At age 89, Mary Fasano graduated wth a bachelor s degree from the Extenson School last week and entered the hstory books as the oldest person to earn an undergraduate degree at Harvard. Followng s the speech she delvered -- "The Power of Knowledge" -- at the Extenson School dploma awardng ceremony:
remember one nght a few years ago when my daughter was frantc wth worry. After my Harvard Extenson School classes, usually arrved at the bus staton near my home by 11 p.m., but on that nght was nowhere to be found. My daughter was nervous. t wasn t safe for a sngle woman to walk alone on the streets at nght, especally one as defenseless as am: can slay a mugger wth my sharp wt, but m just too short to do any real physcal damage.
That nght my daughter checked the bus staton, drove around the streets, and contacted some frends. But she couldn t fnd me -- untl she called my astronomy professor who told her that was on top of the Scence Center usng the telescope to gaze at the stars. Unaware of the tme, had gotten lost n the heavens and was only thnkng about the new thngs had learned that nght n class.
Ths story llustrates a habt have developed over the years: lose track of the tme when t comes to learnng. How else do you explan a woman who began hgh school at age 71 and who s graduatng wth a bachelor s degree at 89? may have started late, but wll contnue to learn as long as am able because there s no greater feelng, n my opnon, than travelng to a faraway country as have and beng able to dentfy by sght the pantng of a famous artst, the statue of an obscure sculptor, the cathedral of an ancent archtect. have found that the world s a fnal exam that you can never be prepared enough for. So wll contnue to take classes and tell my story.
Lately t seems that everyone s askng me, "Mary, what advce do you have for other students?" So whle have you all here, m gong to ease my burden of answerng you each ndvdually:
f the sayng s true that wsdom comes wth age, you may safely assume that am one of the wsest people n ths hall and possbly at ths unversty today. So lsten to me when tell you ths: Knowledge s power.
My studes were nterrupted when was n the 7th grade, back sometme around World War . loved school but was forced to leave t to care for my famly. was consgned to work n a Rhode sland cotton mll, where labored for many years. eventually marred and rased 5 chldren, 20 grandchldren, and 18 great-grandchldren. But all the whle felt nferor to those around me. knew was as smart as a college graduate. knew was capable of dong a job well -- had proved t by runnng a successful famly busness for decades that stll exsts. But wanted more. wanted to feel confdent when spoke and wanted people to respect my opnons.
Does t surprse you to dscover how much you have n common wth an 89-year-old woman? know that many of you graduates today, whether you were born n 1907 or 1967, have faced smlar barrers to completng your studes and have sometmes felt nferor around those you work or socalze wth just because you ddn t have a degree.
But am here today -- lke you are -- to prove that t can be done; that the power ganed by understandng and apprecatng the world around us can be obtaned by anyone regardless of socal status, personal challenges, or age. That belef s what has motvated me for the last 75 years to get ths degree. t s also the msson of the Harvard Extenson School. Wthout the support receved from ths school, mght not have graduated untl was 100 -- a phrase that many of you have probably used n jest.
There are many students here who do not have the opportunty that do to speak ther mnds and have everybody lsten, whether they want to or not. But be assured, fellow graduates, that we are more smlar than you mght thnk. f you have treated educaton as your man goal, and not as a means to an end, then you, too, have probably been clamed as a mssng person once n your academc career, whether you were lost n the stars or the stacks of Wdener Lbrary.
And you, too, know that the journey was worth t, and that the power of knowledge makes me the most formdable 89-year-old woman at the bus stop.
"On the 14th of March, at a quarter to three n the afternoon, the greatest lvng thnker ceased to thnk. He had been left alone for scarcely two mnutes, and when we came back we found hm n hs armchar, peacefully gone to sleep-but forever.
"An mmeasurable loss has been sustaned both by the mltant proletarat of Europe and Amerca, and by hstorcal scence, n the death of ths man. The gap that has been left by the departure of ths mghty sprt wll soon enough make tself felt.
"Just as Darwn dscovered the law of development of organc nature, so Marx dscovered the law of development of human hstory: the smple fact, htherto concealed by an overgrowth of deology, that manknd must frst of all eat, drnk, have shelter and clothng, before t can pursue poltcs, scence, art, relgon, etc.; that therefore the producton of the mmedate materal means of subsstence and consequently the degree of economc development attaned by a gven people or durng a gven epoch form the foundaton upon whch the state nsttutons, the legal conceptons, art, and even the deas on relgon, of the people concerned have been evolved, and n the lght of whch they must, therefore, be explaned, nstead of vce versa, as had htherto been the case.
