國際英語競賽獲獎演講稿

　　My name is Tiffany, a Year 2 student from the University of Macau. I am currently an active member of the university Public Speaking Team, president of the Honours College Student Association, and also the vice president of the event department in Marketing Society. I am very active and outgoing. I enjoy being with people, engaged in conversations with them so that I can understand them more. I like public speaking as it can help increase my self-esteem and self-confidence. Aside from public speaking, I am also good at English recitation. I have joined the Macao-wide English Individual Recitation for a number of times when I was studying in the secondary school.

　　Imagine a car without a steering wheel. Tough to imagine, right? Well, actually that’s the image you see if a person has no faith. Faith helps to guide us in our lives, encourage us to persist, and give directions when we are lost.

　　In this peaceful era, our life paths seem to be already well-planned and determined. What we have to do is to follow. Yes, we may face different sorts of challenges, but at least they are less harsh when compared to those in the past. We do not need to worry about starving to death, or how to earn enough money to buy food for our siblings and sustain our lives.

　　It is like driving from a muddy road into a highway. In the muddy road, path, you would say, as it is formed only by crossing on it many times, flattening the ground to form a smoother area so we can pass. The road is so bumpy and rough, with holes here and there and rocks lying all over. When we drive along this road, we have to be very careful, having a firm grip on the steering wheel, ready for a sudden turn or a large boulder that may appear any second. However, when we drive on a highway, everything becomes different. The road is smooth, straight, and visible. Since there is no unseen obstacle, we may lower our guard, relax a bit, and loosen our grip on the steering wheel. One may even think, if we only have to drive on a smooth straight road like this highway, why would we need a steering wheel?

　　Nevertheless, one cannot foresee the future. Accidents do happen. For example, a car may suddenly appear in front of you. At such times, if you did not have the steering wheel, how could you make a sudden turn? Just as no one could foresee the Sichuan Earthquake nor the Japan Tsunami. If the one being trapped under the debris did not have faith, he/she would not have survived until being rescued. If we did not have faith, we could not recover from our sadness and rebuild our home.

　　Faith is unique, just as happiness is. We feel happy for different reasons, we believe for different things. How can we know what we believe in? Recall the last time you are discouraged, and you felt you had lost all hopes in your life. What pulled you back into the world? What pushed you to stand up and continue to strive again? That is your faith, your belief. Faith is what makes you feel you can when others say you can’t.

　　Faith is important…, faith is vital…, faith is necessary for us to live our lives. If we do not have faith, we are like a car without a steeling wheel. We can only afford to move along a straight and smooth path, and cannot meet any challenge in our lives. One must understand that no matter how smooth the road is, it is impossible for a car to go without a steering wheel. Or, put it in another way, have you ever seen a car without a steering wheel on the road? So, act now, my friends, find out what you believe in, find out your anchor in your life, hold on to your steeling wheel

　　of your car, drive on, and reach your destination.

　　Thank you very much.