Unit 9 How to Grow Old

来源：赴品旅游

Learning Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 2 Section One Pre-reading Activities ................................................................................................... 2

I. Picture Activation .................................................................................................................. 2 II. Pre- reading Questions ......................................................................................................... 2 Section Two Global Reading ............................................................................................................. 2

I. Text Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2 II. Culture Notes ........................................................................................................................ 2 III. Author .................................................................................................................................. 3 IV. Structural Analysis ............................................................................................................... 3 Section Three Detailed Reading ....................................................................................................... 3

I. Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 5 II. Questions for Paragraphs ..................................................................................................... 6 III. Language Work of Paragraphs ............................................................................................ 7 IV. Chinese Translation of Paragraphs .................................................................................... 11 Section Four Consolidation Activities ............................................................................................ 12

I. Text Comprehension ............................................................................................................ 12 II. Writing Strategies ............................................................................................................... 13 III. Language Work .................................................................................................................. 13 IV. Translation ......................................................................................................................... 17 V. Oral Activities ...................................................................................................................... 19 VI. Research Paper Writing ..................................................................................................... 20 Section Five Further Enchantment ................................................................................................ 23

I. Lead-in Questions ................................................................................................................ 23 II. Text II ................................................................................................................................... 23 III. Text II: Comprehension ..................................................................................................... 25 IV. Notes of Text II ................................................................................................................... 27 V. Fun Time & Memorable Quotes ........................................................................................ 29

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Learning Objectives

   

Rhetorical skill: metaphor

Key language & grammar points

Writing strategies: metaphor for the theme of the essay Theme: how to keep young and face death

Section One Pre-reading Activities

I. Picture Activation

Do you find “growing old” a terrifying process? Why or why not?

II. Pre- reading Questions

1. An aging population has become a serious problem in China, especially in big cities like Shanghai. After decades of hard work, old people deserve to live a happy life in their twilight years. Do you think old people in China are taken good care of? What do your grandparents usually do every day? Do they enjoy their life?

Open for discussion.

2. With the improvement of living standards and medical services, now people have a longer life expectancy than before. In this connection, some people propose that our retirement age should be postponed. Do you agree with this idea?

Open for discussion.

Section Two Global Reading

I. Text Introduction

This is one of the essays in Bertrand Russell’s Portraits from Memory, which was published in 1956. As is indicated in the title, the essay deals with the issue of aging. In a light and humorous style, the author turns this social issue into a personal discussion on two topics: How to keep oneself psychologically young and how to perceive death in one’s old age.

II. Culture Notes

Gibbon (Paragraph 1)

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Edward Gibbon (1737–1794), English historian. He wrote The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776–1788).

Girton College (Paragraph 1)

The first residential college for women of Cambridge University, it was established in 1869. It is about two and a half miles northwest of the center of Cambridge next to the village of Girton. It became mixed in 1977 with the arrival of the first male Fellows and male undergraduates have been admitted since 1979.

III. Author

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher and mathematician who combined scholarship with literary skill and had a rare talent for popularization both in writing and as a broadcaster. On politics and education he held unorthodox opinions. In 1918 he was galled for pacifism. Undeterred by age, he was active in nuclear disarmament demonstrations, which led to another spell in prison.

He left Cambridge in the summer of 14

In the autumn of 1920 he went to China to lecture on philosophy at the Peking University, analyzing the strength and weaknesses of that ancient civilization attempting to industrialize, and warned of the dangers of imperial powers interfering in China affairs.

In 1950, Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, \"in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought.\"

IV. Structural Analysis

Part 1

(Paras. 1-2) description of the healthy life style of author’s ancestors and himself, which reflects his attitude towards life Part 2

(Paras. 3-4) two things elderly people should avoid, namely living in memories and clinging to youth Part 3

(Paras. 5-6) importance of developing impersonal interests, and a correct attitude towards death in old age

Section Three Detailed Reading

HOW TO GROW OLD

Bertrand A. Russell

1. In spite of the title, this article will really be on how not to grow old, which, at my time of life, is a much more important subject. My first advice would be, to choose your ancestors carefully. Although both my parents died young, I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors. My maternal grandfather, it is true, was cut off in the flower of his youth at the age of

