第1篇：21世纪英语演讲稿
Globalization: Challenges and Opportunities for China's Younger Generation
Good morning， Ladies and Gentlemen:
Today I'm very happy to be here to share with you some of my thoughts on the topic of Globalization. And first of all， I would like to mention an event in our recent history.
Thirty years ago， American President Richard Nixon made an epoch-making visit to China， a country still isolated at that time. Premier Zhou Enlai said to him， "Your handshake came over the vastest ocean in the world - twenty-five years of no communication." Ever since then， China and America have exchanged many handshakes of various kinds. The fundamental implication of this example is that the need and desire to communicate across differences in culture and ideology is not only felt by the two countries but by many other nations as well.
As we can see today， environmentalists from different countries are making joint efforts to address the issue of global warming， economists are seeking solutions to financial crises that rage in a particular region but nonetheless cripple the world's economy， and diplomats and politicians are getting together to discuss the issue of combating terrorism. Peace and prosperity has become a common goal that we are striving for all over the world. Underlying this mighty trend of globalization is the echo of E. M. Forster's words， "Only connect！"
With the IT revolution taking place， traditional boundaries of human society fall away. Our culture， politics， society and commerce are being sloshed into a large melting pot of humanity. In this interlinked world， there are no outsiders， for a disturbance in one place is likely to impact other parts of the globe. We have begun to realize that a world divided cannot endure.
China is now actively integrating into the world. Our recent entry to the WTO is a good example. For decades， we have taken pride in being self-reliant， but now we realize the importance of participating in and contributing to a broader economic order. From the precarious role in the world arena to our present WTO membership， we have come a long way.
But what does the way ahead look like？ In some parts of the world people are demonstrating against globalization. Are they justified then， in criticizing the globalizing world？ Instead of narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor， they say， globalization enables developed nations to swallow the developing nations' wealth in debts and interest. Globalization， they argue， should be about an earnest interest in every other nation's economic health.
We are reminded by Karl Marx that capital goes beyond national borders and eludes control from any other entity. This has become a reality. Multinational corporations are seeking the lowest cost， the largest market， and the most favorable policy. They are often powerful lobbyists in government decision-making， ruthless expansionists in the global market place and a devastating presence to local businesses.
For China， still more challenges exist. How are we going to ensure a smooth transition from the planned economy to a market-based one？ How to construct a legal system that is sound enough and broad enough to respond to the needs of a dynamic society？ How to maintain our cultural identity in an increasingly homogeneous world？ And how to define greatness in our rise as a peace-loving nation？ Globalization entails questions that concern us all.
Like many young people my age in China， I want to see my country get prosperous and enjoying respect in the international community. But it seems to me that mere patriotism is not just enough. It is vitally important that we young people do more serious thinking and broaden our mind to bigger issues. And， there might never be easy answers to those issues such as globalization， but to take them on and give them honest thinking is the first step to be prepared for both opportunities and challenges coming our way. And this is also one of the thoughts that came to me while preparing this speech. Thank you.
第2篇：21世纪英语演讲稿
Good afternoon， ladies and gentlemen. The title of my speech today is "Crossing the Sea" . An English poet by the name of Rudyard Kipling once wrote in this poem "We and They" :
All the people like us are We
and everyone else is They
We live over the sea
While They live over the way
We eat pork and beef with cow horn-handled knives
They who gobble their rice off a leaf
Are horrified out of their lives.
When these lines first caught my eyes， I was shocked--how could two people remain so isolated and ignorant of each other in the past？ Today's society， of course， is an entirely different picture. Those people who used to eat with gobble their rice might be as well have taken to fish and chips.
Indeed， just take China as example; Our modern life has been influenced by Western style of living in so many ways that it's no longer surprising to see teenagers going crazy about rock-and-roll， whole families dining out at McDonald's and even rather elderly people dressed in Apple Jeans.
However， these are only some expressions of the cultural changes taking place in our society today. What is really going on is a subtle but significant restructuring of the nation's mentality. Just look around.
How many college graduates are ready to compete aggressively for every job opportunity， whereas not long ago they were asked just to sit idle and wait for whatever was to be assigned to them by the government？
How many young people are now eager to seek for an independent life whereas only two decades ago they would rely totally on their parents to arrange for their future？ Ask anyone who participates in today's speech contest. Who has not come with a will to fight and who has not come determined to achieve self-fulfillment in winning the game？ And I'm quite certain that if Confucius had lived to see today's China， he would have been horrified to see young lovers kissing each other in public places in an unreserved expression of their passion.
