Persuasive Speech
Good morning everyone. I am Rae. Today, I am going to convince you that
people should not take leaflets which are given free of charge to advertise or give
information about something on the road. Here is my outline. First, I will give some
questions for you to think about. Second, I will give you reasons why people should
not take leaflets. Third, how can we solve this problem? Forth, what will the world
become if people can stop taking leaflets? Finally, what practical action people should
take?
So, first, there are three questions that I want you to ask yourself. Have you ever
taken leaflets distributed by hand on the road? How many of you have seriously read
these leaflets through? How much information do you get from these little pieces of
leaflets? If you are the person who is used to taking leaflets distributed by hand on
the road, haven’t seriously read these leaflets through, and get little information from
these little pieces of leaflets, you should listen to what I am going to talk about
carefully.
In my opinion, most people just take leaflets randomly. They may take leaflets,
because they feel sympathy for the distributor or feel embarrassed to refuse the
distributor. However, after taking leaflets, they may just have a quick glance and
throw them away as soon as there is a garbage can. So, when you take leaflets and
think that you are helping people who give leaflets to you, you are actually
unmindfully ruining our earth.
(TRANSITION)
There are two reasons why people should not take leaflets. First, leaflets are
ineffective in advertising or giving information. As I mentioned before, people may
just have a quick glance and then throw the leaflets away. In such a short time, how
can they get any information? Even if people really see the leaflets through, they may
probably forget the content easily. Besides, limited by the little size of leaflets, it can
provide only little information. Second, taking leaflets is harmful to our earth. Some
people throw them away anywhere even if they do not find any garbage can, then it
leads to a mess. What’s worse, taking leaflets can almost destroy our only Earth
indirectly. According to a statistic of Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), about
ten millions trees are cut down for leaflets per year. A tree can absorb 14.5 kilograms
of carbon dioxide, so ten millions trees can absorb one hundred and forty five millions
kilograms of carbon dioxide. It means, without ten millions trees, huge amounts of
carbon dioxide can not be absorbed. Year by Year, more trees are cut down; more
carbon dioxide can not be absorbed. Therefore, greenhouse effect will be aggravated,
and global warming will become worse and worse. Last week, in Vicky’s speech, she
talked about the consequence which may happen if global warming becomes worse
and worse, that is, not only polar bears will lose their habitat and then become extinct,
methane and carbon dioxide which may harm all species in the world will also be
released. However, people are usually numb until disasters really happen around them.
/Global warming causes extreme weathers, such as flood, drought, typhoon and
tornado. So, how can you still view taking leaflets as a trivial matter? It can almost
destroy our only Earth indirectly.
Need Step
I. Leaflets are ineffective in advertising or giving information.
A. People just have a cursory glance and then throw it away.
B. Limited by the little size of leaflets, it can provide only little information.
II. Taking leaflets is harmful to our earth.
A. Some of people throw them away anywhere even if they do not find any garbage
can, then it leads to a mess.
B. According to a statistic of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about ten
millions trees are cut down for leaflets per year. A tree can absorb 14.5 kilograms of
carbon dioxide, so ten millions trees can absorb one hundred and forty five millions
kilograms of carbon dioxide. It means, without ten millions trees, huge amounts of
carbon dioxide can not be absorbed. Year by Year, more trees are cut down; more
carbon dioxide can not be absorbed. Therefore, greenhouse effect will be aggravated,
and global warming will become worse and worse. Global warming causes extreme
weathers, such as flood, drought, typhoon and tornado. So, how can you still view
taking leaflets as a trivial matter? It can almost destroy our only Earth indirectly.
Satisfaction Step
I. Government policy
A. Before giving the speech, I never know that our government has advocated stop
taking leaflets until one day, when I tried to search some information about this topic,
I realized that our governments already did it for a spell. In 2008, EPA held a meeting
and negotiated with industries such as hypermarkets and department stores about
reducing the amount of leaflets. However, how many of you notice that? It shows that
the way the government did is ineffective.
B. The government should change their oral advocacy into practical action. They
should legislate to forbid printing leaflets. Without severe restriction, we can
always see people distribute leaflets on the road.
II. It is not enough if only the government takes action. We should make efforts too.
What can we do? To reduce the amount of leaflets, the best way is to stop taking
leaflets. Therefore, we should be firm and refuse to take leaflets. Only by doing so,
distributors will realize that nobody takes leaflets, so they will reduce the output of
leaflets.
Visualization Step
I. Without leaflets, our city will be clean and neat. Without leaflets, more trees will be
preserved; more carbon dioxide will be absorbed. Global warming will be relieved,
and greenhouse effect will be in a balance. The probability of extreme weathers may
be decreased. We may have a more sustainable environment to live in our only earth.
II. Since the Internet is generally available, we can get latest information on it. Unlike
the leaflets, in the Internet, we can choose the information we need instead of
receiving information which is unmeaningful and useless.
Action Step
I. Urge the government to make a policy on forbidding the production of leaflets.
II. Next time, when you are walking on the road, if the distributor gives you a leaflet,
you should not only refuse to take it but also tell he/she that stop distributing leaflets,
for we have only one earth, and we should take the responsibility of protecting our
earth from being ruined..