Knowing the Consequences of Choice
Over the past Spring Festival, I got involved in a family dispute. Right before I got home, four satellite channels of CCTV were added to the 14 channels we had already had. In prime time at night, they all had interesting shows. Therefore, the five of us-my parents, my sisters and I-had to argue over what to watch. Finally, we agreed that we should watch the "most interesting" programme... If we
could agree what that was.
However, all of us there remember that for a long time after we had TV, there were only one or two channels available. The increase in options reveals an important change in our life: the abundance of choice.
Fifteen years ago we all dressed in one style and in one colour. Today, we select from a wide variety of designs and shades.
Fifteen years ago, we read few newspapers. Today, we read English newspapers like the China Daily and the 21st Century, as well as various Chinese newspapers.
Fifteen years ago, English majors took only courses in language and literature. Today, we also study Western culture, journalism, business communications, international relations, and computer science.
The emergence of choices marks the beginning of a new era in China's history; an era of diversity, of material and cultural richness, and an era of the rebirth of the Chinese nation. We enjoy the abundance of choice. But this has not come easily.
About 150 years ago, China was forced to open up its door by Western canons and gunboats. It has been through the struggle and sacrifice of generations that we finally have gained the opportunity to choose for ourselves. The policy of reform and openness is the choice that has made all the difference.
Like others of my age, I'm too young to have experienced the time when the Chinese people had no right to choose. However, as the next century draws near, it is time to ask: What does choice really mean to us young people?
Is choice a game that relies on chance or luck? Is choice an empty promise that never materializes? Or is choice a puzzle so difficult that we have to avoid it?
First, I would like to say: To choose means to claim opportunities.
I am a third-year English major. An important choice for me, of course, is what to do upon graduation. I can go to graduate school, at home or abroad. I can go to work as a teacher, a translator, a journalist, an editor and a diplomat. Actually, the system of mutual selection has allowed me to approach almost every career opportunity in China.
Indeed, this is not going to be an easy choice. I would love to work in such big cities as Beijing or Shanghai or Shenzhen. I would also love to return to my hometown, which is intimate, though slightly lagging in development. I would love to stay in the coastal area where life is exciting and fast-paced. I would also love to put down roots in central and western China, which is underdeveloped, but holds great potential.
All of these sound good. But they are only possibilities. To those of us who are bewildered at the abundance of opportunities, I would like to say: To choose means to accept challenge. To us young people, challenge often emerges in the form of competition. In the next century, competition will not only come from other college graduates, but also from people of all ages and of all origins.
With increasing international exchanges, we have to face growing competition from the whole outside world. This is calling for a higher level of our personal development.
Fifteen years ago, the knowledge of a foreign language or of computer operation was considered merely an advantage. But today, with wider educational opportunities, this same knowledge has become essential to everyone.
Given this situation, even our smallest choices will require great wisdom and personal determination.
As we gain more initiative in choice making, the consequence of each choice also becomes more important.
As we gain more initiative in choice making, the consequence of each choice also becomes more important.
Nuclear power, for instance, may improve our quality of life. But it can also be used to damage the lives and possessions of millions.
Economic development has enriched our lives but brought with it serious harm to our air, water and health.
To those of us who are blind to the consequences of their choices, I would like to say, To choose means to take responsibility. When we are making choices for ourselves, we cannot casually say: "It's just my own business. " As policy makers of the next century, we cannot fail to see our responsibility to those who share the earth with us.
The traditional Chinese culture teaches us to study hard and work hard so as to honor our family. To me, however, this family is not just the five of us who quarreled over television programmes. Rather, it is the whole of the human family. As I am making my choices, I will not forget the smile of my teacher when I correctly spelled out the word "China" for the first time, I will not forget the happy faces of the boys and girls we helped to send back to school in the mountains of Jiangxi Province. I will not forget the tearful eyes of women and children in Bosnia, Chechnya and Somali, where millions are suffering from war, famine or poverty. All these people, known and unknown, make up our big human family. At different points, they came into my life and broaden my perspective. Now as I am to make choices for myself, it is time to make efforts to improve their lives, because a world will benefit us all only if every one in it can lead a peaceful and prosperous life.
