Every Change Can Be a Chance
李恕

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a great honour and pleasure to stand here and share my speech with all of you.

Recently, great changes have taken place in Junior 3. That is, ever since the beginning of this term, we have got totally different classmates and new teachers. However, it seems many of the students are complaining about this change. They miss their former classmates and are not willing to make new friends. Furthermore, some even believe that changes are often bad and it’s much better to always stay the same.

Obviously, I disagree.

What is change? Just replace the letter ‘g’ in the word with letter ‘c’, and you get the word chance. In my eyes, every change can be a chance. It can be a chance to meet more brilliant people. It can be a chance to try out for something different and it can also be a chance to challenge and better yourself.

Take me as an example. For me, the beginning of this term marks the start of a new journey, a rather challenging but exciting one because like many other students, my class has changed. I still remember the day I went to my new class for the first time, faces around me all unfamiliar. I sat down in my seat and for a long time spoke to nobody, feeling anxious and a little bit scared. Luckily, I got over it and started to make new friends shortly afterwards. In the days that followed, I had the great opportunity to spend time with some of the best people I have ever met or known of. The friends in Class 1 have really given me a lot, helped me a lot and taught me a lot. Actually, it was during the past two months that I gradually realised how lucky I am to be blessed with love from both my new classmates and my former classmates. Thank you, my friends. And I know without that change of class, I cannot have such chance.

That’s why I think every change can be a chance.

Another case in point is Bill Gates. The change he made to drop out of college gave him the chance and time to set up his incredible software business.

That’s why I think every change can be a chance.

In life, one has to face a huge assortment of changes. Wise people change what they can’t accept and accept what they can’t change. They accept the changes and in the meantime, turn the changes into chances.

Ladies and gentlemen, the next time you’re pushed into a change, remember to replace the letter ’g’ with ‘c’ and turn change into chance.

Thank you.

How to face changes

李天原

As we teenagers grow up, we will find that everything is changing: new schools, new hobbies, new technology, and new ideas. Sometimes to fail some exams can be a kind of change,  sometimes meeting new friends can be a kind of change. Although we are trying to think like an adult, we are still very young. We even say that we have lost the ability to be naïve and curious. We might feel sorry for ourselves. So how to face these changes?

To change is like to be in boiling water. A man’s company bank broke, and he felt hopeless and killed himself. He was like a carrot which became very soft and weak in boiling water. Some people become stronger, like eggs, Beethoven, one of the most famous musicians in the world, became deaf in his 50s. But he said, I will take Fate by the throat, it will not bend me completely to its will. After becoming deaf, he created wonderful pieces of music. He was an amazing egg, wasn’t he? And some people completely change the environment, like coffee beans. Songjiang from the Song Dynasty was a more amazing example. He was just a small official before he had left home and became a brigand who robbed the rich to help the poor. In the beginning, he was just an ordinary member in the group, but he tried to help others and fight with his opponents. Soon, the situation turned good for him and he became the leader. His skin was said to be dark. Maybe the nickname COFFEE BEAN would suit him fine.

I think sometimes we can also be an egg full of coffee beans. I came from EFLS and in my first month in the new class here, I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t know what my new classmates were laughing about or angry with. However, I was not afraid or upset. To deal with it, I began to communicate with them. Soon, I found them interesting and many of them had the same hobbies as I do. Sometimes we exchange our ideas. I think now I have already fit in this new class.

At the end of my speech, what I want to say is that, enjoy the changes in our life. Thank you!

We can change the world

席宁忆

Good afternoon, my dear teachers and fellow schoolmates. First of all I have a question for you: Who do you think can change the world? Barack Obama, Bill Gates, or Jay Chow? But have you ever thought of changing the world yourself?

In my opinion, everyone is capable of changing the world.

I remember once after donating money to a charity, the volunteer there told me that because of me, a poor kid would be able to go to school again. I felt honored at that time and I imagined the kid working hard at school and later helping the village to get rid of poverty. Wasn’t that wonderful? I believe at that time, I changed the world.

So you see, the changes don’t have to be earth-shaking. We can change the world.

When we smile at strangers we meet on the street, we will put them in a good mood. When we help worried tourists find their way, we will improve their experience of the city. When we stop at a red light, we will set up a good example of obeying traffic rules.

