第四届希望之星英语大赛中学组半决赛(英文版)

　　H: Good evening, today as another 14 excellent English speakers are coming into today’s teenager semi-final. Let’s first express our heart to the young age.

　　We appreciate their performance at tonight’s show. But before that, let’s introduce you the Honorable judges.

　　Thanks for coming to tonight’s competition.

　　The 14 contestants are from 14 different provinces, municipality, and autonomous regions. Some of them fight all the way from the local selection competition to Beijing. While others were selected from thousands of applicants by organizing committee through a TV quiz. That is another feature of this year’s event. All these contestants are the best.

　　Yes, so the 14 contestants are ready to be on the stage. Let’s give them a big welcome!

　　OK, now the 14 contestants are on the stage. Let’s give them a big hand again to wish them good luck!

　　H: Welcome back to the national final of CCTV 4th annual of star of outlook English talent competition. And now you are in the teenagers’ semi-final.

　　Tonight’s competition is comprised of 3 parts: prepared speech, question and answer, and set question.

　　Only the top 9 contestants will survive these 3 rounds. That means only 60% of them will win. And the rest will be eliminated.

　　So please stay with us for tonight’s exciting competition.

　　OK now let’s kick off the very first round: prepared speech.

　　OK now let’s welcome the very first one, contestant number 1.

　　So, what’s your topic today?

　　C: My topic today is altitude is the right attitude.

　　Good morning dear friends:

　　Now standing in front of you is an optimistic and confident girl, but no more than half a year ago, things were quite the opposite. I was recommended for admission to Fudan University, so my parents sent me to study with undergraduates. I really had a hard time fitting in. Since it was the first time for me to live in a dormitory, and all the students around me are two or three years older. Worst of all, I couldn't get use to the food there. I kept complaining to my father on the phone, hoping to get some comfort. To my surprise, he said to me:" Stop complaining, my dear. You are so lucky. You don't have to take part in the college entrance examination, so you can manage your time freely. The difficulties you have now will make you braver. Just remember: gratitude is the right attitude everyday." After my father told me the last few words, I realized how I should lead my life. That is to take a grateful attitude towards my family, my friends, the people who helped me, and even the difficulties I had. I should thank my family for taking care of me, and always being there to support me. I should thank my friends for sharing good times and bad with me. I should never miss a chance to smile and say "thank you" to others. I should also thank the difficulties I have, because by overcoming them, I will improve a lot.

　　I tried to communicate more with the people around me, and find that they were all kind and friendly. Now we have a wonderful time together. This experience taught me how to make friends, and how to be independent. Life becomes much easier for me now. Everyday I take some spare time to meditate, and to appreciate all I have.

　　My living principle is: "Gratitude is the right attitude." What about yours?

　　Thank you!

　　H: So, to ensure the consistency of the judgment, after the first 3 speakers’ speeches, the judges will have a short discussion over their performance. And then they will give the scores.

　　That’s right.

　　So now let’s move directly to contestant number 2.

　　OK now let’s give a big hand to contestant number 2.

　　C: Good morning, everyone!

　　Most Chinese people these days know what it is like to have an “English teacher”, since almost all pupils study English from Year three. Usually that first English teacher will be a young and lovely lady in primary school. But my first English teacher is none other than my father. Looking back, I can see that, when I was only a little carefree girl, he created an English environment by providing me with flash cards, fun English-language toys and even dolls which sang English songs! My interest in English had definitely been awakened when I began to learn the English alphabet at school. Just imagine, he went a step further and asked me to learn “New Concept English” by myself! I was confused and even angry. I could not understand how a father could be so strict with his little girl. All the same, he never gave up and he gently insisted that I follow through with his ideas. At first, I read stories with tears in my eyes and I actually hated them because they were too difficult for me. I eventually came to love the funny stories and, to be honest; my father was always there with a helping hand. I am sure that my English would never have come so far without his support. And that’s how my father is not only my first English teacher but also my lifelong teacher. He is the one who awoke my interest, who gave me confidence and who offered me much needed help.

