CCTV Cup English Speaking Contest finally closed its curtain on December 12, 20 contestants from all around China battled it out at the No. 8 Studio of CCTV Station and Bu Yang, a student from Beijing Broadcasting Institute took the top prize in the finals.
After the preliminary contests, quarterfinals and semi-finals, top 20 finalists had distinguished themselves from a huge pool of six million candidates, and it is no doubt that they represent the nation’s highest-rated English speaking level among college students throughout the whole country.
They are: Xiao Yuhua from Yunnan University; Wang Yuan from Nanjing University; Li Jiayu, Jiangxi Normal University; Zhang Cong from Sichuan International Studies University; Zhang Rong from Hubei University; Hu Fang from Renmin University of China; Sun Zheng from Peking University; Luo Weijia from Xi’an Institute of Finance and Economics; Fu Qiang from Xi’an University of Post and Telecommunications; Lin Jieying from Fudan University; Zhu Ling from Nanchang University; Zhai Jia from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies; Zhang Yu from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics; Shi Lili from Ningbo University; Bu Yang from Beijing Broadcasting Institute; Xia Tian from Sun-Yet San University; Lv Benqing from Tianjin University of Technology; Hao Yin from Xiamen University; Luo Ding from Central Southern University and Zheng Xiaoju from Anhui University.
The Finals are divided into five rounds, and each consists of four parts, namely a prepared speech, a question-and-answer session, an impromptu speech and an on-the-spot interview. Among these four parts, it is the impromptu speech that most challenges the contestants’ wits and language abilities.
For this part, after a thorough research by the Organizing Committee, a series of topics had been decided, all of which have close connections with our society, giving the contestants enough space to think and to expand their imagination.
During the on-the-spot interview, the Organizing Committee invited high-ranking officials from China-based embassies, senior advisors from UNDP, and many important officials from Chinese Foreign Ministry, China Central Television, China Radio International and etc. They will give them a mock interview to test their knowledge as well as their ability to deal with interviews.
After the first round of competition, top six stood up from the others, they are Wang Yuan from Nanjing University, Li Jiayu from Jiangxi Normal University, Hu Fang from Renmin University of China, Sun Zheng from Peking University, Bu Yang from Beijing Broadcasting Institute and Zheng Xiaoju from Anhui University.
However, the ranking of the top six candidates was not decided until after a heated debate between them. These top six were again divided into two sides. And then a debate on whether it’s worthy to ride over the Yellow River at the risk of losing one’s life was sparkled among them. Both the judges and the audience marveled at the standard of the contestants’ excellent language, quick wit, sense of humor, and graceful demeanor.
Combined with their personal performances, Bu Yang from Beijing Broadcasting Institute took the top prize with the highest score of 100.4, and Sun Zheng from Peking University and Li Jiayu from Jiangxi Normal University took the second prize with the score of 100.34 and 99.93 respectively.
Hu Fang from Renmin University of China, Zhang Xiaoju from Anhui University and Wang Yuan from Nanjing University took the third, their scores are 98.81, 98.68 and 98.5 respectively.
The champion and her tutor will participate in the weeklong annual English Speaking Union Culture Seminar in Great Britain in the coming spring; the second prize winners will go to Great Britain for the Oxford Summer School and the third prize winners will go to Australia for Australia-Asia English Debate Competition.
The recorded contest will be aired at CCTV 9 from December 23 to December 27 at 8 pm every day. We are looking forward to your viewing and your comments.
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