Good morning, ladies and gentlemen:
Before western and Chinese civilization came into close contact, Chinese people had always longed for a life depicted in traditional Chinese paintings. Those paintings present a harmonious coexistence of people and other life forms. Regarded as the essence of ancient Chinese philosophies, harmony has been deeply-rooted in the minds of the Chinese people. On the one hand, it has contributed to the unique continuity of Chinese civilization. On the other, Chinese people became too much contented with their achievements to desire any further changes. As globalization deepens, it is bound to affect our ideal of harmony.
First, globalization urges China to speed up its modernization, which threatens our regard for the harmony between Man and Nature. For instance, many dams and hydropower stations are being built for economic benefits at the expense of the well-preserved natural habitats. However, ecological malpractice of such kind goes against the notion of harmonious coexistence in ancient Chinese philosophies. More than 2,000 years ago, long before the concept of environmental protection came into being, DuJiang Weir, a great irrigation project was built in southwestern China's Sichuan province. It succeeded both in controlling floods and in facilitating the agriculture without posing a threat to the environment.
Moreover, globalization has brought with it intense competition. Traditionally, moderation is a golden principle, presiding over inter-personal relations in China. Today, however, motivated to come to the top, some people become so self-centered that they choose to sacrifice love, friendship and even family ties.
Last but not least, diverse cultures have met in China as a consequence of globalization. Therefore, a clash of cultures becomes inevitable. Unfortunately, the past decades have witnessed a huge loss of cultural heritage in China. In cities like Beijing and Xi'an, hundreds of century-old Chinese-style houses are being demolished to make room for skyscrapers, shopping malls and eight-lane expressways.
From these examples, we see the disharmony brought about by globalization. Yet it is not globalization that is to blame. As long as we approach globalization with harmony in mind, its benefit will outweigh its cost. Take my hometown, Hangzhou, for example, thanks to the strenuous efforts made by the municipal government in achieving eco-development, various water birds have returned to the West Lake, calling it home again after years of migration elsewhere. From the lake bank, we see skateboarders and trick cyclists showing off together with people flying kites and kicking shuttlecocks on the plaza nearby. Although they compose a picture quite distinct from traditional Chinese paintings, this picture conveys a modern sense of harmony in this era of globalization.
Ladies and gentlemen, to conclude, I would like to quote from British philosopher Bertrand Russell. In contrasting Chinese and Western civilizations, he observed: "The distinctive merit of western civilization is the scientific method; the distinctive merit of the Chinese is a just conception of the ends of life. It is these two that one must hope to see gradually uniting." As we see the tremendous progress China has been making drawing on experience abroad, we may also expect the Chinese traditional value of harmony to enrich the world. I look forward to the time when Russell's prophecy comes true.
Thank you very much.
My favorite Animal-Black Faced Spoonbill
Good afternoon, dear judges. Today my speech is “I love black-faced spoonbill.
On a beautiful winter day, I happened to meet the lovely spirit----
Black Faced Spoonbill, a type of migratory bird, which spends winter at Hong-Shu-Lin in my city every year. Covered with snow-white feathers, it has black legs and a black beak. Besides the blacks and whites, an amazing splash of yellow is under its neck. So elegant that I couldn’t help loving it at first sight.
With a big and spoon-shaped beak, it can clasp fishes easily, which makes it a powerful hunter in birds.
However, with human expansion and pollution, only around 20xx ones are living all over the world.
Like the eleven swan princes in Andersen’s Fairy Tale, the Black Faced Spoonbills have always been struggling to find a tiny rock which can offer them a momentary tranquility. Fortunately, they have found one in my beloved home. I would always hold them dearly to my heart and wish they would return with flocks of chicks in the following years, and singing…
Oh, I have a home, such a beautiful home, where I play and rest happily.
Oh, give them a home, such a wonderful home, where the spoonbills play all day.
hello everyone,My name is Duan Jiayu, English name is Daisy, seven years old this year, first grade in Daxing.I am very pleased to attend the "star of hope" English contest.
My hobby is climbing and hiking, when I was only two years old,my grandma took me to climb the Longevity Hill of the summer palace, longevity hill has 60 meters, I climbed the mountain with hands and feet, clothes and pants stained with dirt, just like a soil monkey. The tourists thumbs compliment me, I was very proud of it! At that time, our slogan was: "longevity hill training, Fragrant hills challenge!"
At the age of five, my grandmother and I climbed the Fragrant Hills, the top of the hill has almost 600 meters, we had reached the top of the hill in one hour, this year my grandmother and I will climb the Fragrant Hills every weekend, higher challenge to Taishan!
Thank you, very mach!