On the other hand however, if we get mad with little or no provocation, we disappoint or frighten people. If we look down upon others, they will be hurt and feel sad. If we break our words, we spread bad faith. In these ways, we are making some changes as well, but just not for the better. In this case, we must do good rather than evil, on however humble a scale.

Maybe you will say these are of trifling importance and they have no impact on the enormous world, but trivia will sometimes lead to wonders. Just imagine, isn’t it extremely meaningful to the people we make happy, the tourists we help, the kids who can go to school again and all other individuals we change? They are part of the world and they in turn, will affect others. As more and more people are influenced, we change the world.

Please always believe that the power of changing the world is in our hands.

Please always believe that we can change the world.

Thank you.

Change our mind, change our mood

周尔怡

Honorable judges, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon! The topic of my speech is “Change our mind, change our mood”.

Imagine you are very thirsty now and here is a glass of water. The glass is half full. What are you thinking now? Will you think like this, “Oh my god, only half full? Why isn’t the glass full?”  

In our lives, sometimes we get in the situation like this. We want to achieve a great success or we really want to get something, but we fail. Then, disappointment, frustration and sadness will likely surround us for some time.

I’d like to take myself as an example. Last December, I joined the 21st century cup national high school English speaking competition. I spent plenty of time preparing the competition, but it was absolutely a disastrous show for me. I was so nervous on the stage that I couldn’t give the speech fluently at all. My performance was worse than I had ever expected.

On the way home, I couldn’t help crying. When I calmed down, my father told me the story about the half-full glass. He said, “Honey, probably the reality is not as sweet as you expect. Just like the glass of water, you want to have a full glass of water but there is only a half. How about trying to change your way of looking at the things? Probably you will notice something that makes you happy.”

From my father’s words, I understood that I couldn’t change the surroundings for most of the time, but I could learn to manage my mood by changing my way of thinking. Why didn’t I consider the setback as a valuable educational experience for me? Although I didn’t win great prize, I realized my lack of speaking skills. Bearing a refreshed mind, I started to work harder to improve my speaking skills and join once again to the competition to test the progress that I have made.

When we lose something, please think of what we’ve owned; when we fail, please think of the experience we have learned which could be exchanged for the key to the future success. We are what we think, so think positively anyway. We keep on desiring more, but first of all, thanks god, we still have “that” half a glass of water, don’t we?

Thank you all for listening! 

The Reason of Change

陈雨宁

Good afternoon, distinguished teachers and all my dear schoolmates. First, I want to thank you for sitting here, listening to me. Today my topic is the reason of change.

Think it over, means of transportation change, life styles change, the society changes and the world changes. It seems that changes are sure to exist everywhere, every moment.

However, have you ever thought why there are so many changes? Why doesn’t everything remain the same? I ask myself why when I learned about Columbus’ adventure to North America. I ask myself why when I read about the revolution of 1911 in China. I ask myself why when Obama and his speech captured support from all over America. I wondered the reason of change.

According to the reality, my answer to this question is that people want changes. Even as we were born, to change is a part of character that deeply rooted in our souls. Changes take place because we are never satisfied with the old things. We always want to try something new, we are always eager for changes. It’s like the desire for birds to fly, the desire for horses to run, the desire for fished to swim. With the desire, human beings experienced the long road from walking on foot to flying by plane. With the desire, human beings live in modern buildings nowadays instead of shattered houses hundreds of years ago. With the desire, human beings turned the disorderly tribes into well-ordered society. With the desire, we, as human beings, look forward to the future.

In a word, to change is the spirit of all the time. Don’t doubt that everyone want to change. When there were humans, there was the trend to change. It is the way we live and what we want indeed.

Democracy in China

倪世杨

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, all my fellow friends.

I stand here, humbled, to deliver you a speech about democracy in China, the thing which is going to change our nation wonderfully. But first of all, I want to promise you something. This speech may not be funny, but it will be exciting; it may be political, but it will be more practical. I hope my dear audience, all of you guys, will listen to me, as I’m delivering this speech, for those who have been concerning the development and changes of China for so long, to speak out the words deeply burried in their heart; for those who don’t know what to do as new Chinese people, to share my thoughts and voices with them; and for those either foreigners or Chinese who still question the possibility of democracy in China, to answer them as one of the 1.3 billion, now we need to change but we will change!