"But that s not all. Marx also dscovered the specal law of moton governng the present-day captalst mode of producton and the bourgeos socety that ths mode of producton has created. The dscovery of surplus value suddenly threw lght on the problem, n tryng to solve whch all prevous nvestgatons, of both bourgeos economsts and socalst crtcs, had been gropng n the dark.
"Two such dscoveres would be enough for one lfetme. Happy the man to whom t s granted to make even one such dscovery. But n every sngle feld whch Marx nvestgated -- and he nvestgated very many felds, none of them superfcally -- n every feld, even n that of mathematcs, he made ndependent dscoveres.
f somebody tells you, " 'll love you for ever," wll you beleve t?
don't thnk there's any reason not to. we are ready to beleve such commtment at the moment, whatever change may happen afterwards. As for the belef n an everlastng love, that's another thng.
Then you may be asked whether there s such a thng as an everlastng love. 'd answer beleve n t. But an everlastng love s not mmutable.
——4级晨读英语美文 (菁华3篇)
n ths crss thnk may be pardoned f do not address the House at any length today, and hope that any of my frends and colleagues or former colleagues who are affected by the poltcal reconstructon wll make all allowances for any lack of ceremony wth whch t has been necessary to act. say to the House as sad to Mnsters who have joned ths government, have nothng to offer but blood, tol, sweat and tears. We have before us an ordeal of the most grevous knd. We have before us many, many months of struggle and sufferng. You ask, what s our polcy?
say t s to wage war by land, sea and ar. War wth all our mght and wth all the strength God has gven us, and to wage war aganst a monstrous tyranny never surpassed n the dark and unpleasant catalogue of human crme. That s our polcy. You ask, what s our am? can answer n one word. t s vctory. Vctory at all costs—vctory n spte of all terrors—vctory, however long and hard the road may be, for wthout vctory there s no survval. Let that be realzed.
No survval for the Brtsh Empre, no survval for all that the Brtsh Empre has stood for, no survval for the urge, the mpulse of the ages, that manknd shall move forward toward hs goal. take up my task n lght heart and hope. feel sure that our cause wll not be suffered to fal among men. feel enttled at ths juncture, at ths tme, to clam the ad of all and to say, “Come then, let us go forward together wth our unted strength.
Be sure to make reservatons f the restaurant you chose s a fancy or popular one. t’s very embarrassng to show up wthout reservatons and havng to wat for a table, leavng very bad mpresson on your date. Also, be sure to check to see f they have a dress code and tell your date n advance what to wear. When your food arrves, proper dnnng etquette requres you to eat at a moderate pace so that you have tme to talk.
A good measure of how fast you should eat s to count 10 seconds between each mouthful and t’s a bad dnng etquette f you gobble down your food and you spend the rest of the tme watchng your date eat. Don’t slurp your soup, smack your lps, or chew wth your mouth open. Nothng s more unsghtly than watchng someone talk and chew ther food at the same tme. Your napkn should be placed on your lap at all tmes.
Don’t tuck t nto your belt or use t as a bb. f you have to get up, place t neatly on your seat. When eatng, your fork straght n your mouth. Don’t place your fork n the sde of your mouth as t ncreases the chances of food sldng away, whch could be very embarrassng. f you get food stuck n your mouth don’t pck t out wth your fngers or fork at the table. Excuse yourself and go to the restroom and get t out wth a toothpck. When dnnng, keep your eyes on your date at all tmes and try to smle between mouthfuls. Occasonally,you should make an effort to show some nterest and ask questons lke,“How do you lke the beef?” f she needs anythng, you are the one who s supposed to flag down the water by a gentle wave of the hand untl someone notces you.
"On the 14th of March, at a quarter to three n the afternoon, the greatest lvng thnker ceased to thnk. He had been left alone for scarcely two mnutes, and when we came back we found hm n hs armchar, peacefully gone to sleep-but forever.
"An mmeasurable loss has been sustaned both by the mltant proletarat of Europe and Amerca, and by hstorcal scence, n the death of ths man. The gap that has been left by the departure of ths mghty sprt wll soon enough make tself felt.
"Just as Darwn dscovered the law of development of organc nature, so Marx dscovered the law of development of human hstory: the smple fact, htherto concealed by an overgrowth of deology, that manknd must frst of all eat, drnk, have shelter and clothng, before t can pursue poltcs, scence, art, relgon, etc.; that therefore the producton of the mmedate materal means of subsstence and consequently the degree of economc development attaned by a gven people or durng a gven epoch form the foundaton upon whch the state nsttutons, the legal conceptons, art, and even the deas on relgon, of the people concerned have been evolved, and n the lght of whch they must, therefore, be explaned, nstead of vce versa, as had htherto been the case.
