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A competition experience
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Tang Huang
A VISIT to our high school will find students reciting the poetry of Shakespeare and Wordsworth in the classrooms, and researchers hard at work in the library, searching for materials about American history. This is not ordinary study, but part of the hurried preparations for a speech competition organized by Washington State University (WSU).
I am fortunate enough to study in Shenzhen Senior High School, which has close relations with several world famous universities, not only WSU as I've mentioned, but also Sunderland University in Britain and Queensland in Australia.
Together with our school, they hold an annual English speech competition. The winners will either receive scholarships, or be qualified to become exchange students. The prize is obviously tempting, but all of us realize that the most precious thing is not the prize itself, but rather the priceless experience.
For the last competition, I started digging into the library two weeks ahead of time. Back then, the US was wrapped up in its presidential campaign, which I believed would be of interest to the jury and did some research on the Internet.
Facing the representatives from WSU, I tried to appear composed and gave my speech. Communication is very important in our modern society, I concluded, and applause rose. Then came the question session. "Who in the world would you like to interview if you were given the chance?" a judge asked.
Of course, I chose Al Gore, and told all I knew about him from my research. The judge smiled and said, "Well, your speech has affirmed my decision to vote for him."
"A very wise decision, sir." I replied.
And for that speech I won second place.
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