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sixty-seven, but my other three grandparents all lived to be over eighty. Of remoter ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age, and he died of a disease which is now rare, namely, having his head cut off. A great-grandmother of mine, who was a friend of Gibbon, lived to the age of ninety-two, and to her last day remained a terror to all her descendants. My maternal grandmother, after having nine children who survived, one who died in infancy, and many miscarriages, as soon as she became a widow devoted herself to women’s higher education. She was one of the founders of Girton College, and worked hard at opening the medical profession to women. She used to relate how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad. She inquired the cause of his melancholy and he said that he had just parted from his two grandchildren. “Good gracious,” she exclaimed, “I have seventy-two grandchildren, and if I were sad each time I parted from one of them, I should have a dismal existence!” “Madre snaturale,” he replied. But speaking as one of the seventy-two, I prefer her recipe. After the age of eighty she found she had some difficulty in getting to sleep, so she habitually spent the hours from midnight to 3 a.m. in reading popular science. I do not believe that she ever had time to notice that she was growing old. This, I think, is the proper recipe for remaining young. If you have wide and keen interests and activities in which you can still be effective, you will have no reason to think about the merely statistical fact of the number of years you have already lived, still less of the probable brevity of your future.

2. As regards health, I have nothing useful to say since I have little experience of illness. I eat and drink whatever I like, and sleep when I cannot keep awake. I never do anything whatever on the ground that it is good for health, though in actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.

3. Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days, or in sadness about friends who are dead. One’s thoughts must be directed to the future, and to things about which there is something to be done. This is not always easy; one’s own past is a gradually increasing weight. It is easy to think to oneself that one’s emotions used to be more vivid than they are, and one’s mind more keen. If this is true it should be forgotten, and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.

4. The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigour from its vitality. When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives, and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden to them, unless they are unusually callous. I do not mean that one should be without interest in them, but one’s interest should be contemplative and, if possible, philanthropic, but not unduly emotional. Animals become indifferent to their young as soon as their young can look after themselves, but human beings, owing to the length of infancy, find this difficult.

5. I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you,

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and because mistakes are an essential part of education. But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests, you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren. In that case you must realise that while you can still render them material services, such as giving them an allowance or knitting them jumpers, you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.

6. Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it — so at least it seems to me — is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river — small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will not be unwelcome. I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do, and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.

I. Analysis

Paragraph 1 Analysis

In this paragraph the author begins the essay with a humorous answer to the question “how not to grow old” — “to choose your ancestors carefully.” Then he tells us some anecdotes about one of his ancestors — his maternal grandmother, who enjoyed a long life partly because she had a healthy attitude towards life.

Paragraph 2 Analysis

In this paragraph the author gives us a very brief description of his healthy lifestyle, which reflects his attitude towards life.

Paragraphs 3-4 Analysis

After talking about his ancestors’ longevity and his own healthy lifestyle, the author directs his discussion to the two things elderly people should avoid, namely living in memories and clinging to youth, which are interrelated, because undue absorption in the past would inevitably lead to clinging to youth.

Paragraph 5 Analysis

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In this paragraph the author stresses the importance of developing impersonal interests. With such interests one will have a fulfilling old age without making his grown-up children feel oppressed. Otherwise, he will either feel empty or unduly concern himself with his children.

Paragraph 6 Analysis

The last paragraph expounds on a correct attitude towards death in old age. According to the author, death should not be an oppressive problem for “an old man who has known human joys and sorrows.” He compares one’s life to a river that will eventually be merged with the sea. This metaphor suggests that death is inevitable and, more important, it is part of “the universal life.”

II. Questions for Paragraphs

Paragraph 1: Questions

1. What does the author mean when he says that “But speaking as one of the seventy-two, I prefer her recipe”?

The author means that as one of her seventy-two grandchildren, he prefers the way she chose to deal with being separated from her family for periods of time.

2. How, according to the author, can one be relieved from the worry of aging?

According to the author, if you have wide and keen interests and you participate in activities which you are still capable of, just as his maternal grand-mother did, you will have no time to notice that you are growing old and thus you will have no reason to worry about your old age and the probable brevity of your future.

Paragraph 3 Question

How could one get out of undue absorption in the past?

To get oneself out of undue absorption in the past, one must direct one’s thought to the future and to the things about which there is something to be done.

Paragraph 4 Question

How, according to the author, should an elderly person show his concern for his children? Detailed Reading

According to the author, an elderly person should avoid showing too much interest in his children when they are grown up and want to live their own lives. He should be thoughtful and be ready to give them help only when they need it.

