Learn to appreciate urban life 
 

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YUAN Yongxiang, 21, a medical student from Central South University in Changsha, Hunan, presented three visual snap shots in his speech. A girl on a college campus, two businessmen sharing wisdom in Starbucks, and a group of sweating workers busy constructing the future of the city as well as their own.

Yuan, who won first prize in the South China regional final of the 21st Century Lenovo Cup last Saturday, believes the snapshots represent the panorama of city life. "From these pictures, we touch the city's pulse, its passion, dynamism and enthusiasm," he said.

Over 60 college students took part in the eastern regional contest in Nanjing and southern regional contest in Guangzhou last weekend. Yuan stood out from the majority of contestants in choosing to celebrate the virtues of city life. Most contestants concentrated on the negatives; the pollution, traffic jams and stressful fast-paced lifestyle that plague city inhabitants

Vibrancy

"Their understanding of metropolitan life is superficial," criticized Wei Shulan, vice-chair from the Business English Department, Jinan University in Guangzhou. "Air and water quality are not at the core of bustling city life. The roots of a city lie in its vibrancy, its spirit and cultural heritage."

Huang Shiqian, 21, a student from Guangxi University won the judges' praise for discussing how cultural trips to cities home and abroad have made her a more civilized person. She came runner-up in the southern regional final.

"I've learnt independence from the North Bay and Toronto in Canada, embraced humanistic care in Hong Kong, and appreciated the historical culture in Tianjin," said Huang. "Each of them has provided me with a clearer vision for my road of life."

Professor Wang Bin, from the School of Translation and Interpretation of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, shared professor Wei's criticism. "If city life is truly as unbearable as student's depict, they need to explain why they themselves still choose to live and study there," he said.

He advised contestants to root their speeches in personal experiences, "They'll find more concrete material in the familiar."

Xu Jingbo, 21, from Guilin was a student who successfully did this, winning fourth prize in the southern regional final. She shared her bitter story of being discriminated against as a girl by her father whilst growing up in a small village in Northeast China.

But Professor Wang also acknowledged that students should not be swayed from discussing the negative effects of urbanization.

"Many speakers have observed migrant workers' circumstance in cities," he said, "It's good as they have shown genuine concern for the people living within a city's huge entity."


生词：
applause 鼓掌欢迎
aristocratic 贵族的
beat around bush 兜圈子
chubby 丰满的
corny 乡下味的, 粗野的
die-hard 铁杆(粉丝)
disadvantaged 处于不利地位的
eloquence 雄辩, 口才
eulogize 称赞
freak 怪人
impromptu 即席的
kaleidoscopic 五花八门的
linguistic 语言上的
mannerism 怪癖
metropolitan 大城市
podium 演讲台
runner-up 亚军
sanitary napkin 卫生巾
slip-up 错误, 忽略
sneak 暗中进行的
snobbery 势利
stereotypically 带有成见地
squat 蹲伏
sway 摇摆
unromantic 平庸的
vibrancy 活力
virtue 美德
wow 使叫绝

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