于倩 太原师范学院
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Today we are living in a world full of competition and pressure. In order to make us more competitive, our parents do everything for us. Before we were born, they gave us prenatal teaching, wishing us to be smarter. After we were born, they fed us high quality nutrients, hoping that we would grow faster and taller. When we were four-or-five-year olds, they began to teach us singing, dancing or drawing, intending for us to be more talented. When we reached primary school age, they patiently taught us mathematics and Chinese by themselves, wanting us to be better students. When we went to middle school, they employed private tutors to teach us English, Chinese or mathematics, longing to increase our scores dramatically so that we could pass the National College Entrance Examination more easily. We are now learning at university, they still encourage us to study harder to become postgraduates one day. It seems that their dreams will never stop. It also seems that our life paths have already been determined by our parents.
But, dear friends, have you ever considered whether these pre-determined life paths will lead us to good ends or not? Well, one of my classmates has already answered this question with his action. He tragically committed suicide by jumping from a teaching building of our middle school several days before the National College Entrance Examination started. His death was certainly linked to the high pressures put on him by his parents. They felt very disappointed and regretted their lost son.
Like many other parents, my parents also brought heavy pressures to me. After I graduated from junior high, my father curried favor with a principal of senior high, throwing me into the best science class of a key local school, saying that science students are more likely to be admitted into universities and their job prospects are also more promising than liberal arts students. However, his expectation turned out to be totally wrong. During one year’s stay at the science class, I found myself disliking maths, hating chemistry and loathing physics. I could not concentrate my attention in class. Day by day, I became frightened the moment I was in that science class. The teachers frightened me; the desks frightened me; the sight of science students frightened me; everything frightened me. One night, I fearfully reported this frustration to my father, saying that I wanted to leave that key school and told him what my dream was. Unexpectedly, my father agreed. Several days later, I was transferred to a rural middle school and became a liberal arts student. Here I studied hardest. And finally I successfully passed the National College Entrance Examination.
Today I am a freshman of English major in a university. I love my specialty very much. Now, I am not afraid of pressures and setbacks anymore. My dream is to become an excellent interpreter.
Here and now, I want to say a few words to all the parents in China: We were created different. Going the same way will lead us nowhere. Let us go our own way, and we will be successful.