Seven Wonders of the Modern World

Introduction

A.    Attention getter: Have you ever heard of the Seven Wonders of the World? Have you ever tried looking at it in a new perspective?

B.     Introduction of topic: Here is a nice one. Try looking at it from a civil engineer perspective.  Quoted from Parthum, ASCE President (1996), "The original wonders were amazing sites to behold, but today's modern wonders are more than simply awe inspiring. They are functional, operational masterpieces that have revolutionized civil engineering and benefited humanity. The Seven Wonders of the Modern World are a tribute to universal human desire to triumph over the impossible" .

C.     Credibility statement: The list released by ASCE was based from nominated answers they gathered from experts around the world for the greatest achievements in civil engineering in the 20^th century.

D.    Thesis/preview statement: The seven wonders of the modern world cover these seven magnificent structures built by humanity which are the Channel Tunnel, the CN Tower, the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, Itaipu Dam, Netherlands North Sea Protection Works and last but not least the Panama Canal.

Transition: Okay, let us delve into these amazing structures!

Body

Each of these Seven Wonders, they were judged on factors such as pioneering of design and construction, contributions to humanity, and engineering challenges that were overcome.

Sub-point:

A.    The Channel Tunnel

Sub sub-point :

1.      The Channel Tunnel is a 31-mile tunnel, made of three concrete tubes each 5 ft. thick, plunge into the Earth at Coquelles, France and re-emerge at Folkstore.

2.       Through two of the tubes rush the broadest trains ever built – double decker behemoth and the passengers on board do not travel by foot but in automobiles and buses meanwhile maintenance and emergency vehicles ply the third tunnel and the machines are always working which make it into such a bustling and intelligent tunnel.

3.      It is chosen for its infrastructure and immense machinery which formed an underwater tunnel system fulfilling a centuries-old dream by linking Britain to the rest of Europe.

B.     The CN Tower

Sub sub-point:

1.      The CN Tower is the world’s tallest free-standing structure soaring 1,815 ft. above the sidewalks of Toronto and it is as heavy as 23,214 large elephants.

2.      The CN Tower can withstand up to 260-mph gusts and it has the SkyPod, a seven-story structure of 1,100 ft. high, built around the base of the tower and jacked into place as one unit. Moreover, a pair of 10-ton counterweights is attached to the mast to keep the tower from swaying too much.

3.      It is a tower which broadcast FM radio signals from the base of the antenna, while television signals are sent from the top.  Presently, 16 of Toronto’s media signals are transmitted from this tower.

C.    The Empire State Building

Sub sub-point:

1.      The Empire State Building is the best-known skyscraper in the world and was far the tallest building in the world for more than 40 years at 1,250 ft. high.

2.      The building was so well-engineered that is was easily repaired after a bomber crashed into it in 1945 (Camp, 1997).

3.      It has been surpassed as the world’s tallest building; however it remains as the standard against all other skycrapers that have been judged for the last 65 years.

D.    The Golden Gate Bridge

Sub sub-point:

1.      The Golden Gate Bridge remains the world’s tallest suspension bridge for more than 60 years of its completion.

2.      Hanging from two 746-ft-high towers, the cables- each a yard thick- according to Camp (1997), it is enough to encircle the earth three times.

3.      The bridge combines the engineering strength and beauty and it remains world’s most revered and photographed bridges.

E.     The Itaipu Dam

Sub sub-point:

1.      It is a dam five miles wide and have enough concrete in it to build five Hoover Dams, spanning the Parana River at the Paraguay border.

2.      The main dam, as high as a 65-story building contain enough iron and steel to build 300 Eiffel Towers.  Another marvel is its powerhouse, half a mile long and half underwater, generating 12, 600 megawatts.

3.      It is enough to power most of California and currently supplies 28% of all the energy in Brazil’s south and 72% of Paraguay’s total energy consumption.

F.     The North Sea Protection Works

Sub sub-point:

1.      Unique in the world, this vast and complex system of dams, floodgates, storm surge barriers and other engineered works literally allows the Netherlands to exist.

2.      For centuries, the people of the Netherlands have repeatedly attempted to push back the sea - only to watch merciless storm surges flood their efforts, since the nation sits below sea level and its land mass is still sinking, thus they built this (Camp,1997).

