托福口语学习素材之英语演讲稿
英语演讲稿，作为地道语言表达学习的契机，是除美剧外，口语学习的第二大法宝。它注重演讲者的语气节奏(tone and rhythm)，语言使用(language use)，情感渲染(appeal to readers)，时不时还要穿插一些俚语(slang)来博众一笑来达到暖场的效果。
来源：新东方 付静
提到演讲稿，大家熟知的：马丁路德金的《我有一个梦想》I have a dream by Martin Luther King in Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., 因为这个演讲，Parallel Structure成为多少演讲爱好者的喜好的手法;乔布斯斯坦福大学演讲 Speech of Commencement addressed by Steve Jobs in Stanford. 因为这个演讲Stay foolish stay hungry!成了多少millennial(千禧一代)的座右铭。
今天Eleven老师带大家一起来学习一篇eulogy(悼词)来自小布什致于老布什葬礼。让我们一起来结合两道独立任务题一起来看看如何在口语中去应对独立口语中磨人的小妖精------事件经历类话题。
当地时间5日，美国在华盛顿国家大教堂(Washington National Cathedral)为11月30 日去世的前总统老布什举行国葬。包括奥巴马、克林顿、小布什和卡特在内的所有美国在世前总统，以及现任总统特朗普均出席葬礼。 (此内容摘自China daily)
小布什在悼词中回忆了父亲老布什生前的各种有意思的回忆，比如：
(1)At age 85, the favorite pastime (消遣活动)of George. H. W. Bush was firing up his boat—the fidelity and opening up the 300 horse power engine to fly, joyfully fly across the Atlantic with the secret server’s boats straining to keep up.
85岁的乔治布什最钟爱的消遣活动就是开着他的船“忠心号”飞驰。他开足300马力的引擎在大西洋上快乐的驰骋，而特勤局的船在后面拼了命的追赶。
短短一句话，一个栩栩如生的画面跃然纸上，而它的魔力就在于对于动词的把控。
Fire up: switch on machine
Eg. Fire up your engine and head out. 发动你的引擎，开出去。
Strain: to exert much effort or energy
Eg. Staining our ear to hear 伸着脖子去听(尽全力听)
Tips: 描述事件需要创建画面感(imagery)，添加动词，并适当使用伴随状语进行修饰。
趁热打铁，现学现练
Q: Do you prefer to spend your vacation in the city or in the countryside? Why? Explain in details.
A: I’d like to choose rural area as my preference……
(Imagery)
I love taking a stroll on the dirt trail and breathe in the fresh air mingled with the scent of soil after the rain with bird’s chirp call lingering in my ears. It is a beautiful experience modern people hardly ever get access to.
我喜欢漫步于乡间的小径，呼吸着雨后泥土味的空气，鸟儿叽叽喳喳声萦绕耳边,这种美好的感受是现代人几乎接触不到的。
(2)At age 90, George. H. W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Anne’s by the sea in Kennebunkport, the church where his mom was married and where he worshiped often.
90岁时，乔治布什从飞机上跳伞，降落在缅因州肯纳邦克波特的海边圣安妮教堂的庭院里。这是我祖母结婚的地方，他也常来这里做礼拜。
一句描述老布什喜欢跳伞，小布什没有说My father likes parachuting very much.而是详述了跳伞的地点，并加定语从句进行进一步解释说明。这一点是很多托福考生口语中从不考虑的一点。大家都没有考虑过听者的感受，总是把很多背景细节作为利索当然的信息自己内部消化了。 我们把小布什这句话后面的修饰去掉，大家感受一下画风：
At age 90, George. H. W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Anne’s by the sea in Kennebunkport.
90岁时，乔治布什从飞机上跳伞，降落在缅因州肯纳邦克波特的海边圣安妮教堂的庭院里。
没有了后面的定语解释，听着会处于迷茫不清晰的状态，尤其是涉及到一些较为不熟悉的地名，人名，等名词。
Tips: 适当添加定语从句进行解释说明，说话让人清楚明白是一种礼貌。
趁热打铁，现学现练
Q: Talk about an activity you enjoyed doing with your family when you were a child. Describe the activity and explain why it was enjoyable to do this with your family.
A: I remembered when I was in primary school, we usually went to Hengshan Mountain, one of the five most famous mountains in my country, which was 2 hours’ drive from where we lived then.
我记得上小学的时候，我和家人经常去爬恒山，它是中国五岳之一，离我家当时住的地方大概两小时车程。
在托福口语考试中，事件经历类开放性话题逐渐超越三选一话题，占领半壁江山，大家在作答过程中经常会涉及到一些带有地方色彩的“人事地物”，这时为了不让我们的foreign rater(外籍评分员)发懵，我们一定要适当加入解释说明来阐明你的意思。
如何讲述事件经历类话题，技巧你学会了吗?文尾附上Eleven老师一句一句听写下来的演讲稿全文供大家参考学习哦~
Distinguished guests, including our president and first ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries and friends:
Thank you all for being here.
