facingthisaudienceonthestage,ihavetheexcitingfeelingofparticipatinginthemarchofhistory,forwhatwearefacingtodayismorethanamerecompetitionorcontest。itisanassemblyofsomeofchina’smosttalentedandmotivatedpeople,representativesofayoungergenerationthatarepreparingthemselvesforthecomingofanewcentury。 i’mgratefulthati’vebeengiventhisopportunity,atsuchahistoricmoment,tostandhereasaspokesmanofmygenerationandtotakeaseriouslookbackatthepast15years,acrucialperiodforeveryoneofusandforthisnationaswell。 thoughitisonlywithinmypowertotellaboutmypersonalexperience,andonlyatinyfragmentofitatthat,itstillrepresents,ibelieve,therootofaspiritwhichhasbeenessentialtomeandtoallthepeoplebredbythepast15years。 inmyelementaryyears,therewasalittlegirlintheclasswhoworkedveryhardbutsomehowcouldneverdosatisfactorilyinherlessons。 theteacheraskedmetohelpher,anditwasobviousthatsheexpectedalotfromme。butasayoungboy,restless,thoughtless,ialwaystriedtoevadehersoastogetmoretimetoenjoymyself。 onedaybeforethefinalexam,shecameuptomeandsaid,couldyoupleaseexplainthistome?iwantverymuchtodobetterthistime。istartedexplaining,andfinishedinahurry。pretendingnottonoticeherstillconfusedeyes,iranoffquickly。natsurprisingly,sheagaindidverybadlyintheexam。andtwomonthslater,atthebeginningofthenewsemester,wordcameofherdeathofbloodcancer。nooneeverknewaboutthelittletaskifailedtofulfill,buticouldn’tforgivemyself。isimplycouldn’tforgethereyes,whichseemtobeasking,whydidn’tyoudoalittlemoretohelpme,whenitwassoeasyforyou?whydidn’tyouunderstandalittlebetterthetrustplacedinyou,sothatiwouldnothavetoleavethisworldinsuchpainandregret? iwasabouteightornineyearsoldatthattime,butinawayitwastheverystartingpointofmylife,foribegantounderstandthewordresponsibilityandtolearntoalwaysdomydutiesfaithfullyanddevotedly,fortheimplicationsofthatsacredwordhasdawnedonme:themutualneedandtrustofpeople,thecooperationandinterreliancewhicharetheveryfoundationofhumansociety。 laterinmylife,icontinuedtoexperiencemanyfailures。butneveragaindidifeelthatregretwhichstruckmeatthedeathofthegirl,foritmakesmyheartsatisfiedtothinkthatihavealwaysdoneeverythinginmypowertofulfillmyresponsibilitiesasbestican。 asigrewup,changedandimprovedbythisincidentandmanyothersimilarones,ibegantoperceivethechangestakingplacearoundmeandtofindthatsociety,inaway,wasinitsformativeyearslikemyself。newbuildings,newcommoditiesandnewfashionsappeareveryday。 newideas,newinformation, newtechnologies。peoplecantalkwitheachotherfromanycorneroftheearthinamatterofseconds。societyisbecomingmorecompetitive。 nds。societyisbecomingikeinpidualityandcreativityaregettingmoreemphasisandmorepeoplearerewardedfortheirhardworkandefforts。suchistheerainwhichthisgeneration,growsandmatures。 suchistheerainwhichthisgenerationwilltakeoverthenationfromourfathersandlearntorunit。yetinthemeantime,manyproblemsstillexist。 welearnthatcrimestakeplaceinbroaddaylightwithcrowdsofpeoplelookingonandnotassisting。wehearthattherearestillabout1millionchildreninthiscountrywhocan’tevenaffordtogotoelementaryschoolswhileenormoussumsofmoneyarebeingsquanderedawayondinnerpartiesandluxurycars。 webuyshoddymedicines,ormerelyworthlessjunkinthenameofmedicines,thataggravate,ratherthanalleviateourdiseasessincemoney,manypeoplebelieve,isthemostimportantthingintheworldthatmustbemade,evenattheexpenseofmoralityandresponsibility。 suchanera,therefore,determinesthatweareagenerationwithakeenersenseofcompetitionandefficiencyandagreaterreadinesstothinkcriticallyandactcreatively。 suchanera,furthermore,demands,thatweareagenerationwithaclearperceptionofourhistoricalresponsibilityandanaggressivewilltotakeactionandsolvetheproblems。historyhaslongbeenpreparingthesequalitiesinthisgenerationanditisnowcallingusforwardtogivetestimonytoourpatriotismandheroismtowardsthisnationandallhumanity。 standingherenow,ithinkofthepast15yearsofmylifeasanordinarystudent。probablyi’llbeanordinarymanfortherestofmylife。butthisdoesn’tdiscouragemeany,foriknowthatwithmysenseofresponsibilityanddevotedeffortstoalwaysstrive,forthebest,it’sgoingtobeameaningfulandworthwhilelifethatiwillbeliving。 standingherenow,ithinkofthepast15yearsofthisnation,whichhasachievedgreatnessthatinspiredmillionsofpeopleofmyage,mostofwhomwillnotattainfameorprestigeandonlyafewofwhomwillberememberedbyposterity。butthatdoesn’tdiscourageusany,becauseweknowthattheworldwatches,theworldlistens,theworldiswaitingtoseewherethisnationwillbeheadinginatimeofrichopportunitiesandfiercecompetition。 ican’teverforgetthatlittlegirlinmyclasswhocouldn’thadthesameopportunitiesasanyofusheretoenjoyawonderfullifetodayandahopefulworldtomorrow。 itisthesacredresponsibilityofthisgenerationtofaceuptothechallengesofthenewcenturyandtodevoteoursweatandblood,ourwisdomandpassion,tothehistoriccauseofmakingthisnationagreaterandhappierlandforeveryoneofus。 wearenotgoingtoevadethatresponsibility。wearegoingtoletpeopledown。and people,farandnear,willhearofus。frostwillbebroughttotheirbackbonesandtearstotheireyeswhenourstoriesaretoldandretold,soletusgoforth,myfellowmembersofthisluckilychosengeneration,andmeetthenewcenturyinvictoryandglory。