Paragraph 5 Question

What, according to the author, should “those who are incapable of impersonal interests” realize?

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Detailed Reading

According to the author, those who are incapable of impersonal interests should realize that their undue interest in their children is unwelcome, though their “material services” are still appreciated.

Paragraph 6 Question

What is the best way for an old person to overcome the fear of death?

First of all, he should realise that death is inevitable. The best way to overcome the fear of death is to develop strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities, so that he will painlessly lose his individual being (i.e. his ego) and his life will become merged in the universal life.

III. Language Work of Paragraphs

Paragraph 1

“Although both my parents died young, I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors.”

Paraphrase: Although both my mother and my father died when they were still young, my other ancestors lived long lives. Here the author means that genetically he did quite well.

respect n. an aspect of something

e.g. In most respects, the new film is better than the original.

The house is in a fairly good condition and, in this respect, contrasts with the rest of the street which is in a state of disrepair. as regards: in connection with

e.g. Are you optimistic or pessimistic as regards the future?

This is especially true as regards women, given that, of the world’s one billion poorest people, three-fifths are women and girls.

“My maternal grandfather, it is true, was cut off in the flower of his youth at the age of sixty-seven, but my other three grandparents all lived to be over eighty.”

Paraphrase: My mother’s father died at an early age of sixty-seven, but my other three grandparents enjoyed long lives. They all died in their eighties.

cut off: to remove something by cutting it; to prevent someone from having something that they need or want

e.g. The aim was to cut off the enemy’s escape route.

I’m glad the bartender cut Tommy off — he’s already had too much to drink. When his wife died, he cut himself off from other people. March 31 is the cutoff date for applications to be accepted.

“Of remoter ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age, and he died of a disease which is now rare, namely, having his head cut off.”

Paraphrase: Among all my remoter ancestors, I only find one who died young. He was beheaded,

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which is rare nowadays.

namely adv. used for introducing more detailed information about a subject that you are discussing

e.g. We need to get more teachers into the classrooms where they’re most needed, namely in poor areas.

The minister would only repeat the official government position, namely that it can do nothing at the moment.

“to her last day remained a terror to all her descendants”

Paraphrase: kept a stern and fearful control over all her descendants until her death

“She used to relate how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad.” Paraphrase: She often told me how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who looked very sad.

relate vt. to tell someone about something that has happened or what someone has said e.g. She related the events of the past week to the police.

He relates how at the age of 23 he was interned in the prison camp.

“She inquired the cause of his melancholy and he said that he had just parted from his two grandchildren.”

Paraphrase: She asked him why he was so sad and he told her that he had just lost the company of his two grandchildren.

melancholy n. (melancholic adj.) a feeling of sadness and of being without hope e.g. a melancholy piece of music

melancholy autumn days a melancholic expression melancholic songs

“I have seventy-two grandchildren, and if I were sad each time I parted from one of them, I should have a dismal existence!”

Paraphrase: I have altogether seventy-two grandchildren. So if I felt sad whenever I ended a visit with one of them, I would live a miserable life.

part v. if two people part, or if one person parts from another, they go away from each other e.g. No one could part the two friends.

They were forced to part from one another.

The committee parted over the issue of pay raises for employees. dismal adj. making you feel unhappy and without hope or enthusiasm e.g. a dismal expression

The acting was dismal, wasn’t it? What dismal weather!

“think about the merely statistical fact of the number of years you have already lived” Paraphrase: think about how many years you have lived

“Statistical fact of the number of years”

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is a humorous way of saying how many years one has lived.

“still less of the probable brevity of your future”

Paraphrase: still less reason to think about how short the remaining part of your life will probably be

Paragraph 2

“... I have little experience of illness.” Paraphrase: ... I seldom fall ill.

“I never do anything whatever on the ground that it is good for health, though in actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.”

Paraphrase: I never do anything for the reason that it is good for health, though most of the things I do are healthy.

ground n. a reason for what you say or do, or for being allowed to say or do something e.g. He refused to answer on the ground that she was unfairly dismissed.

We have grounds to believe that you have been lying to us. Do you have any ground for suspecting them?

wholesome adj. beneficial for your, and likely to improve your life either physically, morally or emotionally

e.g. wholesome food

good wholesome family entertainment He looks like a nice wholesome young man.

