第18届中国日报社“21世纪杯”全国英语演讲比赛总决赛于10月4-7日在广州进行。杭外学子们一展风采，再创辉煌佳绩！

由于疫情的缘故，此次总决赛推迟到了10月。原高二3班（现高三5班）的葛婧和原初三4班（现高一5班）的吴东旭两位同学代表浙江省分别参加高中组和初中组的比赛。经过两天半决赛“已备演讲、即兴演讲、现场问答”三个环节的紧张激烈角逐，葛婧和吴东旭分别从高中组（70人）和初中组（56人）中脱颖而出，成功晋级全国十二强总决赛，并与来自北京四中、北师大附中、南外、上外、深外、港澳地区等名校的优秀选手再次比拼，凭借新一轮三个环节的出色发挥，均获优异成绩。葛婧同学荣获全国总决赛高中组季军，再次创造了我校史上佳绩！吴东旭同学荣获全国总决赛初中组一等奖（第五名）。在此，向获奖同学和指导教师孙艾菁老师、陆旻老师表示热烈祝贺！

（高三5 葛婧）

（高一5 吴东旭）

获奖选手感言：

此次比赛得以在线下顺利举办，数百人聚集一堂，本身即是一件令人无比感动的事，朝气和希望冲散了2020年的愁容。也正是在这个特殊的时机，人们更加需要，也有更强烈的意愿聆听彼此的故事，彼此分享、互相鼓舞、坚定前行。

我非常荣幸能够代表学校参加比赛。本次高中组半决赛的题目是“Doing Right Things or Doing Things Right?”选择做正确的事情是重要的，但它更是艰巨的，甚至伴随着牺牲。我希望通过我的演讲，记录下一个个平凡的生命为了坚持心中正义的崇高奉献，传达我的感激和敬仰之情，同时也盼望着日后我也可以践行这样的价值观，希望能让责任与担当的种子在听众们心中生根。或许这正是演讲的力量，语言的力量，让我们反思、共鸣和进步。而总决赛的题目是“A Letter to 2049”，是一个将现实与想象充分结合，具有时代精神和对未来的期冀的话题。我从幻想自己的未来出发，以2049年中国教育在世界扮演的重要角色畅想了一个包容开放多元的未来，也借此展现中国这一百年的飞速发展。反复思索这个问题的过程中，我意识到个体与时代和社会的不可分割性，我们对待未知未来的积极态度和行为的重要性。不断地探索、讨论、修改和完善的过程更使我收获良多。

对于已备演讲，我三分之二以上的准备时间都放在了构思上，毕竟全国赛的选手最终一决高低不再停留在语音语调或是手势气场这些表层的方面，而是文章的角度和深度。构思是非常纠结、煎熬的过程，但也注定是最有收获的过程。每天一两个小时的brainstorm，是对自己过去经历的梳理，对自己价值观的反思，对同一问题发散性思维和多角度的剖析。反复对于之前想法的全盘否定，赛前晚上十二点还在改稿的体验对心理素质也是一种挑战，但是为了最终的完美效果，最准确最有力地传达，这些都是值得的。回顾这个过程，写作能力的提升和思维能力的强化是于我而言长期的更大的收益。

20分钟的即兴演讲准备时间虽然不短，但是从构思到反复排演，到最后上场即使非常紧张也几乎不能有卡顿的展现也同样是充满挑战的。这一环节是对平时积累和思考的最好体现。题目涵盖极为广泛的话题，如科技、文化、健康、人生态度等。同时也考验了同学们针对社会热点问题提供可行性的解决方案或者展开哲学思考的能力。这样的能力是在学校里持续性的阅读、辩论等中得到训练与提升等。在比赛前与学弟和老师们进行的针对性训练让我对核心价值和时间节奏的把控进一步增强。

而面对评委的问题，例如你觉得中西方教育最大的区别是什么，你愿意在未来为社会和国家作出怎样的贡献、承担怎样的牺牲，更需要体现出思维的敏捷，语言即时表达的准确性。这依靠平日经过反复练习达到的熟练的英文思维和英语表达。演讲并不是与生活割裂的活动，而是与之密不可分且互相彰显的。

我非常感谢父母、同学和老师的支持与鼓励，孙艾菁老师的指导，以及学校的培养。不论是在准备演讲的过程中，还是在参加比赛的时候，我都深刻地感受到了杭外对我深刻的影响以及我在此的成长。她的人文关怀让我能够发现自己的价值结合社会产生思考，她的自由包容和开放让我接受各式各样的想法不断突破，她的严谨笃学让我反复完善演讲稿，用理性逻辑而又有力量的思维面对评委的提问，不断挑战。正因如此，我才能够获此殊荣，也期待学弟学妹们继续在这个舞台以及众多舞台上展现自己的魅力和学校的风采。