3.      The North Sea Protection Works exemplifies humanity's ability to exist side-by-side with the forces of nature.

G.    The Panama Canal

Sub sub-point:

1.      The Panama Canal is one of civil engineering's greatest triumphs. Under the direction of U.S. Col. George Washington Goethals, 42,000 moved enough earth from Colon to Balboa to bury the island of Manhattan to a depth of 12 ft.

2.      The canal was finished on time and within budget. But after completion, a challenge remained: how to tame the flood waters of Chagres River, known to rise 25 ft. in a day during monsoon season? Solution: Civil engineers erected a dam that formed the world's then-largest man-made lake, the Gatun Lake (Nix, 2014).

3.      Today, the Canal operates much as it did in 1914 as it replaced fresh water with the Panama’s heavy rainfall which is lost due to transit. It remains a testament to the combined skills of structural, geotechnical and even hydraulic engineers. 

Transition: Therefore, this marks the ending of my speech.

Conclusion

A.    Summary: The Seven Wonders of the Modern World is one of the perspectives that I would like to share with you.  Bear in mind, these are proofs of human ability, how they achieved unreachable feats and scorn the notion “it can’t be done” as claimed by Camp (1997).

B.     Clincher: Hopefully, this Seven Wonders of the Modern World are able to open your mind into looking at something from various angles and be amazed at human ability!

References

Camp, C. (1997). CIVL 1101. Retrieved from http://www.ce.memphis.edu/1101/interesting_stuff/7wonders.html

Nix, E. (2014, August 15). 7 Fascinating Facts About the Panama Canal — History in the Headlines. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/news/7-fascinating-facts-about-the-panama-canal

Editing the outline.

A. Introduction

Assalamualaikum and a very good morning to all of you. My name is Nadirah and today as decided, I am going to do a light massage as my demonstrative speech. As to why I chose this, it is something which I am really good at.  Not to boast but back at home, my parents, after a long tiring day at workplace, will always ask for my assistance. I usually do the massage for about 30 minutes at minimum?  

 
B.  Tie to audience  

However, the massage which I am going to show you is not that long. It is a simpler one and you do not need to know those crucial points such as where to press, you just do it to your own liking.  A fancy name for it is the Swedish Massage.  It promotes relaxation. It relieves the knots and the tense muscles in your body, which the main cause of it is most probably college stuffs.  This massage is done by applying long gliding strokes or circular motion, which is very easy, I assure you.

C. Credibility material 

Why would you trust me? Let’s just say that I have been doing this since forever, and if, you still cannot believe me, you can ask about the effectiveness from my model later on, when I have finished my demonstrative speech. Upon this, I would like to call her out, please.

  D. Thesis and preview 

Today, I will show you how to do a light massage as the name suggest it!

Transition : Okay, let us start!

II. Body

A. Main point 1: Rules.

1.       There are certain rules that you must follow before you start giving a massage.

2.       Firstly, you must have you, the person giving the massage and another person who will be receiving it, my model here.

3.       Secondly, you choose between these two methods. You use either your fingertips or your palm. In my case, the fingertips because I have small hands. I will be using the circular motion which I will show you later. It is easier for me, the energy is focused on the tips of my fingers thus enhancing the pressure applied. But, if you decided to use your palm, it is okay either way. The difference is that you focus your energy on your palm and spread it.

4.       Last but not least, you do not push too hard. Just accordingly to the preferences of the person you are giving the massage.

Transition : Now , we should proceed to the process. The first one is to.....

B. Main point 2 :  Massage the shoulder blades.

1.       You start by massaging from the base of the neck which is here to the end of the shoulders which is here. What I meant by using circular motion is, you do it using both thumbs while the other fingers act as anchors to hold onto the shoulder firmly.

2.       So, you start. After that, you do it the same way but reversely. Starting from the end of the shoulders to the base of the neck.

Transition : Next, we move on to....

C. Main point 3 : Massage the neck.

1.       For the neck, you start from the base and go upwards, still in circular motion. You do it slowly because the neck is more sensitive than the shoulder. You would not want to hurt somebody accidentally right? You do it exactly like the way I show you.

2.       After you reach somewhere just below the skull which is right here, you linger there for a bit and put a little bit more pressure than before.

3.       After you deemed it is enough, you start massaging downwards to the base of the neck again, still in circular motion.

Transition : We have come to the last part which is.....