　　H: Next one is contestant number 3.

　　So what’s your topic today?

　　C: My topic is about a chance.

　　H: A chance?

　　C: Yes, a chance!

　　H: What kind of chance?

　　C: It’s a chance for all of us, for whole humanity as I could say. But mostly it’s for Chinese.

　　H: OK, so now let’s listen to that.

　　C: Hi， I’m Alex from Bei Jing No.80 middle school. It’s an honor for me to have this opportunity to share some of thoughts with all of you at this moment.

　　As we all know, Beijing has the opportunity to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Game. We have been waiting for years for this chance to show others around the world to our very home, and show them the combination of technology, history, and environment that we all cherish well. We’re pretty satisfied with our nationality, locally. But as I traveled to a few foreign countries, I realize that some children with Chinese backgrounds are unwilling or ashamed to be what they are, because of some unavoidable racism and racial discrimination. And some are just embarrassed because they have black hair, brown eyes and yellow skin; they think being like this makes them look ugly, some even wished that they were Caucasian. It’s a sad reality that these people really exist. So I realized that how important it is to make understanding between others and us.

　　So, what does racism have to do with the 2008 Olympics? As I have mentioned, it’s a chance. But it isn’t just a chance for us to go and show others our culture. It’s a chance for us to go and show some people who we really are, it’s a chance for us to go and show some people that if they can do it, we can do it, too. It’s a chance to let them change their view about us forever, and then they will know that no matter what race you are we are all the same, no race is more better than the other in any field. But this chance only comes for once in a lifetime; let’s not waste it. I don’t think anyone wants to wait for another fifty years; the future is now. So don’t stand there and wait, you have to run to it. Maybe things will happen during this marathon, but one thing is for sure, we will all make it. So let’s not lose faith.

　　H: As we just said that for the consistency of the judgment of the judge panel, after all the first 3 contestants have finished. Our judges will have a short discussion about their marks. So now we’d like to ask our judges to leave for a while for discussion.

　　OK, a few minutes ago, the first 3 contestants have finished their job in speech’s contest. And the judges had a short discussion about their marks. Now our judges had reached agreement and they are coming back. Welcome back!

　　And also let’s welcome back the first 3 contestants onto the stage.

　　So, Pro. Gong, have you reached any agreement on their marks?

　　J: Well, yes, basically agreement. Roughly we almost the same.

　　H: OK. So please score for the first 3 contestants from contestant number 1 to number 3.

　　H: now let’s give the floor to contestant number 4 YU LI.

　　C: On the day of my departure at the railway station, when the train began heading north, I caught sight of the silhouette of my grandpa swaggering away homebound. His voice echoed, reassuringly: ”Boy, cheer up, show your best to the world!”

　　Grandpa had been a constant figure in my childhood, much more available than my office-bound parents. He was there to see me grow up, caring and nurturing me.

　　I used to be a shy boy, taciturn and self-isolated in my books. Little had I imagined that I’d be facing this kind of English contest some day. When I was 7 years old, my elementary school once held a biennial poem recitation contest. As you could have imagined, I balked at the idea of partaking in. I dreaded the thought of delivering a mini-speech in front of a horde of people, with din and pandemonium in the school auditorium. To make it worse, the silly extravaganza was likely to be spoiled by those parents seemingly sneering at childish voices, making fun of our innocence and naiveté. Alex, what a holy shame to get involved. Nevertheless, grandpa insisted that I should join in, with his reassuring voice he went:"Boy, don’t take yourself seriously, come on and show your best!” Eventually, I did it and succeeded.

　　As my grandpa always said, life is full of joy and challenges with challenges predominating, that I shall never panic and lose sight of my priorities in face of it, rather to adhere to my principals of hard work, perseverance and self-confidence. Thus now I look forward to challenges rather than shying away from them and I value the determination that guided me through the struggles.