I once heard it is said of a man that an idea is to die young as late as possible. At age 85, the favorite pastime of George. H. W. Bush was firing up his boat----the fidelity and opening up the 300 horse power engine to fly, joyfully fly across the Atlantic with the secret server’s boats straining to keep up. At age 90, George. H. W. Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St. Anne’s by the sea in Kennebunkport, the church where his mom was married and where he worshiped often. Mother liked to say that he chose that location just in case the chute didn’t open. And at nineties, he took great delight when his closest pal James Baker smuggled a bottle of great goose vodka into his hospital room. Apparently, it paired well with the steak Baker had delivered from Morton’s. To his very last days, dad’s life was instructive. As he aged, he taught us how to grow with dignity, humor and kindness. And when the good lord finally called, how to meeting him with courage and with the joy of the promise of what lies ahead. One reason dad knew how to die young was he almost did it, twice. When he was a teenager, staphylococcus infection nearly took his life. Few years later, he was alone in the Pacific on a life raft praying that rescuers would find him before the enemy did. God answered those prayers. It turned out he had other plans for George H. W. Bush. For dad’s part, I think those brushes with death may him cherish the gift of life and he vowed to live everyday to the fullest. Dad was always busy, a man in constant motion, but never too busy to share his love of life with those around him. He taught us to love the outdoors. He loved watching dogs flush a covey. He loved landing the illusive striper. And once confined in wheelchair, he seemed happiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch of walkers’ point contemplating the majesty of Atlantic. The horizon he saw was bright and hopeful. He was a genuinely optimistic man and an optimistic guide to his children, and made each of us believe that anything was possible. He continuously broadened his horizons with daring decisions. He was a patriot. After high school he put his college on hold and became a navy fighter pilot as WWII broke out. Like many of the generations, he never talked about his services until his time as a public figure forced his hand. We learnt the attack, the mission completed, the shoot down. We learnt the death of his crew mate who he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learnt the rescue. And the other audacious decision he moved his young family from the comforts of the east coast to Odyssey Texas. He and mom adjusted to the arid surroundings quickly. He was a tolerant man. After all he was kind neighborly to the women with whom him, mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex even after he learnt their profession, ladies of the night. Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree and he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person and usually found it. Dad taught us the public services were noble and necessary that one can serve with integrity and hold truth to important values, like faith and family. He strongly believed that it is important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognized serving others enriches the givers’ soul. To us he is the brightest of a thousand points of light. In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted failure is a part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure. He showed us how setbacks can strengthen. None of these disappointments could be compared with the life’s greatest tragedies, the lost of young child. Jab and I were too young to remember the pain and agony he and mom felt when our 3-year-old sister died. We only learnt later that dad the man of quite faith prayed for her daily. He was sustained by the love of all mighty and real and enduring love of our mom. Dad always believed that one day he will hug his precious Robin again. He loved to laugh, especially at himself. He can tease and needle but never out of malice. He placed great value on a good joke. So that is why he chose Simpson to speak. On email he had a circle of friends with whom he shared or received the latest jokes. His grading system for the quality of the jokes was Classic George Bush. The rare 7 and 8 were considered huge winners. Most are off-color. George knows how to be a true and loyal friend. He nurtured and honored his many friendships with the generous giving soul. There existed thousands of handwritten notes, encouraging or sympathizing or thanking his friends or acquaintances. He had enormous capacity to give up himself. Many a person would tell that dad became a mentor and father figure in their life. He listened and consoled. He was their friend. I think Don Rhodes, Taylor Blanton, Jim Nantz, and perhaps the unlikely of all, the man who defeated him, Bill Clinton. My siblings and I referred the guy from this group as brother from other mothers. He taught us the day was not meant to waste. He played golf at a legendary pace. I always wonder why he insisted on speed golf. He is a good golfer. Here is my conclusion: he played fast so that he could move on to the next of that, to enjoy the rest of the day, to spend his enormous energy, to live it all. He was born with just two settings, full throttle, then sleep. He taught us what it means to be a great father, grandfather, great grandfather. He was firm in his principles and supportive as we began to seek our own ways. He encouraged and comforted but never steered. We tested his patience. I know I did. But he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love. Last Friday when I was told that he had minutes to leave, I called him. The guy answered the phone said I think he can hear you but haven’t said anything for most of the day. I said “dad, I love you, you’ve been a wonderful father.” And the last words he would ever say on earth were “I love you too.” To us, he was closely perfect, but not totally perfect. His short game was lousy. He was not exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor. The man who couldn’t stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. And by the way, he passed this genetic defect along to us. Finally, everyday in the 73 years marriage, he had taught us all what it means to be great husband. He married his sweetheart, he adored her. He laughed and cried with her. He was dedicated to her totally. And in his old age, dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, the volume on high. All the while holding mom’s hand. After mom died, dad was strong, but all he really wanted to do was to hold mom’s hand again. Of course, dad taught me another special lesson, he showed me what is means to be a president who serve with the integrity, leads with courage and act with his love and heart for the citizens of our country. When the history book is written, they would say George H. W. Bush was a great president of US. A diplomatic man of skill, a commander chief of formidable accomplishment, and gentleman who actually fulfill duties of office with dignity and honor. In his inaugural address as the 41th president of US, said this: we cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them the sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who lived his home, his neighborhood, town better than they found it. What do we want a man woman who work with us to say when we are no longer there that we were more driven to succeed than anyone around us or that we stopped to ask a sick child if he got better and stayed a moment there for a while to trade a word of friendship. Well dad, we are going to remember you for exactly that and much more. And we are gonna miss you, your decency, sincerity, and kind soul will stay with us forever. So through our tears let us know the blessing of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man, the best father a son and daughter could have. And in our grief, let us smile knowing that dad is hugging robin and holding mom’s hand again.
