In order to get attention and interest of your audience at the beginning of your speech, you can use an effective method such as “state the _________ of your topic”. Example: Traffic jams are more than a nuisance. They are a worldwide economic problem. In Guangzhou alone, they cost 12 billion yuan each year. In major cities, they are responsible for more than 21 billion liters of wasted fuel and 68 billion dollars in lost productivity. Traffic jams will soon cost the British economy more than 20 billion pounds sterling a year.