选择的重要性
去年春节期间，我陷入过一场家庭纷争。在我回家之前，我们家的电视除了已有的14个频道外又增加了四个卫星频道。晚上的黄金时间，每个频道的节目都很精彩.结果，我们一家五口(父母，两个姐姐和我)为了选台而争执起来。最后，我们决定应当看“最有意思”的节目——如果我们在什么是“最有意思”上可以认同的话。
不过我们全都清楚地记得，买了电视后的好长一段时间里，只有一两个频道可供选择。电视频道的增多反映出我们生活中的一个重大变化:选择余地的扩大。
20xx年前，我们身着同样的款式，单一的色调。而如今，纷繁的花色和众多的式样让我们挑得眼花缭乱。
20xx年前，我们几乎无报可读。而如今，除了大大小小的中文报纸，我们还读上了《中国日报》、《21世纪报》这样的英文报纸。
20xx年前，英语专业的学生只能选语言与文学课程。而如今，我们还学习西方文化，新闻，商务，国际关系，甚至还有计算机课程。
选择的涌现标志着中国进入了一个崭新的时代，一个充满多样化的时代，一个物质与精神都愈加丰富的时代，一个中华民族获得新生的时代。
我们为选择之多而欢呼雀跃，同时也深深地感到这一切来之不易。
一个半世纪之前，在西方大炮、战舰的威通下，中国被迫打开了国门。经过祖祖辈辈的抗争与牺牲，我们才最终赢得了当家作主的机会。改革开放这个正确的抉择使一切发生了翻天覆地的变化。
我和其他同龄人一样，太年轻了、没有经历过中国人丧失选择权的岁月。但是，随着下个世纪的脚步越走越近，我们是该们心自间了:选择，对于我们青年一代，到底意味着什么?
选择，是场靠侥幸来获胜的游戏吗?是句不用兑现的空话吗?抑或是种让人知难而退的困境?
首先，我认为，选择意味着抓住机遇。
我是英语专业三年级学生，我所面临的一个重大选择当然是毕业后的去向。我可以攻读硕士学位，或在国内，或在国外。我可以走上工作岗位，做名教师，翻译，记者，编辑或外交家.实际上，双向选择的体制在我面前铺开了通向各行各业的大道。
说真的，这个选择并不好做。我愿意在像北京、上海、深圳这样的大都市里工作，我也盼着能回到虽不那么发达却使我倍感亲切的故乡。我希望可以留在生活节奏快，令人兴奋的沿海地带，我也愿意扎根于广炭的中西部地区，那里虽然条件艰苦，却有极大的发展潜力。
所有这一切听上去令人振奋，但它们毕竟只是可能性。有些人面对五花八门的选择挑得眼花缭乱，我要告诉他们:选择就意味着接受挑战。
对于我们青年一代，挑战常以竟争的形式出现。到下个世纪，竞争者将不仅只是其他大学毕业生，更有各行各业不同年龄层的人们。
随着国际交流的不断增多，我们得面对来自整个外部世界日益激烈的竞争，这就对我们个/、的发展提出了更高的要求。
20xx年前，懂门外语或会用计算机是个优越条件。但今天，随着受教育面的拓宽，以上的知识也成了每个人必备的条件。
在这种形势下，即便最细小的选择也要求我们具有极大的智慧和自主精神。
当我们面对选择不断增强自己的主动性时，每一次选择的结果也同样变得愈加重要。
比方说，核能可以提高人民的生活水平，可它同样也能毁灭千百万人的生命财产。
经济的发展使我们富裕起来，却也给我们的空气、水、健康带来了严重危害。有些人对选择的后果毫不在乎，我要对他们说:选择还意味着承担责任。我们替自己做选择时，不能随口一句“这不关别人的事”。作为下个世纪的决策者，我们必须承担对和我们共同拥有这个地球的人们所负的责任。 传统的中华文化教育我们，要勃奋学习，努力工作，以荣耀家门。然而我认为，这个家门并不只指诸如我的那个争看电视的五口小家。更确切地说，它指的是整个人类这个大家庭。当我为自己的未来做出选择时，我不会忘记自己第一次正确读出“China"这个单词时老师脸上的笑容。我也不会忘记在我们的帮助下重返校园的江西山区的孩子们兴奋的脸庞。我更不会忘记饱受战火、饥荒、贫困蹂蹦的波斯尼亚、车臣、索马里，不会忘记那里成千上万的妇女儿童泪水模糊的双眼。
所有这些我认识或不认识的人们组成了人类这个大家庭。他们从不同的时空中走进了我的生活，开拓了我的视野。现在，我将为自己做出抉择，该是为使他们的生活变得美好而奋斗的时候了。因为只有当每个人都过上和平、富足的生活，世界才能成为大家的乐园.