D. Main point 4 : Massaging the shoulder blades again. Simply follow the same steps and we have an addition at the end.

1.       You start by massaging from the base of the neck which is here to the end of the shoulders which is here. Let me remind you, do it using both thumbs while the other fingers act as anchors to hold onto the shoulder firmly.

2.       So, you start. After that, you do it the same way but reversely. Starting from the end of the shoulders to the base of the neck.

3.       Not long before it ends, you massage the shoulder again from the base of the neck to the end of the shoulders. However, you do not stop there. You continue massaging till the end of your model’s hand just like this. For the hands, you do not need to do it in circular motions, putting pressures along the hands would be sufficient.

III. Conclusion.

A. Breaklight

And that is how it ends.

B. Summaries

What I just demonstrated was how to do a simple light massage involving only the shoulders, neck and the hands.

C. Tie back the audience

Now you know how to do it. After this, you can try and experiment back at college with your friends. I guarantee that you will be surprised of how expert you are in giving a massage.

D. Concluding memorable remarks.

Before I end this, I would like to say thank you especially to my model for her help. Without her, I cannot demonstrate. If you still find the result of you giving massage to others unsatisfying, you can seek me for assistance or you can simply ask me to give you some of my magic! Thank you for listening.

Outline of my demonstrative speech.

General purpose : To demonstrate

Specific purpose : To show my audience how to do a light massage.

Central idea : Massage helps to circulate the blood and relieve stress.

Introduction

Yes, it’s a light massage.

There is ONE thing which I am good at, and it is giving massage. I often do this for my parents. It is not hard and follows simple steps only. The massage that I am going to show you is not of those which you have to know crucial points to be pressed for your head and shoulders, you do it to your own liking. If you do this, I guarantee that you will be satisfied and be relieved from your stress.

Transition : Okay, let us start!

1.       Prepare yourself.

·         Use either your fingertips or palm.

·         Do not push too hard, just accordingly.

·         Use circular motions.

2.       Massage the shoulder blades.

·         Start from the neck to the end of shoulder.

·         Do it in even strokes.

·         Repeat the movement reversely.

3.       Massage the neck.

·         Start with the base of the neck.

·         Do it upwards.

·         Stop for a bit just at the base of the skull.

·         Put pressure accordingly.

4.       Massage the shoulder blades again.

·         From base of neck till shoulder’s end.

·         End with putting pressure along the hand till the end of fingertips.

Conclusion.

There are four simple steps that you have to know.

1.       Preparing yourself.

2.       Massaging the shoulder blades.

3.       Massaging the neck.

4.       Massaging the shoulder blades again.

You end with putting pressure along the hand till the end of fingertips. I hope this demonstration of massage can help you in coping with your college life. You can teach your friends how to do this and help each other out. Thank....you.

brainstorming

Choosing a topic is like.......so hard.

     Massage. I can give a really good massage. Rather than choosing something that I cannot understand and never have done it before, I chose something that I am good at and can show to other people. Besides, it is relevant to our fellow friends in coping with college life. Back at home, my parents especially my mother will always requests a massage from me. My parents as well as my extended family members say that I have talents for it. There are certain points that you must press to make the massage effective. You don't have to be an expert to be able to do a massage. you also don't need much strength. Better, you can do it yourself.

    There are techniques for it. 

1.  Decide your good points.
2.  Figure out to use your good points to advantage.
3.  Know where to press.
4.  Practice easy and correct steps.
5.  Practise makes perfect.

     A massage is easy to learn and it benefits in so many ways. Firstly, a massage can help to relieve your stress. It circulates your blood better. You will feel relieved. You can practice this with your close friends and help each other when needed. Secondly, it also helps if you happen to sprain any parts of your body. It acts like the 'first-aid kit'.  As long as you follow the correct steps to do it, you will not experience a worse state of mind and body.

My interests.

                           These are my interests and why's of liking it.