　　Thanks to his sustained support, I made my way here. Though the challenge ahead is tough, I can still believe this gentle old man: Oh yes, cheer up, SHOW MY BEST TO THE WORLD.”

　　H: So please enter your score for contestant number 4.

　　And the next one is contestant number 5.

　　C: After I read the books of Harry Potter，I am greatly touched by the fantastic magic world. How I wish if I could have a magic-stick just like Harry to make all my wishes come true!

　　If I have a magic-stick，I’ll make President Bush stop the war on Iraq. I don’t think it’s a rightful war， because America neither care about UN，nor other countries’ complaining，and started the war all by itself！From the news，we all know clearly，that a lot of citizens of Iraq died or hurted seriously. I feel very sorry to see that. If I can stop every war in the world with my magic-stick，I believe the whole earth will be a paradise for everyone else.

　　If I have a magic-stick，I will build a new school building for all my schoolmates. As the building is built by itself and it’ll finish in one night，we don’t need to move to other schools，we don’t need to spend any time or money on it. It’ll be very quiet and without any pollution. It’ll have the greatest facilities in it. If I have a magic-stick，I will design a new kind of uniform for all the students In summer，when it’s very hot，the uniform will spray some small drops of cool water on your legs and arms. In winter，it’ll get thicker with the temperature. You even don’t have to wear sweaters，only this uniform can make you feel that the spring is here right now！When it rains or snows，it can shelter your uniform getting wet. When it’s windy，it can shelter your eyes from sandstorms，too. And we girls will like it a lot，because it’ll keep us away from the sunburn！

　　If I have a magic-stick，I will go back to the past to learn more about history，I’ll travel around the world to revise my store of knowledge. I’ll protect our environment and the wild animals…

　　If I have a magic-stick，I want to do so many things. Although I can never have one，I still want to tell everybody，sooner or later，all my dreams will be done！Because at the time，my hands will be the magic-sticks! Believe me！I can！

　　H: I’m sorry. Time is up. I have to interrupt you.

　　Let’s see how the judges will evaluate your performance in this round.

　　H: OK. The next speaker is contestant number 6.

　　C: “The Dream We Have”

　　Some days ago, I saw a picture in a newspaper. In the picture is a frightened girl. The four-year-old girl has just become motherless and homeless, and is lying in the arms of a doctor. Her pink clothes are bloodied and her hollow eyes are staring at something only she can see.

　　People can always see images like this on TV. We see little children begging food and water from soldiers. We see dead bodies of common people deserted in the dust of bombing. 　　We see heavy smoke rising from the burning cities, covering the solid blue sky. Every time we see these sad scenes, the only word that bursts out of our heart is “Peace, peace, peace!” But where on earth is the real sweet peace?

　　Actually, peace has always been the most beautiful wish of all the humans on the globe, but when we look back on the human civilization, there are millions of war nightmares flashing before our eyes—tears in mothers` eyes, birds standing on burnt logs, cameras in dead journalists` hands, wastelands after inhumane killings. Faced with all these terrible sights, our hearts are weeping. We are wondering why killings are found everywhere when we know peace is our desire. We are wondering why we can’t bring an end to wars which are making us suffer. We are wondering why we have to destroy our only home instead of making efforts to decorate it. Maybe we haven’t found the answers to these questions, but we’ll try to pursue them. Maybe peace is still far away, but we still hold strong belief in it.

　　We have a dream that one day the sky will no longer be covered with the clouds of bombing, so that white doves can fly freely.

　　We have a dream that one day the earth will never cry, and the world will be full of the fragrance of flowers.

　　We have a dream that one day all the people in the world, no matter they are white or black, yellow or red can join their hands together like brothers and sisters.

　　We have a dream that one day there will be true harmony of humans and animals, without famine, without diseases, without pollution, without conflicts and without killings.

　　Just as a famous song goes, “Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me, and for the entire human race.”