As everyone knows that China is one of the most beautiful Countries all over the world. It is really famous for its long history and civilizations. As a Chinese girl, I’m so proud of my Country. And of course, I love it deeply in my heart. not just because it’s my hometown.
Daqing is beautiful and modern. Thescenery here is so attractive. Everyone will love it at the fist sight.
When you come to Daqing, you will see museums, parks and shopping centers here and there. Wherever you go, you can see green trees, grass and beautiful flowers. what’s more,there are many places of historic interest in Daqing. Such as Iron Man Memorial Museum, Children's Park, Times square and the wetland tourism Taikang. I am sure that the beautiful scenery will attract more people to come here.
Daqing is also famous for its oil. It provides oil for our Country. Thus it is an important city in China. I am proud of it.
I also love the spirit of Daqing-the Iron Man Wang Jinxi Spirit.Wang Jinxi is a hero of Daqing. I learn a lot from him. Work hard! Persevere! And never give up!
That is my hometown Daqing. I love it very much! I hope you love it as I do.
Thank you everyone!
In Calaveras, California, there lived a man whose name was Jim Smiley. Jimenjoyed betting somuch that he would bet on anything. If anyone said goodmorning to him, he would bet themthat it was not a good morning. Whenever therewas a horse race or a chicken fight, Jim wouldbet on it. He didn’t care whichside he bet on, as long as he had a bet.
One day, Jim showed a frog to a stranger who had just arrived in Calaveras,and bet thestranger forty dollars that the frog can jump farther and faster thanany other in CalaverasCounty. The stranger said he didn’t see anything about thefrog different from any other, and ifhe had a frog he would bet Jim. Jim lefthis frog with the stranger and go out to find a frog forthe stranger. Meanwhile,the stranger took out a bag of gunshot, forcing the frog’s mouthopen and pouredthe shot into it.
Soon Jim returned with a frog for the stranger.The two frogs were put onthe floor, and theneach man gave his frog a push. The stranger’s frog hopped offsmartly. But Jim’s frog just satthere, unable to move an inch. Jim had nochoice. He gave forty dollars to the stranger, whotook the money and startedaway. Jim picked up his frog, and found it extremely heavy. Heturned it upsidedown, and the gunshot came out. He knew he had been fooled and, like a madman,started running after the stranger.
As he ran, he passed one of his friends, who asked him where he wasgoing.
"To catch a thief!" shouted Jim. "No matter how fast he may run, I'll catchhim. I'll bet you fivedollars!"