Paragraph 3

“Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past.”

Paraphrase: From the psychological point of view, there are two dangerous things that old people should try to avoid. One of them is that old people should not think too much about their past.

guard v. to protect someone or something from something dangerous or unpleasant e.g. guard against infection

guard against tooth decay Guard what you say.

undue adj. not necessary or reasonable

e.g. Such a high increase will impose an undue burden on the local tax payer.

It’s difficult to find a way of spreading information about the disease without causing undue alarm.

“It does not do to live in memories ...”

Paraphrase: It is no use always recalling what happened in the past …

Paragraph 4

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“clinging to youth”

Paraphrase: having undue emotional attachment to youth LPT- I don’t mean that one should be without

“I do not mean that one should be without interest in them, but one’s interest should be contemplative and, if possible, philanthropic, but not unduly emotional.”

Paraphrase: I do not mean that one shouldn’t have any interest in them at all, but one’s interest should be thoughtful and charitable, but not too emotional.

contemplative adj. spending a lot of time thinking very carefully about something e.g. Her mood was calm and contemplative.

I’m contemplating going abroad for a year.

You’re not contemplating a change of job, are you?

philanthropic adj. helping people, especially by giving money to those who need it e.g. a philanthropic society

Few companies offer money purely as a philanthropic gesture — they’re usually after something in return. unduly adv. unduly e.g. unduly familiar with strangers

He seemed unduly concerned about the missing girl.

Paragraph 5

“It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful ...”

Paraphrase: Only in this area will old people’s long experience become really useful ...

“... the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive.”

Paraphrase: ... one can use the wisdom that he has obtained from his life experience to help his grown-up children without making them feel oppressed.

oppressive adj. something that is oppressive makes you feel very worried or anxious e.g. an oppressive silence

oppressive weather

Several people had experienced the same feeling of oppression when they slept in that room.

Paragraph 6

“Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling.”

Paraphrase: Some old people are haunted by the fear of death. For young people, there is some reason for this feeling.

“has achieved whatever work it was in him to do”

Paraphrase: has achieved whatever work he had the ability to do

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LPT- oppress

oppress vt. to make someone feel very worried or unhappy e.g. Strange dreams and nightmares oppressed him.

Poverty oppresses the spirit.

justification n. (justify vt.) a reason why something is correct and morally right e.g. There is no justification for treating people so badly.

It can be said, with some justification, that she is one of the greatest actresses on the English stage today.

It was the only thing that I could do — I don’t have to justify myself to anyone. I think you were quite justified in complaining.

“The best way to overcome it ... is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life.”

Paraphrase: The best way to dispel that fear ... is to think more of the outside world, of other people and less of your own self. And finally you will lose more and more of your individual being and your life will become part of the eternal universal life.

recede vi. to move back from a high point or level

e.g. As the boat picked up speed, the coastline receded into the distance until finally it

became invisible.

The road to the island only appears when the tide has receded.

With the passage of time, my unhappy memories of the place receded. merge vt. (merger n.) to combine, or to join things together to form one thing e.g. Pink, blue and orange colors merged in the evening sky.

After a while the narrow track merges with a wider path.

The merger of these two companies would create the world’s biggest accounting firm.

“the thought of rest”

Paraphrase: the idea of death. Here “rest” is a euphemism for “death.”

IV. Chinese Translation of Paragraphs

1. 与本文的标题相反，本文真正要谈的是如何才能不老，在我这个年纪，这才是更为重要的主题。我的第一条忠告是，选准了祖先再投胎。尽管我双亲都是英年早逝，我选择的其他祖先还是不错的。诚然，我的外祖父在67岁正值盛年的时候去世，但另外3位祖辈都活到了80多岁。更前的祖辈中，我发现只有一位没能长寿，他死于现今罕见的死因，即遭斩首。我有位曾祖母是吉本的朋友，在92岁去世之前始终令子孙们敬畏不已。我的外祖母所生的孩子中9个活了下来，1个幼年夭折，此外她还有过多次流产。守寡以后，她便立即投身于女子高等教育事业之中。她是格顿学院的创办人之一，为了使女性能进入医生职业，她付出了很多心血。她过去经常讲起她在意大利遇到的一位神情悲伤的老年绅士。她询问起他悲伤的缘故，他说因为他刚刚送走了两个孙儿女。“天哪！”她嚷道，“我有72个孙儿女，要是我每送走一个都如此悲伤，那我一生就会是凄凉的！” 他则回答说：“你这狠心的女人啊！”但作为她72个孙儿女中的一员，我则更喜欢她的处世方法。80岁时她发现自己有些难入睡，

