoughandbroadenoughtorespondtotheneedsofadynamicsociety?Howtomaintainourculturalidentityinanincreasinglyhomogeneousworld?Andhowtodefinegreatnessinourriseasapeace-lovingnation?Globalizationentailsquestionsthatconcernusall.
   　　LikemanyyoungpeoplemyageinChina,Iwanttoseemycountrygetprosperousandenjoyrespectintheinternationalcommunity.Butitseemstomethatmerepatriotismisnotjustenough.Itisvitallyimportantthatweyoungpeopledomoreseriousthinkingandbroadenourmindtobiggerissues.Theremightneverbeeasyanswerstothoseissuessuchasglobalization,buttotakethemonandgivethemhonestthinkingisthefirststeptobepreparedforbothopportunitiesandchallengescomingourway.Thisisalsooneofthethoughtsthatcametomewhilepreparingthisspeech.