　　H: OK. Now the first 6 contestants have finished their speeches. And if you want to know their ranks in this round, we’ll be back soon.

　　Good evening! Welcome back to CCTV 4th annual star of outlook English talent competition. And you are watching the teenagers’ semi-final.

　　In today’s competition, all the 14 contestants are fighting for to be in the final. And now the first 6 contestants have finished their speeches. And let’s take a look at the scoreboard for their ranks and marks.

　　And here we still got 8 more contestants to continue the competition. Next, let’s have a look at contestant number 7’s personal information.

　　OK, now let’s welcome contestant number 7. So you really like music very much?

　　C: I hope so.

　　H: Yes, so are you talking about music?

　　C: My topic today: Bring Chinese music to the world

　　I’m sure all of you would still remember the Chinese traditional music performance in Vienna Golden Concert Hall. That night, spectators were all entranced by the undulating rhythm, the entire hall was flooded by long time applause. It’s a time to be proud of not only by the Chinese music world but also the whole nation where the music was nurtured.

　　For decades, we are constantly concerned about lots of questions. Can national music permeate into more foreign lands? Can the fancy melody fuse with more foreign races? And can the profound culture grow into prosperity in more foreign countries?

　　People often say: What belongs to one nation becomes universal. As a treasure of our ancient culture, traditional music reflects this wise saying. In China, the famous music can be cherished deeply in every Chinese’s heart; in foreign countries, it arouses the nostalgia of the overseas Chinese; in the whole world, it can one day inspire resonance between people with different skins and languages.

　　Look at the enthusiastic and persevering warriors who dedicated themselves to bring Chinese music to the world, I have a dynamic impulse to join them immediately.

　　Please believe me, my friends. I will exert my utmost strength for it.

　　Please walk by my side, my friends. Let’s strive together for the bright and glorious future of Chinese traditional music in the world!

　　Thanks for your attention!

　　H: OK, now our judges will mark for contestant number 7’s speech.

　　Thank you! The next speaker is contestant number 8.

　　C: My topic today is Friends

　　I remember when I was younger, my grandmother used to tell me many stories. Today I would like to share with you one of my favorites.

　　Once, there lived a young boy. He was very sad because he couldn’t keep his friends. One day he asked his father why this was so. His father only replied: “Son, each time you say or do something that hurts one of your friends, hammer a piece of wood into the ground.” The curious boy did as he was told and soon he had made a fence out of the wood.

　　“Father!” he cried, “ I can’t get out! I am blocked by this fence! ”

　　“Well, son, each time you say something nice to a friend, you can take one piece of wood out.”　The boy did this, too. On the first day he took out one piece of wood and on the second day he took out another two. On the third day he took out some more. Finally he had removed all of the wood. “But Father!” he cried again, “ Look at the holes in the ground! They are big and dark! Oh, how ugly!”　“Son,” his father said, “ This is why you aren’t able to keep your friends. Remember: when you hurt someone’s feelings, no matter what you do to make up for it, there will always be a scar in their heart. ”

　　From that day on, this young boy was always very careful of his words and actions and he never hurt his friends’ feelings again.　To this day, I always keep this story close to my heart. It has taught me a lot. I as always careful not to hurt any of my friends because they are people that I wouldn’t want to lose.

　　H: OK, thank you so much.

　　OK now the judges please enter your scores for contestant number 8.

　　H: And next one is contestant number 9.

　　C: Different people might take different views upon opportunity. Some people regard opportunity a rare thing that is difficult to get. But other people think that every one has some kind of opportunities from time to time. As for me, I prefer the latter opinion. A western saying tells us, “Every dog has its day.” Everybody has opportunities to be successful. In fact, no one can be denied by opportunities. Those who claim they don’t have good luck just can’t recognize or make good use of opportunity. So we must try our best to find it and make best use of it. Opportunities are not windfalls. Opportunities belong to those who are prepared and qualified. For example, before Newton, many people had seen an apple falling down from a tree, but only Newton discovered the Law of Gravity. The reason is that he had developed a habit of thinking over answers to problems and stuck to his studies in spite of difficulties.

