hedgerows-100

求一篇三分钟英语演讲稿，要简单易背的，说什么随便。

介绍：

D-Day was arguably one of the most important days of the 20th century. On June 6th, 1944, 156,000 allied troops stormed the beaches of France in the largest amphibious invasion the world has ever seen. They went to face Hitler's 'impenetrable' Atlantic Wall, a series of defenses designed by General Erwin Rommel, a man respected by both sides as a brilliant solider. Thousands of men would die in the attack, but the successful landing was the beginning of the end of Hitler's "Thousand-year Reich." In 1994, to honor the 50th anniversary of the invasion, the History Channel broadcast a three part series on this historic event, D-Day: The Total Story. 。

The three episodes in this series present a very complete picture of what occurred before, during, and after the troops landed on the coast of France. The show does not focus on one area or country's actions, but gives a good overview of the entire operation. Told through interviews with men and women who were there (on both sides of the conflict,) as well as talks with historians, the show is illustrated with a massive amount of archive footage. The episodes are: 。

D-1: The actual code name for the invasion of France was Operation Overlord. The term D-Day doesn't actually stand for anything. It was just a military term for the day that an operation would commence, and the hour it would start was designated by H-Hour. So every operation had a D-day and an H-Hour. But after June 6th, the term fell into disuse. The invasion of France was so huge, that D-Day come to mean June 6th, 1944, and nothing else. 。

Before the boats were launched and the planes took off, the troops, American, British, Canadian, Free French forces and even some Poles, trained for years preparing for the invasion. This show covers the training that the soldiers went through, and the logistics of assembling so many men and so much material. It had good coverage of the glider planes that were used for the invasion. These silent planes were nicknamed "flying coffins" because of their lack of engines, but played a vital roll in the operation. The show talks about the tight time table and why June 6th was picked to launch the attack. 。

H-Hour: With an operation as big as this one, some things were bound to go wrong, and many did. But many key factors worked in the Allies favor. The biggest was that they kept the element of surprise. Rommel, who was to oversee the defenses, was back in Germany celebrating his wife's 50th birthday, and the German officers had been trained to never use their own initiative and not to move unless given direct orders. But there were other things that didn't go as well. Many of the paratroopers who were dropped behind enemy lines were in the wrong place and couldn't support the troops landing on the beaches. (This actually turned out to work in the Allies favor, slightly. The German command was getting reports of Allied soldiers parachuting in all over the region, and wasn't sure where the main force of troops were.) The pre-landing bombing of the bunkers on Omaha beach was fouled up, with the bombers dropping their bombs inland and missing the bunker completely. What has become known as 'the longest day' was a successful, though costly invasion. (There were over 2000 causalities on Omaha beach alone, the scene of the fiercest fighting.) 。

Breakout: After the invasion, there was still a danger that German troops could force the Allies back into the sea. Pushing the Germans back as quickly as possible was a high priority. But after the German troops recovered from their initial defeat, they were to put up heavy resistance. The fighting through the hedgerows of France from field to field was very slow and bloody. Also, the German tanks were a very formidable weapon. They had a much bigger gun that would easily punch a hole in the side of a Sherman tank, and thicker armor that could withstand much more punishment. But with the coordinated maneuverings of the British and American troops, the Allies managed to encircle the Germans in France, and capture a large part of their army. The series ends after the victory of the Battle of Normandy, weeks after the actual invasion. 。

This series was very informative. The entire operation was examined and many aspects were gone into with some detail. The thing that really made this show special was the reminiscing of the people who were there. They were able to fill in the details that history books often miss. More than one person talked about the stench on the battlefields after an engagement; the smell of cordite and burned flesh. Another interesting thing that I noticed is that none of the men referred to themselves as heroes. They all called themselves 'survivors.' Many people played up the fact that they were just performing their jobs and doing what had to be done. 。

The Germans that were interviewed had an interesting perspective on the invasion and the war, and I wish more time had been given to them. Even though only one spoke English, I thought their comments really put things in perspective. 。