I don’t know how many of you understand the word democracy. An encyclopedia tells me democracy is the permittion on citizens’ political rights and basic freedom. But in my opinion, the meaning of democracy could be that casual and daily, but that important and serious. It may be a girl in you who doesn’t agree on your teacher’s decision, asking the teacher to change it a little bit. It may be a boy in you, who thinks some of the school rules are improper, trying your best to tell our principal. It could either be a man who disagrees with a government report, and votes it down in the end. It could be that small, or that big.

But sadly, I don’t consider that democracy has been raised well in China.I always hear firece debates and arguements in America’s National Congress, but I don’t see it in China, as Chinese officials follow the orders more often. I always see critical words for an official on foreign newspapers but I seldom see those in China. And also, I don’t know many who go to our principal Lin’s office and point out which rule is wrong in his mind. I may tell, in fact, most Chinese are not willing to speak out the real words they have been eager to say!

Democracy is important. It is not only an awakening that allows voices to be different, but also an honorable belief that tells people they are hosts of the country, a spirit that gets all the people around the nation and together work for a better day! I think it explains why I always those happy faces and tears whenever Obama gave a speech in the past President Election, the people came to vote for Obama sincerely from their hearts, but I don’t see it in China.

We need to change. The world will accept China a lot more when China becomes a country where democracy is strong; Chinese will support our government a lot more when our nation is really love-worthy; and we will accept ourselves a lot when we are really free!

Today, I stand here to deliver you this speech, in the hope that everyone can realize the importance of democracy. I hope everyone will tell this to your friend, and let your friend tell his or her friend. Democracy will grow strength from lots of tough belief, and if we hold on to it, it will be achieved!

I know, the way to democracy will be long and hard. It started in 1919 May fouth, in the voices from a group of college students, and it suffered a lot more during the past 90 years. But I always believe, that Chinese can always make it. It’s just like the modern great wall, if we are tough enough, nothing is impossible!

Learn To Change Yourself

吴家晖

Ladies and gentlemen. I stand here to show you my passion, to express my excitement, to point out my determination to win. So let’s start. The title of my speech is learning to change yourself.

Leo Tolstoy once said, ‘everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.’

I can’t deny this saying, because it’s absolutely right. We always have great plans and dreams in our minds to do something grand to change the world for the mankind. But can we?

I’m going to figure out some facts.

Let’s first come back to the ancient topic. The environment pullution. We hate pollution and make up our minds to find new energy sources that keep the environment clean. But yet we still litter on the ground. We never stop complaining about traffic jams, but it never occurs to us that the failure of following traffic regulations is the leading cause of the situation. Parents are worrying that the violence in movies may have a bad influence on their children. But do they, as adults, set a good example for their kids? They use nasty words and smoke in front of us. I dare to say, what they do harm much more than those movies.

So in my opinion, before we make up our minds to change the world, we’d better change ourselves first. As ordinary individuals, we don’t have the power to change the world. We can never whisk away the dust of the whole world by our tiny little hands, but it seems not so difficult for us to whisk away the dust in the area of our own, huh?

So if each of us does all those little things, all of us, millions and millions of individuals together, together we will be strong, strong enough to change the world!

If every person in this world will come to be united as one, losing the burden of selfishness and agony, embracing love and understanding. Until that day, all of mankind would be defined, together, as a standing giant!

We need a change

谢张天

Honorable judges,ladies and gentlemen,my fellow classmates and my dearest friends:

There are certain places in the universe we never imagine standing at. For me , it’s NBA Champion Podium, the Miss World Podium and right here.

Thirty years ago, several people gathered around and stared at one television. Now, one person uses several computers. Thirty years ago, one kid play with ten pals. Now ten adults play with one kid. Thirty years ago, people call their sons dog, Now, they call their dogs son. The interpersonal relationship has changed. But why?

The perspectives on interpersonal relaitonship has changed. First, let’s see a fable. A mousing company wanted to employ a mousing expert. A cat and a spider went to acccep the offer of employment. Guess what the result was? The spider was employed but the expert——cat failed. He asked the manager for the reason and the manager told him:“ The spider is amatuer but his relation web is too complicated.” Here, relation is used to get benfits. But the interpersonal relationship is the original and natural relation between people. It must be pure and simple.