在加利福尼亚的卡拉维拉斯县，有个人名叫吉姆?斯迈里。他好打赌，见什么赌什么。要是有人跟他说“早上好”，他会说，这天早上不怎么样，不信就打个赌。只要有赛马和斗鸡，他都要去赌。在哪一边下注他不在乎，有机会赌就行。
有一天，吉姆见到一个来到卡拉维拉斯县的陌生人，就把自己的一只青蛙给他看，说这是卡拉维拉斯全县跳得最快最远的青蛙，不信就打个赌，赌40块钱。陌生人说他看不出那只蛙有什么非凡之处，如果他手头有一只蛙，就赌一赌。听了这话，吉姆就把自己的青蛙交给陌生人看管，出去为陌生人找一只蛙来。他不在的时候，陌生人掏出一口袋铅弹，掰开青蛙嘴，把铅弹灌了进去。
不久吉姆就给陌生人带了一只青蛙回来。两只青蛙在地上摆好，然后各人将各自的青蛙轻轻一推。陌生人的青蛙一下子就跳起来，跳得好快好远。但吉姆的蛙却呆在那里纹丝不动，像钉在地上似的。吉姆无奈，只得交出40块钱。陌生人拿了钱就走了。吉姆把自己的蛙拿起来，觉得沉甸甸的。他把蛙倒提起来一抖，铅弹掉了出来。他知道自己上了当，就像疯子似的去追陌生人。
正跑着，一个朋友瞧见他，不问他风风火火地去干什么。
“去抓贼!”他吼道，“无论他跑得有多快，我都要追上他。不信打5块钱的赌!”
ladies and gentlemen , good afternoon! i’m very glad to stand here and give you a short speech. today my topic is “youth”. i hope you will like it , and found the importance in your youth so that more cherish it.
first i want to ask you some questions:
1、do you know what is youth?
2、how do you master your youth?
youth
youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind ; it is not rosy cheeks , red lips and supple knees, it is a matter of the emotions : it is the freshness ; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life .
youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity of the appetite , for adventure over the love of ease. this often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20 . nobody grows old merely by a number of years . we grow old by deserting our ideals.
years wrinkle the skin , but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul . worry , fear , self –distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust .
whether 60 of 16 , there is in every human being ‘s heart the lure of wonders, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living . in the center of your heart and my heart there’s a wireless station : so long as it receives messages of beauty , hope ,cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite, so long as you are young .
when the aerials are down , and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old ,even at 20 , but as long as your aerials are up ,to catch waves of optimism , there is hope you may die young at 80.
thank you!
Good afternoon, dear teachers. I’m very glad to be here to have a speech. The topic of my speech is <the spirit of sports>.
As far as I’m concerned, I’m a sheer amateur of sports, being fascinated by swimming, running, mountaineering and so on. I couldn’t agree with these perspectives from people who dislike sports, because you’ll feel greatly relieved after being drenched in sweats by sports. Sports can also help you forget your worries and stress, feeling unprecedented relaxed.
As is known, a healthy body is extraordinarily crucial. Moreover physical exercise undeniably exerts a far-reaching influence on keeping ourselves fit. In taking part in out-door sports, we are closer to nature and can take in fresh air. The beauty of nature will keep us clear-headed, which is essential to our health. Besides sports can stimulate the circulation of blood and help to excrete the wastes in the body. It also can work up our appetite and activate or digestion. In a word, sports can give rise to a strong body for us.
In contemporary society, with the increasing focus on health, people in ever expanding numbers join the trend of doing sports and begin to accept more and more sorts of fashionable sports, ranging from hiking to diving. From this phenomenon, we can see not only do sports play a significant role in health, but also lay a solid foundation for human beings’ spirit.
Taking hiking for example, it’s a blend of man and nature completely way to travel, and also a kind of sports that not only need your physical strength, but also need the patience, perseverance and persistence. At the beginning of climbing a mountain, you’ll be exciting with the fantastic scene of mountain, river and water. However, after a half way, you’ll fell so tired and exhausted. The climbing road becomes more and more steep. At that time, it requires your persistence and determination to conquer arduous situations. It just likes the life, the closer the success is, the more difficulties you must endure.
From my aspects, the enchantment of sports is that it’s a challenge for the limit of your body --- both a sort of healthy and popular life style and an reflection of optimistic and positive attitude. Just like nowadays, the development of Olympic games is harmonious and prosperous, for the reason that it’s not only for shaping human’s body, but more for pursuing a king of spirit --- faster, higher, stronger.
This is my speech. Thank you.
Good afternoon ，ladies and gentlemen!
I’m very honored to stand here and give you a short speech! To begin with ,I want to ask a question .Does everybody dream a good dream last night? Actually ,today I want to talk about dream with you. Of course, What I want to talk is not a dream you have last night,but a dream—— about life.