It is therefore evident that we as descendants of an ancient Eastern civilization are already living under strong influence of the Western culture. But it is not only in China that we find the incorporation of the two cultures.
Take the United States as an example: During the 1980s， in face of the overwhelming competition from Japan， many American companies such as the Ford began to adopt a teamwork management from their rivals， the essence of which， lay at the very core of Eastern culture.
Take the Chinese acupuncture as another example: This traditional treatment of diseases is finally finding its way to the West and hence the underlying notion that illness is resulted from the imbalance between yin and yang within the body--an idea which would strike any Westerner as incredible in the past！
Ladies and Gentlemen， we live in a great epoch when the global integration of economy and the information revolution have brought cultures of the world closer than ever before. We live in a particular era when countries， East and West， find themselves in need of readjusting their traditional values. We live， at the same time， at a critical juncture of our evolution because such problems as ethnic conflicts and regional unrest are increasingly posing a threat to the peace and happiness of the whole human race.To cope with such an era and to embrace an even brighter future， we need to learn to live more harmoniously in a world community which is becoming smaller and smaller. My dear fellow students， our command of the English language render sit possible for us to gain an insight into Western culture while retaining our own cultural identity.
Therefore， it is our sacred responsibility to promote the cultural exchanges and hence the mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world.
It is my happiest dream that new generation of Chinese will not only grow up drinking Coca cola and watching Hollywood， but also be blessed with the far-reaching benefits of multiple cultures; benefits that our forefathers had never， ever dreamed of.
To end my speech， I would like to quote Rudyard Kipling again:
All the people like us are We
And everyone else is They
But once you cross over the sea
You will end by looking on We
As only a sort of They.
第3篇：21世纪英语演讲稿
The Impact of Globalization on Traditional Chinese Values
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.
第4篇：21世纪英语演讲稿
Facing this audience on the stage， I have the exciting feeling of participating in the march of history， for what we are facing today is more than a mere competition or contest. It is an assembly of some of China's most talented and motivated people， representatives of a younger generation that are preparing themselves for the coming of a new century.
I'm grateful that I've been given this opportunity， at such a historic moment， to stand here as a spokesman of my generation and to take a serious look back at the past 15 years， a crucial period for every one of us and for this nation as well.
Though it is only within my power to tell about my personal experience， and only a tiny fragment of it at that， it still represents， I believe， the root of a spirit which has been essential to me and to all the people bred by the past 15 years.
In my elementary years， there was a little girl in the class who worked very hard but somehow could never do satisfactorily in her lessons.
The teacher asked me to help her， and it was obvious that she expected a lot from me. but as a young boy， restless， thoughtless， I always tried to evade her so as to get more time to enjoy myself.
One day before the final exam， she came up to me and said， "Could you please explain this to me？ I want very much to do better this time. " I started explaining， and finished in a hurry. Pretending not to notice her still confused eyes， I ran off quickly. Nat surprisingly， she again did very badly in the exam. And two months later， at the beginning of the new semester， word came of her death of blood cancer. No one ever knew about the little task I failed to fulfill， but I couldn't forgive myself. I simply couldn't forget her eyes， which seem to be asking， "Why didn't you do a little more to help me， when it was so easy for you？ Why didn't you understand a little better the trust placed in you， so that I would not have to leave this world in such pain and regret？"
I was about eight or nine years old at that time， but in a way it was the very starting point of my life， for I began to understand the word "responsibility" and to learn to always do my duties faithfully and devotedly， for the implications of that sacred word has dawned on me: the mutual need and trust of people， the co-operation and inter-reliance which are the very foundation of human society.
Later in my life， I continued to experience many failures. But never again did I feel that regret which struck me at the death of the girl， for it makes my heart satisfied to think that I have always done everything in my power to fulfill my responsibilities as best I can.
As I grew up， changed and improved by this incident and many other similar ones， I began to perceive the changes taking place around me and to find that society， in a way， was in its formative years like myself. New buildings， new commodities and new fashions appear every day.
New ideas， new information， new technologies. People can talk with each other from any corner of the earth in a matter of seconds. Society is becoming more competitive.
Words like individuality and creativity are getting more emphasis and more people are rewarded for their hard work and efforts. Such is the era in which this generation ，grows and matures.
Such is the era in which this generation will take over the nation from our fathers and learn to run it. Yet in the meantime， many problems still exist.
We learn that crimes take place in broad daylight with crowds of people looking on and not assisting. We hear that there are still about 1 million children in this country who can't even afford to go to elementary schools while enormous sums of money are being squandered away on dinner parties and luxury cars.