"But that s not all. Marx also dscovered the specal law of moton governng the present-day captalst mode of producton and the bourgeos socety that ths mode of producton has created. The dscovery of surplus value suddenly threw lght on the problem, n tryng to solve whch all prevous nvestgatons, of both bourgeos economsts and socalst crtcs, had been gropng n the dark.
"Two such dscoveres would be enough for one lfetme. Happy the man to whom t s granted to make even one such dscovery. But n every sngle feld whch Marx nvestgated -- and he nvestgated very many felds, none of them superfcally -- n every feld, even n that of mathematcs, he made ndependent dscoveres.
——几篇英语知识美文欣赏 (菁华3篇)
3．Who First Made Ice Cream
Most Americans think that ice cream is as American as baseball and apple pie．But ice cream was known long before America was discovered．
The Roman emperor Nero may have made a kind of ice cream．He hired hundreds of men to bring snow and ice from the mountains．He used it to make cold drinks．Traveler Marco Polobrought back recipes for chilled and frozen milk from China．
Hundreds of years later，ice cream reached England．It is said that King Charles Ienjoyed that treatvery much．There is a story that he bribed his cook to keep the recipe for ice cream a royal secret．
Today ice cream is known throughout the world．Americans alone eat more than two billion quartsa year．
3．谁是冰淇淋的首创者
大多数美国人认为，冰淇淋像棒球和苹果饼一样，是属于美国的。但是，早在人们发现美洲大陆之前，冰淇淋就已经问世了。
古罗马国王尼禄可能配制过一种冰淇淋。他曾雇用几百人从山上搬来雪和冰，用以制作冷饮料。旅行家马可波罗也曾从*带回了冷冻奶和冰奶的配方。
几百年后，冰淇淋传到了英国。据说国王查理一世十分欣赏这种食品，他曾贿赂御厨，要他把制作冰淇淋的配方作为皇家秘密，守口如瓶。
今天全世界都知道冰淇淋了，仅美国人一年的消耗量就超过20亿夸脱。
5．The Three Ways of Man to Preserve Meat
Finding enough meat was a problem for primitive man．Keeping it for times when it was scarce was just as hard．Three ways were found to keep meat from spoiling：salting，drying，and freezing．
People near salty waters salted their meat．At first they probably rubbed dry salt on it，but this preserved only the outside．Later they may have pickled their meat by soaking it in salt water．
In hot，dry lands，men found that they could eat meat that had dried while it was still on the bones．They later learned to cut meat into thin strips and hang it up to dry in the hot air．
Men in cold climates found that frozen meat did not spoil．They could leave their meat outside and eat it when they pleased．
5．人类储存肉的三种方法
对原始人类来说，获得充足的肉是件难事，而把肉类储存到缺肉的时令也同样不容易。人们找到了防止肉类变腐的三种办法：盐腌、风干和冷冻。
靠*咸水地带的居民用盐腌肉。起先，他们可能是把干盐擦在肉上，但这只能使肉的外部不腐。后来，他们也许就改用咸水浸泡的办法来腌肉了。
在炎热、干燥的地方，人们发现他们可以食用已经变干、但仍连在骨骼上的肉。后来，他们学会把肉切成薄条，悬挂起来，让它在炎热的空气中变干。
生活在寒冷气候下的人们则发现冻肉不腐。他们可以把肉置于室外，高兴时随时可吃。
4．Earthworms that Help Improve the Soil
The earthworm is a useful animal．Out of the ground，it is food for other animals．In the ground，it makes rich soil for fields and gardens．
Earthworms dig tunnels that loosen the soil and make it easy for air and water to reach the roots of plants．These tunnels help keep the soil well drained．
Earthworms drag dead leaves，grass，and flowers into their burrows．When this plant material decays，it makes the soil more fertile．
No other animal is so useful in building up good topsoil．It is estimated that in one year fifty thousand earthworms carry about eighteen tons of fine soil to the surface of an acre of land．One worm may add three quarters of a pound of earth to tho topsoil．
4．帮助改良土壤的蚯蚓
蚯蚓是一种有益的动物。来到地面上，它成了其他动物的食品，而在地里，它却为田地和花园制造着肥沃的土壤。
蚯蚓挖掘风洞，使土壤变松，并使空气和水容易抵达植物的根部。这些风洞有助于土壤迅速排水。
蚯蚓把枯树叶、草和花朵拖进自己的洞中，这种植物性物质腐烂后，便使土壤变得更肥沃了。
在制造优良的表面土壤方面，没有别的动物能像蚯蚓这样有用。据估计，一年中，5万条蚯蚓能把大约18吨的细壤送到1英亩土地的表面，一条蚯蚓也许能把3／4磅的土壤加到地表层。
——世界旅游景点英语美文 (菁华3篇)
from around 9 p.m., this is the place to be in paris. people flock from across france bringing drinks with them. from there, you can get a great view of the eiffel tower being turned into a giant pyrotechnic display, as well as the inevitable fireworks show. with an atmosphere described as “bon enfant” (harmless) it's going to be a typically refined celebration by the french. it may lack the un*erated hedonism of las vegas, but if there is a more romantic and refined way to celebrate the new year with thousands of other people, we couldn’t find it。