　　As we all know, China is a country with a large number of young people. We are compared to the rising sun, giving youth, energy and new blood to our nation. So we must try to live up to the expectations of our motherland by squarely facing and taking every opportunity we meet in order to make the most worthwhile contribution we can to the world as well as our motherland.

　　Yes, opportunities are coming. With our talents and with our wits, with our courage and with our creativity, let us whisper, loudly in our minds: Let it come! Let it come!

　　Thank you!

　　H: Thank you for your wonderful speech! So the judges will enter their scores for contestant number 9. Let’s take a look.

　　H: Welcome back! This is the 4th annual star of outlook English talent competition. And you are watching the teenagers’ semi-final. And sitting here is Pro. Teng. And I got some questions for Pro.Teng. Hello, Pro.Teng, we know that in many contests, speech is always an important part. What do you think that we can test about?

　　J: In speech making, let me just make my first point. One thing that I think that we have to remind ourselves constantly is that when you are making a public speech, you are performing in the public. And when you perform in the public, you are supposed to be communicating with the audience and with the judges. At this point, I would say that content may not be that important. I think public speech making is all about public communicating. And for example, you need to have a little bit eye contact with the judges or with the audience. And the other thing I’d like to mention at this point is intonation. And that has to do with voice. I mean voice is also very important in telling who you are and what you are going to say, or what kind of personality you have. And there are lots of elements actually related to voice in public speech making. And one thing that I’d like to say is that always speak very loud, clearly and slowly. Do not make yourself so hasty and speak that fast. Be clear and actually be good grammar. Do not make grammar mistakes. So it’s basically test of your comprehensive capability and ability to make your speech. The other thing I also want to make as a point is that when you make a speech, the content is also important. And make it person. Try to tell a personal story. You actually shorten the distance between you and also the audience.

　　H: Yes, and for speech, we have different kinds of speeches: prepared one just like we had now, and impromptu one. For the prepared speech is called prepared one that means you can prepare something before you start. And I know that many of the contestants wrote about their stories. Do you think it’s a better way to recite from memories or just do free speech?

　　J: Well, recitation is necessary. But, I don’t think recitation is the key to seize success. In fact I think one of the most important thing in making a prepared speech is that make preparation before coming into the contest but then present the speech in a natural way. Be slow and be clear and actually use all the resources you have. So do not make yourself wooden. Try to make the best of you by presenting you naturally. I mean basically in a natural way.

　　H: OK. Thanks for the advice. Now let’s continue the competition.

　　OK. Thank you! Let’s go on with the competition. The next one to show up is contestant number 10. What’s your topic of today?

　　C: My topic today is smile

　　First I’d like to ask you a question: Do you think the war in Iraq could be solved in another way? I cannot remember how old I was when I heard this story for the first and only time.

　　Once there was a king, who didn’t like his infant daughter and wanted to get rid of her. So he asked a strong knight to kill her. The knight took the baby into the forest and lifted his sword, as the sword was going to come down, he saw a sweet smile on the baby's little face, the knight's arms couldn't drop, his braveness crumbled before the baby’s smile. Beyond all doubt, this is the power of a smile. Actually, a smile is the best weapon in the world.

　　But during the war in Iraq, I couldn't see a single smile on any of the role players' faces.

　　Last year 287 000 Chinese committed suicide because of stress. Research shows, that a smile every hour, gives people immediate relief and reduces stress by 70 %. It opens our minds to think clearly.

　　I want to conclude with the famous saying: "A smile converts problems into challenges".

　　I hope by sharing my speech with you, will give you more understanding of the value of love and life. Please remember this important point:

　　A smile is the cutest facial expression of all. It can show your friendliness, it can raise your confidence, and it can change embarrassment into harmony.

　　H: OK. Now the judges, we can see all of them are smiling. And let’s see if the result is really pleasant.