The program takes a decided antiwar turn at the very end. They show clips with the old men remembering friends who had died nearly half a century ago. They talk about how these young guys, many who had never been in combat before, had their lives cut short. They never had children or grandchildren, and all their hopes and dreams just ended abruptly on foreign soil. This was a very striking and poignant way to end this excellent series. 。

评论：

Audio:

The stereo sound was adequate, but not outstanding. Since all of the archival footage that they presented was filmed without a soundtrack, the sounds of howitzers firing and planes diving were added in. These were not very dynamic or earth shattering. But seeing as this was made for television and first aired in 1994, I can see why they didn't put more emphasis on the audio portion, when the series was being made. The dialog was clear and crisp, and there was no hiss or other common imperfections. 。

Video:

Since this series was created for television, its original aspect ration is 1.33:1. The full frame video was adequate. The archival footage shot during WWII looked very good considering the age and conditions under which the film was taken. It actually looked better than I was expecting. There are some print defects and some of it is lacking contrast or other common imperfections that effect old film, but these were minimal. The contemporary interviews and video segments were a little on the soft side. They were not as crisp and clear as I would have liked, but the set still looks decent. 。

The Extras:

This set is full of extras. In addition to the three part series, there are four other hour-long (when telecast with commercials) programs presented in this set. 。

Biography: Eisenhower: Supreme Commander in Chief: This episode of the award winning series Biography looks at the general in charge of planning the D-Day invasion. It starts with his childhood in the Midwest, but soon progresses to his mediocre performance at West Point, and his life as an officer. His military career up until WWII is covered fairly quickly, but a good deal is spent on his actions in Africa, Italy, and France. They end up spending the most time on his post-war activities: the founding of NATO, his life in the private sector, and his two terms as President. Hearing about his political philosophy and his actions as a leader during the Cold War were very interesting, especially when you compare it to the current administrations actions. This was a nice overview of his life, even if they had to gloss over parts of it. 。

The True Story of the Screaming Eagles: 101st Airborne: A history of this famous military unit. Their first action as a unit was to parachute behind enemy lines before the D-Day invasion, and they have been taking tough assignments ever since. It talks aobut the unit's actions in Vietnam, and the Gulf War. The program is very comprehensive, and examining the commanders, the unit's utilization of helicopters, and the soldiers training. 。

Dear Home: Letters from World War II: This was my favorite extra, a very touching look at what the common soldiers were thinking and feeling. Told in a style similar to the work of Ken Burns, they creators used vintage photographs and footage with voiceover narration to illustrate the life of the enlisted man. Often very poignant, these letters give a face to the thousands of men that fought and often died in the war against Fascism. It is an excellent show. 。

Battle Stations: Sherman Assault: Program traces the history of the Sherman tank. From its design and fabrication on a Chrysler assembly line, to its duties in France, this show examines how this tank help turn the tide of the war. One of the most interesting parts of this documentary was the short history of the tank before WW II. It explained how the WWI tanks were large and bulky, but very slow and prone to breakdown. So countries, including the US, invested in small, fast, mobile armored machines with smaller guns. But when Germany come out with their tanks that had larger guns, the older models were rendered useless. The program looks at the tanks used on D-Day and in the battle of Normandy afterwards, and the success of Patton's 3rd armored division. There are interviews with men who manned the Shermans in France, and their recollections. They mention the Sherman's shortcomings, but gloss over them to a large extent. The thinner armor plating is mentioned, but the fact that Panzer had nearly twice the range of a Sherman wasn't. Filled with archival footage and contemporary reenactments with a functioning Sherman, this was both informative and very interesting. 。

Final Thoughts: 。

I really enjoyed watching this series. With the entire set running over six hours long, there is a lot of information here, this is a very complete package.. The creators did a wonderful job coming up with the right mix of archival footage, interviews from survivors and talks with historians. They show never got bogged down in detail, but was informative enough so you could understand the planning and reasons for the decisions that were made. The extras enhanced the value of this set immensely. I can't imagine a more thorough package about this part of the war. Highly Recommended.。

