CHAPTEW 7
The Paradoxes of Debasting
The average debating tournament held in the WUDC format features five or six preliminary rounds followed by two to four elimination rounds．The number of teams entered in a particular tournament varies widely，from 16 to 20 at a small intervarsity tournament to over 400 teams at the World Universities Debating Championships．Nearly every weekend during the academic yea r a tournament is held somewhere；often multiple tournaments a re hosted on the same weekend in various locations a round the world．1n other words，theres a lot of debating going on．
While this is great news for proponents of the powerful skirls debating teaches，it poses a significant challenge to those who would advise others on how to win debates-yours truly included．Given the remarkable number of rounds that happen in a competitive season，and given that each round in the WUDC format focuses on a different topic，theres no way to anticipate every possible contingency that may a rise in a debate．Winning debaters recognize that to be successful they must be equipped with a variety of tactical options from which they may choose．Those same debaters must also remain flexible enough to adapt their tactics to the demands of a particular round．
In other words，no advice for debating can claim to be inclusive，universal，or applicable in every round．
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Steven L. Johnson教授作为世界大学生辩论赛委员会秘书，20多年来一直活跃在国际辩论教育前沿。他曾担任美同最大辩论协会一一美国议会制辩论联盟首届丰席。作为阿拉斯加大学辩论项日带头人，他指导的队伍曾夺得全美冠军，在闻际赛事中也屡获佳绩。特别值得一提的是，他自2005年以来一直担仟“外研社杯”全同英语辩论赛总裁判长，为英语辩论在中目的发展作出了卓越的贡献。希望这本书能指导广大辩论爱好者赢得辩论，赢得广博的知识，并开阔视界，走向更加宽广精彩的人牛。
——李溪／Cecilee
世界大学生辩论赛中国代表
“东北亚杯”中国首届同际英文辩论赛总裁判长
“外研社杯”全国英语辩论赛剐总裁判长
巾同资深辩手、专职辩论教师、培训师