to me march 28th was a lucky day. it was on that particular evening that i found myself at central stage, in the spotlight. winning the 21st century·ericsson cup seventh national english speaking competition is a memory that i shall treasure and one that will surely stay. more important than winning the cup is the friendship that has been established and developed among the contestants, and the chance to communicate offstage in addition to competing onstage. also the competition helps boost public speaking in china, a skill hitherto undervalued. for me, though, the competition is a more personal experience. habitually shy, i had been reluctant to take part in any such activities. encouraged by my friends, however, i made a last-minute decision to give it a try. in the course of preparation i somehow rediscovered myself, a truer me. i found that, after all, i like communicating with other people; that exchanging views can be so much fun—and so much rewarding, both emotionally and intellectually; that public speaking is most effective when you are least guarded; and that it is essential to success in every walk of life. at a more practical level, i realized knowing what you are going to say and how you are going to say it are equally important. to take the original ideas out of your head and transplant them, so to speak, to that of others, you need to have an organized mind. this ability improves with training. yet there should not be any loss or addition or distortion in the process. those ideas that finally find their way into another head need to be recognizably yours. language is a means to transmit information, not a means to obstruct communication. it should be lucid to be penetrating. in china, certain public speaking skills have been unduly emphasized. will it really help, we are compelled to ask, to bang at the podium or yell at the top of your lungs, if you have c

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