Never-ending Road 歌词

Our planet is in trouble! Almost every day we seem to hear of yet another problem affecting the environment - and what a list of problems! - pollution, acid rain, climate change, the destruction of rainforests and other wild habitats, the decline and extinction of thousands of species of animals and plants....and so on.。

Nowadays, most of us know that these threats exist and that humans have caused them. Many of us are very worried about the future of our planet and unless we can find a way of solving the problems we have made then the environment will suffer even more.。

It all sounds so depressing - but we certainly mustn't despair! Every one of us, whatever age we are can do something to help slow down and reverse some of the damage. We cannot leave the problem-solving entirely to the experts - we all have a responsibility for our environment. We must learn to live in a sustainable way i.e. learn to use our natural resources which include air, freshwater, forests, wildlife, farmland and seas without damaging them. As populations expand and lifestyles change, we must keep the world in a good condition so that future generations will have the same natural resources that we have.。

Here are just a few examples of the threats to our environment and some ideas to help you to do something about them.。

Waste

We humans create such a lot of rubbish! Between 1992 and 2008 household waste increased by 16% and we now produce just under half a tonne per person each year. Most of this is taken away by dustmen and buried in enormous landfill sites or burned in incinerators - both of these actions can be dangerous for the environment. Is all our rubbish really rubbish? If you think about it, much of what we throw away could be used again. It makes sense to reuse and recycle our rubbish instead of just trying to solve the problem of where to put it! Encouragingly rates of recycling have increased so that we recycle 35 % of our household rubbish, although we could recycle up to 80%. Much of our waste is made up of glass, metal, plastic and paper. Our natural resources such as trees, oil, coal and aluminium are used up in enormous amounts to make these products and the resources will one day be completely used up. We must cut down on energy use.。

Ideas to Help

* Sort out your rubbish. Organic matter e.g. potato peelings, left over food, tea leaves etc. can be transferred straight to a compost heap in the garden and used as a good, natural fertiliser for the plants. Aluminium cans, glass bottles and newspapers etc. are often collected from our doorsteps these days, but other items such as plastic bottles, juice cartons and cardboard may not be, in which case they can be taken to nearby recycling banks. Find out where they are by asking your local council or library.。

* Use recycled paper to help save trees. Everyone in Britain uses about 6 trees worth of paper every year.。

Chlorine bleach is usually used to make newspapers and this pollutes rivers. It's better to use unbleached, recycled paper whenever you can.。

* Take your old clothes to charity shops. Some are sold, others are returned to textile mills for recycling.。

* Try to avoid buying plastic. It's hard to recycle. One way to cut down on plastic is to refuse to use carrier bags offered by supermarkets and use strong, long lasting shopping bags instead, or re-use plastic bags over and over again, until they wear out and then recycle them.。

* Don't buy over-packed goods. Many things we buy have unnecessary amounts of plastic and paper around them.。

Rainforests

Rainforests are valuable habitats. About half of all the species of animals and plants in the world live in rainforests with a possible 50,000 species a year becoming extinct. Thousands of rainforest plants contain substances that can be used in medicines and the tribal people of the forests have great knowledge of them. Rainforests are also important because they provide us with oxygen and help to regulate the world's climate and atmosphere. 。

Yet despite their value, an area of rainforest the size of Britain is destroyed every year. One and a half acres are cleared every second, an area about the size of a football pitch. They are cut down to make way for 'civilised man' to provide timber, grow crops and graze cattle. Sometimes they're burnt down to make space to grow soya, an animal feed and to grow palm oil, a bio-fuel used as an alternative to petrol and diesel, as well as being used as an ingredient in many foods. 。

Ideas to Help

* Never buy products made up of tropical hardwoods e.g. mahogany and teak. It is better to buy only pine, oak, ash or beech because they can be replaced.。

* Garden and flower shops sometimes sell rainforest orchids that have been imported, although endangered ones have been protected since 1973. If you buy an orchid, check that it has been grown in Britain.。

* Some parrots and macaws are unfortunately still imported. If you want a parrot as a pet, make sure it has been hatched in Britain.。