                                                        （高三5 葛婧）

非常开心最终能在二十一世纪英语演讲比赛中取得初中组全国一等奖（第五名）的好成绩，为杭外争光，也是为我在杭外的第一个三年画上圆满句号。由于省赛未能进入前三，我从来没有想过自己能有机会踏上全国赛的舞台，以至于知道能以省赛第四名的成绩晋级全国赛这个好消息时，激动了好一阵子，然后便开始了接下来的备赛。

在最开始抵达会场后的选手试音环节中，我被来自各牛校的同龄人如同母语者一般的神仙语音语调所震撼，觉得自己拿奖无望，一时间陷入自闭状态，直到观摩了半决赛第一天选手的比赛才算意识到我们作为杭外学子应当相信杭外的三年所给予我们的沉淀与积累。

在广州比赛期间，我见到了从初中到大学组的各路演讲能人，他们在台上用优美流畅的语音语调侃侃而谈，自信大方，而当所有人都具备这样的能力时，正如陆旻老师时常嘱咐我的，演讲的思维与内容就显得格外重要，这是我在本次参赛过程中学习到的很重要的一点。同时，我深刻领悟到一个好的演讲者，需要把自己的观点与故事分享给大家，需要有empathy（共情心），需要感染到听众，而不是仅仅只同背诵课文完成任务一般展开自己的演讲。在第二天半决赛中取得当天前六名的成绩晋级总决赛，我激动且开心，一方面因为自己已经超越自我，不留遗憾，而另一方面则因为我能有机会将第二篇已备演讲 “Ambition Is Beautiful”分享给大家，那正是我自己的心路历程，是我自己真切体会到的“美好”，正如稿中所提到的：“Thanks to the youthful ambition I’ve always maintained and nurtured, I eventually got the opportunity to speak and share different ideas with talented people here.” 虽然在最后的总决赛中与冠亚季无缘，但是我已经做到自己的最好，并有幸见证了位次前于我的港澳选手们极为精彩的英语表达和思维能力，继而不断反思、改进、提升自我。

在此，我非常感谢陆旻老师。从杭外赛到省赛，再到最后的全国赛，陆老师一直给予我极大的帮助和支持，无论是已备演讲的破题思路，还是预测问答环节中可能被评委老师挑战提问到的点，亦或者演练录像再复盘的一篇又一篇即兴演讲（感谢一起练习帮助拓宽思路的葛婧学姐！）。令我印象尤为深刻的是，我在广州的连续三个晚上陆老师都始终帮我语音连线辅导、出谋划策，还在总决赛的早上六点半微信解答我的疑惑，这都给予了我极大的信心和乐观的心态面对比赛。最后，也非常感谢常做我忠实听众的父母一直以来对我的支持和鼓励！

最后的最后，祝贺本次荣获高中组全国季军的葛婧学姐！并希望能有更多的同学参与到本年度的二十一世纪英语演讲比赛中，提升自我，磨砺自我，在更大的舞台展现出杭外人的风采。

                                                      （高一5 吴东旭）

附获奖选手全国半决赛、总决赛的演讲稿：

Cost For the Right Things

Good morning, Ladies and gentlemen!

Doing right things or Doing things right. Seems complicated Ah?

Well, let’s make it clear.

Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi Germany executive in charge of the Final Solution in Auschwitz, strictly obeyed the order of the commander, Adolf Hitler. He did everything right, but he cruelly murdered thousands of innocent lives, giving up his consciousness and his own ability to think and judge. He did the wrong thing, so the righter he did it, the wronger he was. That’s why doing the right thing dominates.

Nevertheless, doing the right thing is not only more important but also more difficult. Because sometimes it costs a lot. Sometimes it means facing the unknown, being in danger, or even sacrificing your life.

Let history go back to 1665 and a small village Eyam in England. A tailor from Eyam ordered a box of materials from London and he triggered a chain of Eyam deaths from bubonic plague. When some villagers suggested that they should flee the village, the church leader William persuaded them not to do so. In fact, the whole village voluntarily agreed to cut itself off from the outside world. Between the first death in 1665 and the last in 1666, the villagers set an extraordinary and enduring example of self-sacrifice by sealing off the village from the surrounding areas to prevent the disease spreading. They did the right things, but they sacrificed 260 lives out of 350.

History repeats itself.

To end the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole world is racing for a vaccine. One way to speed up the months-long-process is vaccine challenge trial, but volunteers are needed to get deliberately infected after being given a vaccine to see if it is safe and effective. When many are worrying and dithering because of the potential danger, Sean Mcpartlin, a young, healthy, and determined 22-year-old student in Oxford, volunteered without hesitation. In China, thousands of volunteers such as Liang Yuan, from Wuhan, joined Dr. Chen Wei and put their lives aside to make their contributions. He said, “I want to do everything I can to help get the vaccine to everyone as quickly as possible”. They are all normal people. Yet, they are heroes. Heroes do the right things. Heroes bear the cost.