The shape of buldings has changed. In city, we often see skyscapers, reaching up into the sky. When we live in them, we become birds in cages. We cry for coming out, but there’s only a picture of sky outside. Sky to birds is what interpersonal relationship to us.

The technology has improved. Computers to us is what water to fish; The lifestyle has speeded up. We have less free time to communicate with each other; And of course, the family planning makes us lonely islands.

The famous English poet John Donne once wrote in Meditation XVII:“ No man is an island.” Although this leaves me wondering about women, we do believe that every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

We need a change, a change that creates a new perspective of interpersonal relationship without the pursuit of fame and fortune, without fights and fakes, but with firm faith in friendship;

We need a change, a change that makes friends walk on a warm weekend, willing to share everything instead of sitting around the business table with tiring topics; 

We need a change, a change that leads people all over the world to a life with better communication, better comprehension and better cooperation.

Ask not what the change will do for us. Ask what we can do for the change!

Thank you all! Thank you!

Change makes a new beginning

李凯莅

Good afternoon, everyone. I'm so proud of standing here to give my speech and sharing my opinions with you, with my big pleasure.

Today my topic is change makes a new beginning. First, I’d like to ask you a question. Do you still remember what you used to be when you were very young, maybe 5 or 10 years ago?

I used to be too timid to take part in contests to show my abilities. Before I went to HFLS, I told myself that I had to change, or more and more chances would just slip away. I’ve got over many difficulties by working hard, and now, you see me stand on this big stage and give my speech. It’s just because I have decided not to be silent anymore, and have tried my best to put it into action. This big change has been the most important to me.

I bet there are a lot more similar examples.

So why do people choose to change themselves? For fun? If there is someone who wants to say goodbye to the past, who wants to make things better, who wants to experience a totally different new life, there will be changes. Maybe in person, in action, whatever, a great determination is the point.

Everyone knows Li Ning, one of the greatest gymnast in the world, who had won a large number of prizes. But to many people’s surprise, after he had retired, he began his own business—making sportswear, and has made a great success. That’s exactly the meaning of change—a new start.

No one would like to always remain the same, because we need to correct our shortcomings, and need to let new things make our life more colorful. No matter if there are bigger challenges and higher risk, you can do it. Think about what your future is going to be like and make the right decision. Say goodbye to the old, and greet the new with open arms, a smile, and confidence.

To change is to start from something new. While trying and experiencing, you’ll find the most suitable way of living. That’s my understanding, and I hope everyone can have the courage. Remember, change makes a new beginning.

That’s all of my speech. Thank you.

Changes of laughter

翁亦童

As everyone did, I used to be a child who loved laughing very much. As a little kid, I was easily amused by different things happening around me. A colorful picture, a period of cartoon, or even a simple gesture was enough to make me laugh. With strong curiosity I got to know more about this world every time when I see some new things and laughed.

But as time went by, my attitude towards laughter has changed. I don’t laugh when I see those things which used to catch my eyes, instead, I find them to be childish and boring. Sometimes when I’m alone, I start to look back and realize that naivety was also precious.

Last winter vacation I went back to my primary school to call on my former teachers. I was chatting with my Chinese teacher in her office, when suddenly the door opened, and in rushed a little boy, handing an exercise book to her. Then he left the office and ran away, with childlike and pleasant laughter. It seems that loud laughter only belongs to kids. I tried many times to make my voice as loud as theirs, but sometimes I just can’t make it.

Later I followed my teacher to the classroom and talked with those little kids for a while. During that time, I found that their laughter did not ever stop for a second. I tried hard to join them, but finally I failed. They simply show their feelings in this way. It’s their habit, but not mine. I have got used to hiding some of my feelings and showing less to others. Facing their habit, I could only smile and keep speaking. I suddenly began to feel sorry for them, time has changed and weakened my voice of laughter, and how about theirs? The laughter on those young faces will eventually change into simple smiles one day. Actually no one could survive from those changed. They may realize this someday after having lost the precious naivety, just like what I am considering about.

Those changes are meant to be that we cannot resist. However, we can save our naivety deep in our hearts. So, be a kid, just laugh without caring other things or people, life will be more meaningful.