* Eating a beefburger may be helping to destroy the rainforest! Most burgers in Britain are made from European cattle. However, the cattle are often fed on soya beans and a lot of that comes from Brazil where large areas of forest have been destroyed to make soya fields. Before buying a burger, ask where the cattle came from and what they were fed on. Try a veggie burger for a change!。

Pollution

The air, water and soil of habitats all over the world have been, and are still being polluted in many different ways. This pollution affects the health of living things. Air is damaged by car and lorry fumes, and power stations create acid rain which destroys entire forests and lakes. When fossil fuels i.e. oil, gas and coal are burned to provide energy for lighting, cooking etc. they form polluting gases.。

Oils spills pollute sea water and kill marine life; chemical waste from factories and sewage works, and artificial fertilisers from farmland, pollute river water, killing wildlife and spreading disease.。

The careless or deliberate dumping of litter in the environment is not only unsightly but dangerous for wildlife too.。

Ideas to Help

* Don’t drop litter.。

* Use less energy by switching off lights when rooms are not in use, not wasting hot water, not overheating rooms and not boiling more water than necessary when making a cup of tea!。

* Use a bicycle or walk instead of using a car for short trips.。

* If you spot pollution, such as oil on the beach, report it to the local council. If you suspect a stream is polluted, report it to the local Environmental Health Officer.。

* If you use chlorine-based bleach or detergents containing phosphates you are contributing to water pollution.。

Try to buy 'environmentally-friendly' products which don't contain these.。

* Organic foods are produced without the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, preventing these pollutants from contaminating habitats and entering the food chain.。

Endangered Habitats and their Wildlife。

Wild habitats all over the world are fast disappearing. Forests are being cut down, rivers and seas polluted, heathlands built on, hedgerows pulled up, ponds filled in - the destruction seems endless. As the habitats decrease, so do their communities of animals and plants. Habitat destruction is one of the main reasons why many species face extinction. Habitats are commonly split up and animals can't get from one part to another, unless wildlife 'corridors' are provided. Other reasons for their demise include the hunting of animals and collection of plants. Now they are facing a new threat, that of climate change.。

A report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) shows nearly one third of amphibians, more than one in eight birds and nearly a quarter of mammals are threatened with extinction. 869 species are already described as being extinct or extinct in the wild, i.e. disappeared from the earth forever.。

Ideas to Help

* In many countries souvenirs made from rare wildlife are available - never buy shells, coral or things made from elephant ivory, rhino horn or cat skin etc.。

* Try to reduce your 'carbon footprint'.。

* Remember that British habitats and wildlife are under threat too. The destruction of wood land, pollution of rivers and ponds, the use of pesticides and herbicides have all contributed to the reduction in the amount of wildlife in Britain. Many animals and plants are endangered e.g. red squirrels, otters, barn owls, golden eagles, natterjack toads, many species of butterflies and dragonflies, orchids - to name just a few. If you have a garden at home, you could transform it into a mini nature reserve for wildlife. The same could be done in your school grounds.。

歌曲名:Never-ending Road。

歌手:Loreena Mckennitt。

专辑:an ancient muse。

NEVER-ENDING ROAD。

Music and lyric: Loreena McKennitt。

The road now leads onward。

As far as can be。

Winding lanes

And hedgerows in threes。

By purple mountains。

And round every bend。

All roads lead to you。

There is no journey’s end.。

Here is my heart and I give it to you。

Take me with you across this land。

These are my dreams, so simple and few。

Dreams we hold in the palm of our hands。

Deep in the winter。

Amidst falling snow。

High in the air。

Where the bells they all toll。

And now all around me。

I feel you still here。

Such is the journey。

No mystery to fear.。

Here is my heart and I give it to you。

Take me with you across this land。

These are my dreams, so simple and few。

Dreams we hold in the palm of our hands。

The road now leads onward。

And I know not where。

I feel in my heart。

That you will be there。

Whenever a storm comes。

Whatever our fears。

The journey goes on。

As your love ever nears。

Here is my heart and I give it to you。

Take me with you across this land。

These are my dreams, so simple and few。

Dreams we hold in the palm of our hands。

http://music.baidu.com/song/1045883。

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