The right thing is simple to define, but the decision of doing the right thing is not easy to make.

This speech is dedicated to people sacrificing for the general good of mankind. This speech is also dedicated to Sean and Liang Yuan, my heroes because they did the right thing.   

Thank you!

（高三5 葛婧）

Why Not Stay?

Dear 2049,

How time flies! I am writing in 2020 with excitement and aspiration, excited to meet my future and aspire to witness your change!

Paulo Coelho tells us in his novel, The Alchemist, that we will only find our value of life after leaving and then returning to the place we love and we belong to.

So as a 17-year-old girl, I made the decision to leave my motherland temporarily to find my value of life as I want to know what education is like abroad, in college and in the society. Meanwhile, I know for sure, as an international student, I will also play an important part in my schoolmates’ education by sharing with them our Chinese side of the story and letting students around the world to experience and understand our culture. We will encounter different ideas and we will achieve mutual understanding. I believe that is the meaning of education, to find our value and change the world.

By 2049, I must have returned to China. Right, I will probably have had a child planning for her future education then. She may say:

Mum, now everyone can afford to study abroad, but I don’t find it necessary anymore because I can receive the best education here in China.

Indeed, China, China in 2049, will surely have become the optimal and definitely the most popular destination for overseas students. In fact, in 2018, the total number of foreign students in China already reached more than 490,000, which was double as much as ten years before and made China one of the leading host destinations for international students. Students will be educated to have scientific spirit, critical thinking, creative minds and humanistic care. With continuous practice of educational investment and reform, with overall improvement in literacy, and with closer interrelationships among countries fostered by the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Chinese education will become more and more influential and we will be welcoming students from all over the world to China to receive education and explore potentials.

Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” If the next generation of China doesn’t have to leave to find their value and change the world, then just stay!

Best wishes,

Oct 7th, 2020.

Thank you!

（高三5 葛婧）

My Present for the 70th Birthday of My Country

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Once upon a time, there was a little boy standing on a big stage, with his legs trembling, face blanching. He was singing some Italian folk songs to a group of Italian ambassadors. He wasn’t even confident. However, he still got highly commended by all of them. That boy was exactly me. It was the first time I’d sung on such occasions. And ever since then, I’ve been singing and meeting guests from different countries, like America and Spain.

Why are you singing? One day, this question just came to my mind. Naive and innocent as I was, I thought, well, just for showing my talents, isn’t it?

Another significant experience enlightened me. Last year, I met a group of elite students from Macao. I sang two songs on the stage. One was an Spanish song and the other was My motherland and I. While I was singing the latter one, they began to sing with me, spontaneously. Watching various My-Motherland-and-I-themed flash mobs shown on the big screen, we celebrated the 70th birthday of China together, with our enthusiastic and grateful heart.

At that moment, I realized the reasons why I’ve been singing for a long time and what my present for the 70th birthday of my country is. It’s the songs. The foreign songs I’ve been singing enable more and more people both at home and abroad to savor the cultural diversity, promote mutual understanding and better embrace the brand new world. The Chinese folk songs I’ve been singing let me introduce the unique Chinese music and culture to the world, and make us Chinese students much prouder of who we are.

Thank you.

                                                （高一5 吴东旭）

Ambition Is Beautiful

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Nowadays, Sang culture, a term that describes a loss of ambition and a lack of self-motivation is prevailing among young people in China. They call themselves “Buddhist youths” 佛系青年 who seldom strive for things. Similarly, according to a new report on Educational Well-being, Japanese teens are also lacking in motivation and ambition to succeed in school. In my opinion, I don’t think that’s appropriate. For everyone, especially young people, ambition is a beautiful thing.

Before stepping on this grand stage of 21st century cup today, I failed twice. However, thanks to the youthful ambition I’ve always maintained and nurtured, I eventually got the opportunity to speak and share different ideas with talented people here. So ladies and gentlemen, only when being spurred on by ambition can we make progress.

The world couldn’t develop without human beings’ ambition either. Without the ambition in John F. Kennedy’s speech “We choose to go to the moon”, there wouldn’t have been “a giant leap for mankind” in 1969. Without Chinese scientists’ ambition, Beidou Navigation System-3 wouldn’t have been fully established two months ago. Without Elon Musk’s ambition, there wouldn’t have been the amazing breakthrough in Neuralink’s technology. Steve Jobs once said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Obviously, ambition is beautiful!

Our generation is enjoying the advanced technology created by our previous ambitious generations. As the future of the world, we should always keep our responsibilities in mind—to make a better world, and only when we have ambition can we strive, cooperate, share the future and make a better world. That’s why I firmly believe ambition is beautiful.

    Thank you.

                                             （高一5 吴东旭）

 21世纪杯英语演讲比赛官网对我校学生的报道：