从新年前夜的九点开始，这条街就会陆续挤满从全法国赶来庆祝的人们。通常香榭丽舍的尽头，协和广场那里会竖起一座摩天轮，映衬着大道两边的火树银花，真是好一个不夜天！
Adrenaline is as important for bonding as the love drug oxytocin and there’s no better place to get it pumping than New Zealand’s South Island. Queenstown is the birthplace of bungee jumping, as well as being home to jet boating, Zorbing, paragliding and epic hiking and skiing. Many new mountain bike trails are opening in 2014. If all the activity becomes too much, there are helicopter rides over the Southern Alps to stunning Milford Sound, as well as a sophisticated food and wine scene.
说到爱情粘合剂，肾上腺素和爱情药物催生素一样重要。没有一个比新西兰南岛更能迸发肾上腺素的地方了。皇后镇是蹦极的发源地，同时也是喷射快艇，太空球，滑翔伞还有极限爬山和滑雪的发源地。2014年又开辟了许多新的自行车山道。如果玩够了这些刺激的运动，那就试试乘坐直升机一边享**致的食物和良辰美酒，一边从阿尔卑斯山南部飞往壮阔的米弗峡湾。
Juicy mangoes, technicolor sunsets, night-blooming jasmine: Bali is quite possibly the most seductive island on earth. This is a culture where days begin with offerings of flowers to Hindu deities at roadside temples and where every visitor is greeted with a smile, but sensual undercurrents flow. It’s also the place for indulgent spa treatments, like floral baths and spice body scrubs, and of course couples’ massages.
多汁的芒果，五彩缤纷的日落，夜茉莉：巴厘岛是世界上最诱人的岛屿。给路旁寺庙里的印度神明献上花束，新的一天就开始了，这是当地的*俗。这里每个观光者都会受到庙里僧侣的.笑脸相迎，尽管他们另有所图。这也是一个尽情水疗护理的好地方，像花浴，人体香料磨砂，当然还有夫妻按摩。
——值得摘抄的英语美文 (菁华3篇)
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept responsibility for changing them.” ~Denis Waitley
Catch the star that holds your destiny the one that forever twinkles in your heart.
Hope is always more expect, engrave a bone is a fat lot looked Clear can touch, just don t know where end is. Can not find to come to the road of hour, just because of eying foot too very carefully.
Then the wandering soul wild crane stands still the memory river Listen to whistle play tightly ring slowly, Water rises a ship to go medium long things of the past. Wait for a ship’s person Wait for one and other, But hesitate always should ascend which ship Missed Had to consign the hope to next time, Finally what to wait for until has no boats and ships to come and go, Sunset west .
All of us may suffer with depression and frustration, lose guidance and support, need aids physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
Many people believe that they will be happy once they arrive at some specific goal they set for themselves. However, more often than not, once you arrive " there" you will still feel dissatisfied, and move your " there" vision to yet another point in the future. By always chasing after another "there," you are never really appreciating what you already have right "here." It is important for human beings to keep soberminded about the age-old drive to look beyond the place where you now stand. On one hand, your life is enhanced by your dreams and aspirations. On the other hand, these drives can pull you farther and farther from your enjoyment of your life right now. By learning the lessons of gratitude and abundance, you can bring yourself closer to fulfilling the challenge of living in the present.
Gratitude To be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciative of what you have and where you are on your path right now. Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience the full wonder of "here."
Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. So one day he asked God, “They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?”
God replied, “Among the many angels, I chose one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you.”
But the child wasn't sure he really wanted to go. “But tell me, here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing and smile, that's enough for me to be happy.”
“Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel's love and be happy.”
“And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me,” the child continued, “if I don't know the language that men talk?”
God patted him on the head and said, “Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.”
“And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?”
But God had an answer for that question too. “Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.”