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于是她养成了午夜至凌晨3点阅读科普书籍的习惯。我想她根本无暇注意到自己在衰老。我认为这正是保持年轻的良方。只要你兴趣广泛且强烈，有你还能做得了的事情，就不必为自己已经活了多少年这种纯粹的数字问题而伤神，更不必去想你来年无多的可能性。

2. 至于健康，由于我很少得病，所以提不出什么有用的建议。我想吃就吃，想喝就喝，想睡就睡。我做任何事情从来不是因为它对健康有益，尽管实际上我爱做的事通常都是有益健康的。

3. 从心理上说，老年人要防止两种危险。其一是过分沉湎于往事。人不能生活在回忆当中，也不能生活在对美好过去的惋惜或者对已故友人的哀痛之中。一个人应当把心思放在未来、放在自己还可以有所作为的事情上。这并不总是那么容易做到的，因为往事的分量会不断增加。人们很容易觉得过去自己的情感比现在更活跃，思想比现在更加敏锐。果真如此，那就该忘掉它；可要是忘得掉的话，那很可能就不是真的。

4. 另一件要避免的事是依恋年轻人，期望从他们的勃勃生机中获得活力。子女们长大之后，就想过自己的生活。如果你还像子女小时那样关注他们，你就会成为他们的累赘，除非他们异常麻木不仁。我倒不是说对子女不应予以关注，而是说这种关注应该保留在思想中；可能的话，还应该宽仁，而不是过分感情用事。动物的幼崽一旦可以，父母就不再理会它们；人类由于幼年期较长，很难做到这一点。

5. 我认为那些有着超越亲情私欲的浓厚兴趣爱好并参与合适活动的人更容易有成功的晚年。只有在这个范围里，长久的阅历才真正有益；只有在这个范围里，才能运用源于经验的智慧而不给别人造成压迫感。告诫长大的孩子别犯错误毫无用处，这不仅因为他们不会相信你，而且因为犯错也是教育的重要部分。但是如果你没有超越亲情私欲的兴趣爱好，你就会觉得生活空虚，除非你把心思放在子孙身上。在这种情况下，你必须明白，虽然你还能为他们提供物质帮助，比如给他们零用钱或者替他们编织毛线衫，但你不能指望他们会乐于与你为伴。

6. 有些老人因恐惧死亡而心情沉重。年轻人有这种恐惧倒无可厚非。年轻人有理由害怕死于战场，当他们认为自己被剥夺了生命所能给予他们的最美好的东西时，完全有理由愤恨不平。但是，对于一位经历了人世的乐与悲、已完成了自己所能完成的事的老人来说，恐惧死亡就未免有些可怜可鄙。克服这种恐惧的最好方法——至少在我看来如此——就是逐渐拓展你的兴趣范围，并使之更与个人情感脱钩，直到自我的围墙渐渐退去，你的生活不断融合在普世的生活之中。一个人的生命应该像一条河——起初不大，窄窄地囿于两岸之间，激情澎湃地冲过岩石和瀑布。之后河面逐渐变宽，两岸逐渐后移，水流也愈益平静；最后，它融入大海，与大海浑然一体，无痛而终。能这样看待生活的老人不会恐惧死亡，因为他所关心的事物将会延续下去。如果随着生命力的衰退倦意不断增加，那么安息的想法也不无可取之处。我希望自己能在工作时离世，因为我知道其他人将继续我不能继续的工作，而我已经完成了自己所能完成的使命，可以无憾了。

Section Four Consolidation Activities

I. Text Comprehension

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1. Decide which of the following best states the author’s purpose A. To explore the reasons why people usually fear death in old age.