　　H: And next we’ll move to contestant number 11.

　　So it seems you have a lot of supporters down there. So that makes you more confident?

　　C: Well, that makes me excited.

　　C: My topic is about my best friend. Most reliable friend, never forgotten!

　　I never thought anyone of the same age of me could be more special than me until a half-year-younger girl came into my life three years ago.

　　Once in this term I met her in the English corner and both of us were so excited because we had not seen each other for so long since the day we were distributed into different classes at the beginning of out senior year. She looked me in the eye and said, “Suzy, since the day we were not in the same class , I’ve been feeling lost, but what's more, I can definitely feel that you have left something in my mind or body that my new classmates who know you said I was so much like you!” I smiled, feeling so touched inside and suddenly a word jumped into my mind “permeate”. Yes, we permeated each other because I felt the same way as her.

　　Lynda, the girl, my best friend, would like to call me the most reliable friend and I would, too. We were in the same class in junior school and we shared the same room with six other girls. To tell you the truth, I didn’t like her at all first because of her boyish manners, hardly ever making the bed, never cleaning the dormitory, and she was less talkative than anyone of us in our dormitory---totally special. Maybe this kind of personality never appeared in my life so I felt uncomfortable quite a bit. But when I began to talk to her, I thought it was a wonderful beginning because if I hadn’t talk to her I would lose the most valuable friend in my life. Actually, she was optimistical and rakish and that’s why she was boyish, and it was her boyish way of thinking, that our friendship remained long with no quarrels. I mean, the longer I was with her, the more I behaved smartly like a boy.

　　People’s mind changes, but friendship will last forever. The hard school life occupies most of our time and we seem to be kept away from each other though we are in the same Grade. But distance makes beauty, when we see each other and say such simple worlds like “What’s up”, “Catch you later”,“ Don’t forget to call me”… make both of us feel warm and satisfied.

　　Thanks!

　　H: Now we are waiting for the marks for you.

　　OK. The next contestant is contestant number 12.

　　What does that mean?

　　C: More applause! Just for kidding! I have a suggestion. To tell the truth, I didn’t eat much for my breakfast this morning. Because I feel I’m so nervous. Now I feel a little bit hungry.

　　H: What’s the suggestion?

　　C: So it might be a good idea for me to get off the stage immediately right after my speech part and the judgment. That’s my suggestion.

　　H: Is that your way to give up or is that your way to persuade the judges to give you a high mark?

　　C: Just for kidding!

　　H: So what’s your topic?

　　C: My topic is facing applause correctly

　　Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Today I’m very glad to be here to share with you some of my thoughts on the topic of an attitude towards life----facing applause correctly.

　　There was a philosopher who once said that applause is one of the most wonderful extras in life. I personally couldn’t agree more. Applause gives us the power which enables us to show our talents in competitions. It is a cluster of exuberant flowers which continues to bloom time and time again on one’s road to success; it is the propelling force which pushes one forward on and on through everything. If one becomes successful in a certain field of study, applause will make him much happier, telling him to keep up the good work and make better progress. If one fails to do something, applause will give him enough courage to get over it, helping him to have more confidence and never say die. It is difficult to imagine what the world would be like if no applause existed. Everything would turn out to be lacking in energy and everyone would turn out without passion. Applause is the sun; it brightly warms every corner of the earth and offers us enthusiasm to conquer every difficulty. However, too much sunshine can make plants fade and give us sunburns. Applause is a well; it unselfishly feeds the thirsty grass and also clears our troubled minds. However, too much water may wash away all of our houses and destroy our homestead. Applause is a breeze; it gently touches creatures all over the world and calms our nerves when we get anxious. However, too much wind will stir up the ocean and cause a huge disaster.

　　All in all, different people may have different reactions to applause, and these may even be opposite sometimes. Therefore, face applause correctly. And then, success can be achieved by him, her, you and I.

　　Thank you, everyone!