Everyone has dreams about life, different dreams at different life stage,and we need dreams to support us. Dreams are like the stars we never reach in the sky,but like most mariners(水手),we can chart our course by them. With the dream,we have a direction,with a direction, we were no longer confused.With the dream, there is hope,With hope, we have the strength to fight.
I have a dream: To be a doctor.，because doctor may relieve the pain of patients. May let the human change the health. At the same time, I believed that, those who help others may be able to obtain joyfully. Therefore, I hoped in the near future ,I might be a doctor.
But I know，life is tough,and there are always ups and downs, maybe we fail in the way to our aims,and we may feel depressed ,whenever at this time, the dream in our heart can always comfort us, encourage us ,and support us to move ahead .
Young!Fortunately, I am young now. Just due to it, I know that nothing is impossible.I firmly believe that nothing can stand in my way. If I can't realize my dream,it result from that I haven't work harder enough and I won't find other excuses. If no people believe you, you can make it to prove that you are right. If you think the god haven't blessed you and there is no truth here, you can become the god and create the truth.
"My breath swallows the sky and make the yellow river overflow, my sword is famous in Kyushu and it can collapse the five sacred mountains." At some time in the past I also had am bitious words and I had some achievements. Each achievement results from my hard work. I always believe that "If you want to have more achievements than others, you must work harder." In some extent, the dream is the hope. If you can insist on doing something, the victory will come.
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow. So my dear friends, think of your old and maybe dead dreams. Whatever it is, pick it up and make it alive from today. Let's--- move ----out!
Thank you for your listening!
As we all know, "Failure is the mother of success." But few people can really understand what the saying means.
In the world, I am sure that no one dare say he hasn't met any trouble all his life. So we must face failure. In fact, failure is not fearful, but important thing is how to face it correctly. Facing failure, people will never take their fate lying down. They will try their best to work harder and harder until at last they succeed.
Not being courageous to face setbacks, people have no chance to enjoy the pleasure of success. So they have nothing to do but feel sad and empty all day and all night. In fact, they lose the chance of success themselves.
My friend, whenever in trouble, please remember, "Failure is the mother of success."
我们都知道，“失败是成功之母”。但很少有人能真正理解这句话的意思。
在这个世界上，我相信没有人敢说他在生活中还没有遇到任何麻烦，所以我们必须面对失败。事实上，失败并不可怕，重要的是如何正确面对它。敢于面对失败，人们将不再被命运打倒。他们越来越努力工作直到最后成功。
不敢面对挫折，人们也就没有机会享受成功的喜悦。他们会无所事事而感到伤心和整天整夜的空虚。事实上，他们丧失了成功的机会。
我的朋友，无论何时你遇到了困难，请记住：“失败是成功之母。”
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 20xx, 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.
What College Education Means to Me
the title of my speech is “what college education means to me”.now reflecting on the past two and half years of my college experience, i come to realize how much it has shaped me.
for me, college education is a marvelous ship-builder who designed me from kneel plates up.
with great vision, college education has equipped me, first with a powerful propeller----the sophisticated knowledge in certain field and wide exposure to other disciplines. by dedicating myself to the engineering courses in the day and immersing myself in the rich banquet of the world literature at night, i’ve amassed the driving force for the future and enriched my soul.
besides, college education has also provided me with a precise compass----the sense of social responsibility. how can i best serve the interest of the public while achieving my self-fulfillment? my one year’s experience as a part-time english teacher has testified: to be valuable to society as well as to find my place, i have to possess some actual strength and the ability to function well in the most challenging situation. amid the hectic schedule that balances club activities, sports, and academic courses, i feel the rhythm and beauty in the intensity of my high-pitched life, knowing that i ’m on the right way.
and more importantly, college education has set up not only single ships, but also fleets with common destinations. by interacting with friends of common beliefs, i’ve acquired skills of relating to other people.
now ,as a ship about to make my maiden voyage ,i’m still not in the position to tell what’s waiting ahead of me ,but with a powerful propeller, a precise compass and ardent companions of sailing in the sea of society, i’m ready to be a great sea-explorer.
