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Good morning! Today I feel much honored to be here and give my speech. My topic is “Chinese Women—Half of the Sky”.

Women hold an increasingly higher status nowadays. In China, women are often referred to as “half of the sky” since nearly half of the total population of the country is women, and they play a significant role in all walks of life. But things were quite different in the past.

Before the year 1949, China was a semi-feudal and semi-colonial^[60] country. In those days, women were controlled not only by the political clan and religious authorities but also by their husbands. They were at the bottom of the social ladder. They had no rights. After the founding of New China, the People’s Republic has been making continuing efforts to liberate women from political and economic inequality and discrimination. For example, in 1950, the very first law, the marriage law, was passed in order to liberate Chinese women from the feudal^[61] marriage system which had enslaved them for thousands of years. What’s more, in 1992, a law on the protection of rights and interests of women was passed. It has further aroused women’s enthusiasm for the China’s modernization drive.

With the support of the government, women’s liberation movement has developed rapidly and brought about a tremendous change in women’s status in many fields. The reform, carried out since 1979, has further raised women’s status in political, economic, cultural, social, and family life. Today, more and more women, especially mothers, have made new lives for themselves outside the home. They are dealing successfully with responsibilities as mothers, wives, and workers. Although they are very busy, sometimes even very tired, they feel they are leading a rich, colorful, and fruitful life. Among them, there have emerged a large number of reformminded women politicians, entrepreneurs, and scientists. What’s more, more and more women are actively participating in the management of the political affairs of the country, showing great concern about the domestic policies and the international politics and affairs.

To keep up with the developing situation, Chinese women are making great efforts to improve themselves to end their traditional dependence on men and to cultivate a new sense of self-respect, self-confidence, self-reliance and selfstrengthening.

Thank you very much!

[点评] 女性问题一直是社会关注的焦点。该演讲稿按照时间顺序通过事实的陈述向人们展现出新时代女性地位发生的巨大变化。文章开门见山，直接切入正题。文中采用今昔对比的论证方法，更增强了文章的说服力。不可否认，作为“半边天”的女性在社会发展中将会起到越来越大的作用。

Good morning! Today I feel very much honored to make a speech about women’s status.

We all know the women’s liberation movement. It began in the 1960s and was started by women who were concerned about their identity, their role in society and their work, and about the view of women that many people hold. After all these years, now the situation has changed greatly. Women are playing a more important role in almost every field of our life. Many women are dealing successfully with responsibilities as caring mothers and wives, and at the same time qualified workers.

For these working mothers, they have made new lives for themselves outside the home. Though very busy, they lead a full and meaningful life. They feel that their jobs make them more attractive and more interesting to their husbands. With the money earned by a working mother the family enjoys things they otherwise could not: a shiny new piano, a summer vacation at the famous resorts^[62], and the college education for the children.

However, there are still mothers who refuse to work, mothers who quit their jobs to stay at home and devote their full time to raising children and taking care of their husbands. They hold the idea that their sole responsibility as wife and mother is to take good care of their children, their husbands and their family. They believe if they quit their jobs, they could devote more time and energy to being a good wife and mother. They like the freedom of being at home. They can do things they would have no time to do if they had a job. They may read for an hour in a chair, take courses in tennis, dance at the health club in the neighborhood, walk around in the shops leisurely, or relax in the part on a nice sunny day without worrying about being late for work all the time.

As far as I am concerned, the two main types of thoughts women hold nowadays are understandable, whether it is to seize the opportunities to use their energy and potential and have their career, or to stay at home and take care of their husbands and children. The point is women should have their own choices. Our society should give them the chance and right to choose the lives that they believe are the best for themselves. Moreover, whatever their choices, they should be respected.

[点评] 该文章在探讨当今女性的身份选择问题，是做职业妇女，还是做全职太太？但无论怎样，都应尊敬她们所做出的决定。总述分说法和对比法的写作技巧应用使得文章思路清晰，层次分明。