“I've heard that on earth there are bad men, who will protect me?”
“Your angel will defend you even if it means risking her life!”
“But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore,” the child continued warily.
God smiled on the young one. “Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way for you to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you.”
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard. The child knew he had to start on his journey very soon. He asked God one more question, softly, “Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.”
God touched the child on the shoulder and answered, “Your angel's name is not hard to remember. You will sim* call her Mommy.”
——3月走了迎接4月的唯美文案 30句菁华
1、年龄越大，越学会了顺其自然，不想再挽留什么，相信该在的不会走。得之坦然，失之淡然，争取必然，顺其自然。四月你好!
2、我长活一世，却能记住你说的每一话。三月再见，四月你好。
3、当第一束阳光射进窗前，带来清晨的金光点点;当第一声鸟鸣传进房间，带来清晨的欢歌笑颜;当第一条短信钻进手机，带来清晨的声声祝愿。宝贝，三月再见，四月你好!
4、四月到了，每件事情都会好起来，春风变的软软的，阳光像刚切开的浆果冻芝士一样甜腻鲜艳。最好不过人间四月。那样晴朗的天儿，适合和过去告个漂亮的别。三月再见，四月你好!
5、草在结它的种子，风在摇它的叶子，我们站着，不说话，就十分美好……放下三月的微凉，过往的心伤，拥抱四月的温暖，和又一个新的开始。
6、知道你前几天心情不是很好，那么在三月最后一天就开心的过吧。忘记所有的不开心，踏着三月末，迎接美好的四月!!希望你以后每天都开开心心过!!真的很高兴认识你。
7、迷失了自己一次，是为了让自己以后更好认清前方的路。三月再见，四月你好!
8、有些记忆就算是忘不掉，也要假装记不起。四月你好!
9、四月来了，未来会怎样，要用力走下去才知道，路还长，天总会亮。早安。
10、你眼中的星河烂漫是我不曾见过的世外桃源。四月你好!
11、有些事，你把它藏在心里也许更好，等时间长了，回过头去看它，也就变成了故事。三月再见，四月你好!
12、如果有一天，有人甘愿承受你的所有。接受你的坏，拥抱你的好。你知道，这个人，就是那个对的人。四月你好!
13、别过烟花三月，走进芳菲四月。
14、三月再见，四月你好;春风十里，愿你有人相伴，永远不会觉得孤单，岁月静好，人间芳菲四月天，愿你我皆安好。
15、没有欢笑的时光，是虚度的光阴。三月再见，四月你好!
16、三月，应该是春暖花开的季节，应该是微风细雨孕育生命的季节。但今年偏不，我的记忆里只有三月那吝啬的雨和狂怒的风。
17、再见三月，你好四月，愿所有的深情不被辜负，所有的努力都不会白费，看淡世事沧桑后，内心依旧铿锵有力。
18、又到了人间四月天，花红柳绿的时节。万物复苏，呈现出生机勃勃的美丽景象。
19、山高水长岁月远，冬去春来又一年。三月，再见!四月，你好!
20、来到人间芳菲的四月天，愿你有茶有花有良友，想要的都得到，得不到的全释怀。
21、其实生命极其有限，每一个不曾努力的日子，都是对自己的一种辜负。最大的浪费，莫过于挥掷时光;最大的珍惜，莫过于时不虚度。四月，你好!四月，早安!
22、四月好运连连，喜事多多，*安吉祥!
23、不要把自己神话了，其实，你照顾不了所有人的感受，你只会让自己不好受。四月你好!
24、时光如水，静默不言。将过往变成回忆，留在身后。从此刻起，莫负春光莫负你，再见，三月，你好，四月!
25、万物复苏，柳绿花红，莺歌燕舞，大地一片生机勃勃的景象。
26、我戴着用树叶做的帽子，穿着美丽的裙子，在树林里遨游着，与各种动物植物和谐相处。四月的微风，与我一起在这片美丽的土地上翩翩起舞。
27、三月再见，四月你好。人生如同天气，时而温暖时而寒冷，心中有希望，寒冷也罢阳光也好都是不同的风景而已。风景，因走过而美丽;生活，因行进而精彩!
28、命运如同手中的掌纹，无论多曲折，终掌握在自己手中。三月再见，四月你好。
29、对于过往，不必无奈，也不必遗憾。人生，有风有雨有波折，不管怎样，我们都要好好的活。四月，请对我好点!
30、忘记三月所有的不快，开启崭新的四月!眼中有美，心中有爱，遇见美好，撞见幸福，每一天都是春暖花开!三月再见，四月你好。
