深圳市新安中学高一（3）班 周妍 指导老师：尹琳

    Zhou Yan, Class 3, Senior 1, Xin’an Middle School Instructed by Yin Lin

    “Life is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re going to get” is a famous quote from the American movie “Forrest Gump.”

    As students, we should be brave to seize every chance and do our best to fulfill every task and reduce the influence of the result. Just enjoy the process and work hard to achieve our dreams, then, life will reward us one day. This is what I have learned from taking part in the 11th “21st Century Cup” National High School and Primary School English-Speaking Competition.

    Before this competition, I had great pressure. I was not the kind of person who was active and willing to face challenges. I always doubted my ability and was afraid that it would be embarrassing to stand on the stage if I forgot what to say next. However, after all those nerve-wracking moments, I got second prize in our city’s final competition, which was my great honor. I had never expected that I could achieve so much!

    I accepted the suggestion to share my methods of improving oral English. I am a fan of American dramas and I always kill time by watching a lot of foreign programs. There are several American dramas I like: “Modern Family,” “Prison Break” and “The Big Bang Theory,” for example. Also, watching some foreign programs is entertaining. For example, there are a bunch of talents on “X Factor.” Moreover, I enjoy listening to and singing English songs. Recently, I became obsessed with Nicki Minaj and her raps. Practicing English songs is a good way to improve my oral English.

    Interest is the best teacher. Immersing oneself in the environment of a language makes it easier to get to the nature of the language. I never feel like I’m being forced to learn English because I treat it as my hobby. Courtesy of Zhou Yan.