thank you.
look! there is a rainbow! on the first day of my university life, when iwalked into the campus, there was a rainbow bridging over the fountain, i hadn’tseen rainbow for a long time. i was so excited, and leaped high with joy. myponytail danced with my happiness. it was a propitious sign indicated that mylife in university would be colorful, and actually it is!
after my entry into university, i found my life so busy. what i should dois not only gaining the scholarship but also being a good monitor and leader ofshanghai university percussion band. i got the 1st and 2nd price of scholarshipin my 2 years of study. i organized charity donations for schoolmates withfinancial difficulty or disease. every week, i give drum lesson to new membersof our percussion band. and there are always a lot of non-business performances,such as entertaining guests, celebrating party, cultural exchange with foreignstudents delegations and their bands. of course, part-time job is indispensablein my vacations. i ask for no payment but aim at getting accustomed to thesociety.
sometimes, my friends advise me not to tire myself out with such a tightschedule. i wake up before the rooster crow, and continue working till very latewhen others are enjoying their sweet dreams. every time i come back from therehearsal of percussion band, i have to finish my homework with the help of myown charged light because of the blackout in out dormitory. maybe such kind oflife is something like an ascetic, but we should work hard and try hard in ouryouth, aren’t we?
when i represented shanghai university to take part in the pond’s newcentury lady competition held in may, when i show off on the stage, when iemerged as “the girl of vitality”, i made use of every bit of time to compensatethe classes i had missed, i made use of every chance to learn from other girlswith vitality, versatility and intelligence, i made use of this opportunity topresent our university students’ state of mind.
there is a little bitterness in my busy life, but at the same time, thereis sweetness. it is colorful. i make fun out of it. i love it. when i snatch alittle leisure i lie on the green grass, reading books, i cripple myself in thewindow-seat in our library---the 2nd largest in shanghai---i absorb knowledgelike a hungry sponge, i wonder along the bank of river, listening to oriels inwillows and get a splendid sunset view of the campus. the sky is drunk with thesunset; i am drunk with the sweetness of my like.
when i was nine years old i went off to summer camp for the first time. and my mother packed me a suitcase full of books, which to me seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. because in my family, reading was the primary group activity. and this might sound antisocial to you, but for us it was really just a different way of being social. you have the animal warmth of your family sitting right next to you, but you are also free to go roaming around the adventureland inside your own mind. and i had this idea that camp was going to be just like this, but better. (laughter) i had a vision of 10 girls sitting in a cabin cozily reading books in their matching nightgowns.
(laughter)
camp was more like a keg party without any alcohol. and on the very first day our counselor gathered us all together and she taught us a cheer that she said we would be doing every day for the rest of the summer to instill camp spirit. and it went like this: “r-o-w-d-i-e, that's the way we spell rowdie. rowdie, rowdie, let's get rowdie.“ yeah. so i couldn't figure out for the life of me why we were supposed to be so rowdy, or why we had to spell this word incorrectly. (laughter) but i recited a cheer. i recited a cheer along with everybody else. i did my best. and i just waited for the time that i could go off and read my books.
but the first time that i took my book out of my suitcase, the coolest girl in the bunk came up to me and she asked me, “why are you being so mellow?“ -- mellow, of course, being the exact opposite of r-o-w-d-i-e. and then the second time i tried it, the counselor came up to me with a concerned expression on her face and she repeated the point about camp spirit and said we should all work very hard to be outgoing.
and so i put my books away, back in their suitcase, and i put them under my bed, and there they stayed for the rest of the summer. and i felt kind of guilty about this. i felt as if the books needed me somehow, and they were calling out to me and i was forsaking them. but i did forsake them and i didn't open that suitcase again until i was back home with my family at the end of the summer.