1. Movies. As a kid, I grew up watching a lot of movies. I watched those with action, adventure, animation, fantasy, sci-fi, comedy and horror genres, mostly American. Watching movies back then was actually a turning point where I started liking English. My father wouldn't let us have Astro, so what we have are the normal channels. I remembered during those times, we watched the movies at the Mediacorp channel, which apparently did not have English subtitles but Pinyin. So, it was hard to interpret the movies. Nowadays, I watched 'childish movies', as my friend labelled it, with my brother and sisters. Besides, they really have good morals in it, either subtly or not. Proudly, the Malaysians have been able to produce some good animations like Bola Kampung, Boboi Boy and recently Puteri. I did watch Bawang Merah Bawang Putih though, but they don't have those now. So, yeah.
2. Music. Music is life. Cliche, but true. Out there, there are a lot of good songwriters who write good songs. They contain message about life mostly, how you deal with friendship, love, school, self confidence, they even talk about the world, crimes, injustice and corruption. Song in a sense is like a poem, it serve as a way to express yourselves, your opinions and your standing. By listening to music, some people are quiet and they listen to songs because they can relate it with their life. They feel that the song talks about them. Though some people might not like music, but in general, they must have at least a song that they are sure to like. Depending on a way a song is strummed, it strummed differently to the people listening to it.
3. Reading. Good books are everywhere. Reading is mostly everyone's interest. I don't have much to talk about reading. What I know is that I rarely read 'heavy' books. It takes months to finish one. So, I prefer reading a lot of books rather than just one. Some of them are boring and have a lot of other things that I could not understand. However, I do read those kind of books, once in a while. Reading is only meaningful if you are able to digest the information and put it to good use. If you read a book and nothing goes into your head, it only acts as something to kill your ample time
4. Massage. When I was a kid. I used to get sick or fever a lot. Back then, we don't really rely much on the medicines. The elderly like to say that kids are 'disturbed' if they get sick especially if they play till it was quite late in the evening. Therefore, my mother used to send me to this particular nenek to get a massage. They said I got muscle sprain and have to be massaged. I grow up getting a lot of them since I was a kid who plays a lot. I climbed the trees, ran here and there, did mischievous pranks on each other, simply put, I was a restless kid. I stumbled and  got hurt too. I am pretty sure because of that I know some tricks to a good massage.

What 'speech' means to you.

Here is the first assignment.

1.  Speech means someone giving a talk about something,which can have different purposes following the events, usually during a formal function such as election and meetings, to give people insights of what they can expect from the leader and what can be achieved from the discussion.  Another is for a programme, what they can achieve by joining the programme. Speech is usually short and compact but it can depend on the person giving the talk. Some people talk a lot more than others because they think that they have to repeat or explain in order to ensure the audiences really get what they are trying to get across.

2.  Demonstrative speech is a talk given by someone when they want to show people the process of doing something or know-how of using the object presented while at the same time, talking and explaining. For easy examples, how to make a blog or how to register your courses. Informative speech is when you want to share or tell people to let them know of something important like recent issues, sharing experiences or knowledge that might be useful for many purposes.

3.  People who always give speech also depends on the occasions, usually people with the high positions or people responsible of managing the occasions will be giving the speech. This is because they are the people who handle and supervise, so they know best and thus the most qualified person to give the speech.

4.  A speech can be made more powerful and memorable when the person giving the speech really knows what he or she is talking about.  The speech must be able to grab the audiences’ attention, not in a sense it has to be funny, but the speaker must state his or her points strongly and clearly. An easy way to make it interesting is choosing contents that the audiences can easily relate them to.

5.  Tricky.  I believe I have the same potential as anybody else in this class to give a proper speech but I cannot say that I am perfect , thus you can expect a lot from me. I believe everybody in the class is able to give proper speech, nevertheless, I hope you will guide us throughout this semester.

Introduction

Hello and a very good morning to Miss Afifa & fellow classmates!

     My given name is Nadirah  Binti Abd Latiff.  You can call me Nad or Irah,  I also have nickname given by my ex-classmates, "caramel". There is a story behind it, people in my last semester class said that I am hard to understand because I talk weird. Last semester we went out. One of my ex-classmates, bought a drink from Chatime, Caramel Latte. I never drink it before so I tried. I was surprised that it actually taste good and I started talking excitedly. Guess it was the sugar doing its job. That was the moment they started calling me caramel because they couldn't understand it when I am talking too fast. Don't worry, I am as normal as other people can be.  I am the eldest in my family. I have three sisters and a brother. I am also a great fan of kpop music but not what you will call fanatic. Songs teach me about life.  My favourite bands are BAP and BTS. They are a group of Hip Hop bands but with different feels. Their songs are just great, for me~ I am also a fan of anime and manga.

     When I first found out that I am going to be in this class, 2G, I was nervous and at the same time, anticipating. At the end of the semester, I hope to be a better listener and speaker. I just hope that we can make learning fun and not be stressed out. So,,,holla friends!! Lets have fun and achieve great things together.