The Impatient City People

Having been home for more than a week now I found what bothers me is the impatience of some city people. Livng in a small town for years I have been used to Mr.Patient and Ms.Nice.

I would say compared with small town people, city people are unbelievably impatient. Here in Toronto, what irritates me is that when people jaywalk, cut corners in crosswalks, cross against signals, drivers don't yield to pedestrians, and the most disgusting thing I don't want to see is that quite a few people spit unscrupulously in an open space here and there.  And in some shops, cashiers always have a poker or sour face, no mention saying thank you and good bye to their customers. The other day when I was taking a walk passing by the shop selling French bread, without realizing it was getting late, I entered inside without thinking too much, and the younger fellow who looks like  the son of the store owner yelled at me:"We close, we close, we close!" he was almost like having a hard time  refraining the word "idiot" from getting out of his mouth, so I almost couldn't  believe my ears. And yesterday, holding out hope for a silver lining, bringing my  broken laptop computer with me,sweating like a pig under the scorching hot sun I walked approach to the neighborhood computer repair shop which my sister said that I could get my computer fixed there. Because of my sweat,my sunglasses fogged up and could not find any tissue in my bag to wipe them. The 15 walk seemed to be 50 minutes long. Finally I arrived at the shop, but as a result, it turned out to be a big disappointment. After some testing activities,without lifting his eyelids the shop owner said that my laptop motherboard was dead, and the solutions were, the first option, he would get  it fixed and I need to pay him 200 bucks, the second option, he would transfer designated files  into an old laptop he possess, and I could take that old laptop away and pay him 250 bucks. I said let me think about it . "yes, it is up to you", with a strong Vietnamese accent, he said in a tone with a tinge of impatience. I thought to myself:"That makes no sense whatsoever, I could spend 200 more bucks to buy a new one." so as I packed my computer into my tote bag I said:" Maybe I come back later",  unexpectedly, he said in a cold tone:"yeah I don't care". I guess I looked more surprised than disappointed. I was speechless. I am not sure if it is because he dosn't know how to express himself well or he doesn't have the professional customer service skills,or  he doesn't have enough patience, however,one thing I am pretty sure is that I would never go back to him again.

so it seems resonable for me to conclude that many city people are impatient, impolite and  impersonal.

 

要求:

Toastmasters Speech 4: How to Say It

by Andrew Dlugan

Aug 19th, 2008

Does your audience need a dictionary to decipher your speeches?

Do you write your speeches with encyclopedic diction?

Do you draw your speechwriting inspiration from legal documents?

Technical writing, essays, financial reports, and legal writings all have their place — but none of them belong in your speechwriting.

 

Speeches which use simple, conversational language are more enjoyable to listen to, easier to follow, and more likely to be remembered.

The fourth Toastmasters speech project guides you to use simple, but descriptive language in your speeches. This article of the Toastmasters Speech Series examines the primary goals of this project, provides tips and techniques, and links to numerous sample speeches.

 

Why is This Speech Important?

The aims for this speech project focus on your selection of words and phrases:

• Choose words and grammar which communicate clearly.
• Choose words and grammar which appeal to the senses.
• Eliminate jargon.

Tips and Techniques

1. Choose Descriptive or Story-based Topics

Any topic can work, but to flex your speechwriting muscles, choose a topic which lends itself to vivid descriptions. Speeches based around stories or experiences will challenge you to select words and phrases to transport your audience from their chairs to the setting where your speech takes place.

2. Use Sensory Language

Make your audience see what you see, feel what you feel, taste what you taste, smell what you smell, and hear what you hear. In short, draw upon all five senses to create a completely immersive description. Transport your audience to a movie theatre by describing:

• Sight: the dizzying special effects of the martial arts scene
• Smell: the wafting aroma of buttered popcorn
• Sound: the booming surround-sound effects which made you jump from your seat
• Taste: the sweet licorice Twizzlers which melt in your mouth
• Touch: the claustrophobic squeeze of your knees pressed into the seatback in front of you

3. Use Repetition Wisely

Repetition of phrases throughout a paragraph, and repetition of sentences throughout your speech make your speech memorable. Wrap your speech around a signature phrase.

4. Avoid Topics About Words or Language

I often see Toastmasters choosing topics for project 4 which are about words or some other aspect of language, like poetry or figures of speech. For example, both Barren Words and Metaphors (by Oleg) and Swearing (by Andrew E. Scott) are very interesting speeches with language themes.

However, I recommend against choosing this type of topic. Rather than talking about words, let the focus be on your use of words, phrases, and grammar. Similarly, for project 5 (your body speaks), you should choose a topic that allows you to use your body, not a topic that is about body language. Further, in project 8 (get comfortable with visual aids), you will learn more by using visual aids to enhance your message rather than talking about projectors or flip charts.

What I Did for Speech 4

I wanted to choose a topic that would allow me to employ sensory words, so I elected to speak about my recipe for barbecued hamburgers.

The title of my speech was Recipe for Love, although it came to be known by its signature phrase (“the Meat, the Method, and the Merge”).

Speech Organization

The speech was organized quite simply around the burger preparation process:

• Introduction — I introduced the topic by placing it in the context of things which had been said the previous week and were thus familiar to the audience.
• The Meat — Preparation of the burger patties
• The Method — Cooking the patties
• The Merge — Combining the patties with the bun, “fixings”, and condiments
• Conclusion — Quick summary which restated the signature phrase in the speech.

Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical devices employed in this speech:

• Alliteration: “tasty tips”, “brilliant barbecued burgers”, “the meat, the method, and the merge”, “personally prepared patties”, “manufacturing a mouthwatering masterpiece for your mate”
• Repetition: “the meat, the method, the merge” was used throughout the speech

Sensory words and phrases

I deliberately crafted the speech so that it would appeal to all five senses:

• Sight — “could cause flames to shoot up, enveloping your burgers”, “pleasing cross-hatch pattern”, “feast for the eyes as well as the palette”
• Smell — “The spiced butter will start to percolate through the meat and will release aromas that will make you the envy of the neighborhood”
• Sound — “you’ll hear the pleasing crackle of the barbecue”
• Taste — “spicy butter mixture”, “crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, onions with pop, sweet pickles, chili peppers, smoky bacon”
• Touch — “take each patty in the palm of your hand, and press down forming a valley”, “massage the patty into a pleasing thickness and shape”