We buy shoddy medicines， or merely worthless junk in the name of medicines， that aggravate， rather than alleviate our diseases since money， many people believe， is the most important thing in the world that must be made， even at the expense of morality and responsibility.
Such an era， therefore， determines that we are a generation with a keener sense of competition and efficiency and a greater readiness to think critically and act creatively.
Such an era， furthermore， demands， that we are a generation with a clear perception of our historical responsibility and an aggressive will to take action and solve the problems. History has long been preparing these qualities in this generation and it is now calling us forward to give testimony to our patriotism and heroism towards this nation and all humanity.
Standing here now， I think of the past 15 years of my life as an ordinary student. Probably I'll be an ordinary man for the rest of my life. But this doesn't discourage me any， for I know that with my sense of responsibility and devoted efforts to always strive， for the best， it's going to be a meaningful and worthwhile life that I will be living.
Standing here now， I think of the past 15 years of this nation， which has achieved greatness that inspired millions of people of my age， most of whom will not attain fame or prestige and only a few of whom will be remembered by posterity. But that doesn't discourage us any， because we know that the world watches， the world listens， the world is waiting to see where this nation will be heading in a time of rich opportunities and fierce competition.
I can't ever forget that little girl in my class who couldn't had the same opportunities as any of us here to enjoy a wonderful life today and a hopeful world tomorrow.
It is the sacred responsibility of this generation to face up to the challenges of the new century and to devote our sweat and blood， our wisdom and passion， to the historic cause of making this nation a greater and happier land for every one of us.
We are not going to evade that responsibility. We are going to let people down. And people， far and near， will hear of us. Frost will be brought to their backbones and tears to their eyes when our stories are told and retold， So let us go forth， my fellow members of this luckily chosen generation， and meet the new century in victory and glory.
第5篇：21世纪英语演讲稿
From Walls to Bridges
I'm studying in a city famous for its walls. All visitors to my city are amazed by the imposing sight of the city walls， silhouetted by the setting sun with gold and shining lines. With old， cracked bricks patched with lichen， the walls are weather-beaten guards， standing still for centuries in protecting the city.
Our ancestors liked to build walls. They built walls in Beijing， Xi'an， Nanjing and many other cities， and they built the Great Wall， which snakes through half of our country. They built walls to ward off enemies and evil spirits. This tradition has been maintained to this day as we still have many parks and schools walled off from the public. I grew up at the foot of the city walls， and I've loved them since my childhood. For a long time， walls were one of the most natural things in the world.
My perception， however， changed after a hiking trip to the Eastern Suburbs， a scenic area of my city. My classmates and I were walking with some international students. As we walked out of the city， we found ourselves flanked by taller and taller trees， which formed a huge canopy above our heads. Suddenly an international student asked me， "Where is the entrance to the Eastern Suburbs？"
"We're already in the Eastern Suburbs，" I replied.
He seemed taken aback， "I thought you Chinese have walls for everything." His remark set off a heated debate. At one point， he likened our walled cities to "jails，" while I insisted that the Eastern Suburbs were one of the many places in China that had no walls.
That debate had no winners， but I did learn a lot from this international student. For instance， he told me that universities like Oxford and Cambridge were not surrounded by walls; the campuses were just part of the cities. I have to admit that we do have many walls in China， and as we are developing our country， we must carefully examine them， whether they are physical or intangible. We will keep some walls but tear down those that impede China's development.
Let me give you an example.
A year ago， when I was working on a term paper， I needed a book on business law and found a copy in the law school library. However， the librarian turned down my request with a cold shoulder， saying， "You can't borrow this book， you are not a student here." In the end， I had to spend 200 yuan buying a copy; meanwhile， the copy in law school was gathering dust on the shelf.
At the beginning of this semester， I heard that my university has started not only to unify its libraries but also link them up with libraries of other universities， so my experience will not be repeated. Barriers will be replaced by bridges. Through an inter-library loan system， we will have access to books from any library. With globalization， with China integrated into the world， I believe many of these intangible walls will be knocked down.
I know globalization is a controversial issue， and it is hard to say whether it is good or bad. But one thing is for sure: it draws our attention to China's tangible and intangible walls and forces us to examine their roles in the modern world.
And how about the ancient walls in my city and other cities？ Should we tear them down？ Just the opposite. My city， like Beijing and other cities， is actually making a great effort to preserve the walls. These walls attract not only historians and archeologists but also many schoolchildren trying to study our history and cultural heritage. Walls have turned into bridges to our past and to the rest of the world. If the ancient builders of these walls were still alive today， they would be proud to see such great change in the role of their walls. They are now bridges that link East and West， South and North， and all countries of the world. Our cultural heritage will survive