now, i tell you this story about summer camp. i could have told you 50 others just like it -- all the times that i got the message that somehow my quiet and introverted style of being was not necessarily the right way to go, that i should be trying to pass as more of an extrovert. and i always sensed deep down that this was wrong and that introverts were pretty excellent just as they were. but for years i denied this intuition, and so i became a wall street lawyer, of all things, instead of the writer that i had always longed to be -- partly because i needed to prove to myself that i could be bold and assertive too. and i was always going off to crowded bars when i really would have preferred to just have a nice dinner with friends. and i made these self-negating choices so reflexively, that i wasn't even aware that i was making them.
now this is what many introverts do, and it's our loss for sure, but it is also our colleagues' loss and our communities' loss. and at the risk of sounding grandiose, it is the world's loss. because when it comes to creativity and to leadership, we need introverts doing what they do best. a third to a half of the population are introverts -- a third to a half. so that's one out of every two or three people you know. so even if you're an extrovert yourself, i'm talking about your coworkers and your spouses and your children and the person sitting next to you right now -- all of them subject to this bias that is pretty deep and real in our society. we all internalize it from a very early age without even having a language for what we're doing.
The Importance of confidence
Whatever one does, one should do it with confidence. If one has no confidence, there is little possibility that one would ever achieve anything, especially when one is faced with drawbacks or hardships. This truth seems to be evident. However, in reality we do see a lot of people who complain that they like the ability to do something or that their difficulties are too great to be overcome. For someone, this might be true. But for many others, this only shows that they have lost heart.
Why do people often feel frustrated even though they are capable of doing something? There are, among others, two main reasons. First, these people do have a correct estimate of themselves. Second, they overestimate the difficulties.
It is possible to build up faith in oneself by having the right attitude towards one’s abilities. We should never underestimate one’s abilities. But believe in the proverb: “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Confidence is the promise for fulfilling a task successfully.
Distinguished judges, teachers, dear friends:
Hello, everyone! My name is cheng xiang yan , I am a junior student come from life science institution .Today, I am very glad to stand here and share with you my most sincere speech‘Flying youth, master our future!’
Life is a process of growing up. Saying goodbye to childhood, we step into another important time of life in the pace of young, facing new situations, dealing with different problems.....
However, who can really say what the youth is ? A period of time? A belief?An attitude to life? Or anything else? actually, everyone has his ownunderstanding of young, it is a period of time of beauty and wonders, only after you have experienced the sour , sweet ,bitter and salty, can you really become a person of significance.
Just like A famous poet said ‘ youth is a lovely song ,where nothing is impossible ,youth is a meaningful book, you’ll be never bored of it ;youth is a rapid river ,it keeps on flowing day and night ;youth is a cup of tea ,it shows you different kinds of tastes in your life. ’
As youth is so precious, of course, we must treasure it .Don’t let the limited time pass by, grasping the young will means a better time is waiting for you in the near future.
So,It’s necessary for us to prepare ourselves well for the future to come. having a view on those great men in the history of hunman being, they all made full use of their youth time to do things that are useful to society, to the whole mankind, and as a consequence ,they are remembered by later generations, admired by everyone. so do something in the time of young, although you may not get achievements as these greatmen did ,though not for the whole world, just for youeself, for those around!
So, what should we do when we are young? Here,I’ll point out some tips to help equip ourselves.
First of all,think of what you’d like to be some day. A teacher ? A doctor ? A writer? Don’t afraid of dreaming of big and great .Since you are young , you can dream of doing anything and becoming anyone in the future.
What’s more , never ignore the power of knowledge. Read more books and travel around. For one thing, it can increase your knowledge, for another, it’ll broaden your horizon.
Last but not the least , stick to your dream. It easier said than done. After all, future is not all roses. young is just like blooming flowers, they are so beautiful when blooming, which make people feel happy, but with time passing by, after they withers ,most people think they are ugly. and so it is the same with young, we are enthusiastic when we are young, then we may lose our passion when getting older and older. So we should have enough courage and determination to overcome all the difficulties in struggling on the road.
I firmly believe one sentence that‘If you think you can, of course you can!’Just believe we can make it! Keep on walking towards our dream. Flying youth , master our future. From today, from now on , are you Ready ?
That’s all. Thank you so much for your attention !