The Fear of Speaking

Well, as you can see as follows. It's a script of Public Speaking for my midterm. I spent a lot of time to prepare it. Unfortunately, when I was standing in front of my classmates, I was shy and nervous again! My whole body was lost control, then couldn't stop shaking. My brain was empty, so that I couldn't remember any words that I wanted to express. To review my weakness is I am always afraid of talking to public, that is to say, I don't have enough confidence. Of course, I was really not satisfied with my performance and felt discouraged at this time. I have a lot of chance to speak English during university, but I still couldn't overcome it. Speaking is not a easy thing. You have to open your mind, believe yourself and have more confidence. Don't care about the reaction of audiences. In addition, there is a proverb to say, "Practice makes perfect." If I can prepare well, and keep going to practice. I believe that I can conquer the fear some day. Go! Go!

My Speech Script- Introduce Gizan Hot Springs of Japan

Opening:
Good evening, everyone. First of all, let me thank you all for being here today. I am Kitty Hsu. Please listen carefully (play song)

Slide 1:
Guess what? This song is related to one famous TV drama in Taiwan. Did you ever watch it before? Who can tell me what drama name is….Yes, it’s called “阿信(Oshin)”. Don’t worry! I don’t want to tell you its story.

Slide 2 & 3:
Instead, I would like to bring you to explore 阿信’s hometown, Yamagata(山形) Prefecture, a place with great natural beauty and traditional culture. It is located at the southwest corner, and about 300 km from Tokyo, 72% is covered by forest.

Slide 4:
Today’s topic will focus on my favorite place in Yamagata-it is called Ginzan(銀山) Hot Springs.
So, let me first give you a brief overview.

Slide 5:
The presentation will be divided into four parts. First, I will briefly introduce its history. Secondly, I will tell you its features. That is why this place is so popular for tourism. Thirdly, I will show you its facilities and dishes. After that, of course, transportation is “MUST KNOW” information. Finally, I will end with some beautiful photos, and then summarize it. The presentation will take about 5 minutes. There will be time for questions after my presentation.
All right, let’s now move on to next slide,

Slide 6:
History: It goes back approximately 400 years and it was discovered by silver ore miners. These villages were built in these two dynasties (Taisho大正 & early Showa昭和 eras).

Slide 7: Features:
*Ginzan Hot Springs evoke the atmosphere of old Japan. It’s really fascinating.
*The water is milky-white and has medical curing.
*There is also has warm footbath on the promenade. Anyone can take a moment to sit down and warm up.*Its temperatures are hottest than most. (Over 55℃ (Celsius/Centigrade)(131°F). Because of setting for drama Oshin, it has become incredibly popular, attracting large numbers tourists from not only Japan, but all over the world.
Let’s now take a look at next slide

Slide 8:
It is totally 15 lodging facilities. You can choose one of lodging for your favorite.

Slide 9:
Absorbing scenery with best hot springs and then eating native Japanese foods, what a wonderful day is!

Slide 10:
Travel 30 minutes by Shinkansen from JR Yamagata Station to JR Oishida Station. Transfer to the bound bus and take it for about 40 minutes to reach the Ginzan Hot Springs.

Slide 11: Next, it’s a map for more details to see where Ginzan is.

Slide 12:
Please look at the photos! These are my favorite collections!!!
Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation.

Slide 13 & 14
In conclusion, I had been there with my colleagues for one day trip. Just a half day, then I was deeply attracted and enjoyed by its fresh air, landscape, traditional villages and hot springs. If you plan to visit Japan, I will highly recommend you that it will be the best choice, especially in winter or spring seasons. Of course, there are famous for these traditional Oshin’s Kokeshi dolls. You can buy ones as great souvenirs for your friends. Thanks for your listening. Are there any questions?

To Make a Home Sweet

A proverb says, “Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home.” Our home includes not only the building in which we live, but also the family atmosphere that the people living there create.

It goes without saying that a sweet home is necessary for a peaceful society. To make our home sweet we can decorate it according to the style we like most. We must also regularly clean the house and repair things when required. In order to create a warm and intimate atmosphere, we must show respect to, and love, the people we live with.

The importance of having a sweet home cannot be overemphasized. If we do our best to care for it, our home will always be sweet.

Reading Newspaper as Habit

No newspaper these days contents itself with the mere presentation of news. For a very small amount of money each day, we are not simply informed of affairs of national and international importance. We are given photographs of people and places. This is not all we get for our money. There is always plenty of advice about what plays or films to see; what books to read, how we should dress, what we should eat, and where we should spend our holidays.

And in case we have nothing better to do, we are provided with the most effective of time-killers: quizzes and crossword- puzzles.

There are many newspapers on sale every day and most people like to read them. As many people do not have much free time, it is important to read articles that are useful to us. If you don't have time to buy newspaper, you also can surf internet to overview all free news.

The newspapers gives us an up-to-date summary of what is going on in the world, both at home and broad, at the present time. And some newspapers have several very-well written essays which can broaden our horizon and increase our language ability.

In conclusion, reading a good newspaper can greatly help us students in our studies.