B. To supply some medical information about health and genetic influence on one’s longevity. C. To offer suggestions on how to keep open-minded and make some psychological

adjustments in the process of growing old. Key [ C ]

2. Judge, according to the text, whether the following statements are true or false. 1). With a few exceptions, most of the author’s ancestors lived to a great age. [ T ] 2). The author is very particular about his diet and careful in his lifestyle. [ F ]

3). If you left your grown-up children alone, they would become very callous because of your indifference. [ F ]

4). It is obvious that those who do not have strong impersonal interests will unduly concern themselves with their children and grandchildren to fill the void in their lives. [ T ]

5). With the decay of vitality and increase of weariness, the fear of death in the old people is inevitable and justifiable. [ F ]

II. Writing Strategies

In the last paragraph the author compares one’s life to a river with its different phases. Now try to describe how this metaphor works for the theme of the essay. The metaphor is used to illustrate particular characteristics of an individual human existence in three different phases:

1) When people are young, they are more vigorous and energetic (“rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls”), but less experienced (“small,” “contained within its banks”).

2) When they reach their middle age, they have got more experience and wisdom (“Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede ...”) and their pace of life becomes more gentle but steady (“... the waters flow more quietly ...”).

3) As their sense of fulfillment increases in old age, their sense of individuality decreases, and their lives become increasingly blended with the universal life (“become merged in the sea,” “lose their individual being”).

III. Language Work

1. Explain the underlined part(s) in each sentence in your own words.

1). Although both my parents died young, I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors

 with reference to/relating to

2). Of remoter ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age, and he died of a disease which is now rare, namely, having his head cut off.  ancestors who lived a long time ago; specifically

3). She used to relate how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad.  tell

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should have a dismal existence!  bid farewell to/were separated from; a miserable life

5). I never do anything whatever on the ground that it is good for health, though in actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.  for the reason that; healthful

6). Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age.  we should prevent from happening/we should watch out for

7). ... you are likely to become a burden to them, unless they are unusually callous.  heartless/indifferent

8). In the young there is a justification for this feeling.  good reason

9). And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will not be unwelcome.

 tiredness

10). The best way to overcome it ... is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. what distinguishes your own self from others gradually disappears or becomes less and l ess distinct; becomes increasingly one with/becomes increasingly blended with

2. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.

1). Many people oppose the death penalty because of the possibility of miscarriages (miscarry) of justice.

2). There is something wrong with anyone who is so habitually (habit) rude. 3). There’s no need to be unduly (undue) pessimistic about the situation. 4). Some poisonous gases can enter the body by absorption (absorb) through the skin. 5). He takes plenty of vigorous (vigor) exercise. 6). According to the instructions, these vitamin pills will restore lost vitality (vital). 7). She was staring out over the lake, lost in contemplation (contemplative). 8). I couldn’t have managed at college if I hadn’t had an allowance (allow) from my parents. 9). He was justifiably (justify) proud of his achievements. 10. We were unable to sleep because of the oppressive (oppress) heat.

3. Fill in the blank(s) in each sentence with a phrase taken from the box in its appropriate form.

guard against | concern | sphere | as regards

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1). This proposal differs from the last one in many important respects. 2). They decided to merge the two companies into one. 3). There is no problem as regards the financial arrangements 4). Regular exercise helps guard against heart disease. 5). If this bill is not paid within five days, your gas supply will be cut off. 6). There’s no need for you to concern yourself with what happened. 7). The system is still in its infancy. 8). I really don’t want any part in this whole argument, but I can feel myself being sucked into it. 9). The minister said that the government planned to develop exchanges with other countries, particularly in cultural, scientific and economic spheres. 10). She claimed that her cousin had cheated her of her inheritance.

4. Explain the meaning of the underlined part in each sentence.

1). We owe it to our descendants to leave them a clean world to live in.  future generations/children and grandchildren

2). I think next time we need any decorating we’ll get it done professionally.

 by skilled people

3). Her absorption in her work is so great that she thinks about nothing else.  engrossment in, or preoccupation with her work

4). Continued rapid growth in consumer spending will suck in more imports.  draw in/encourage

5). I’m not very good where money is concerned.  when dealing with money

6). Taxpayers should claim as many allowable expenses as possible against their taxed income.  expenses on which no taxes are paid

7). Her actions were quite justifiable in the circumstances.  There was a good reason for her actions

8). He won’t be contented until he’s upset everyone in the office.

 satisfied

9). On his wall he has a poster of Marilyn Monroe, her lips forever parted in anticipation.  separated/open

10). I suspect he cheats the taxman.  avoids paying taxes by using illegal methods

5. Correct the errors in the following passage. The passage contains ten errors, one in each indicated line. In each case, only one word is involved. Corrections should be done as follows: Wrong word: underline the wrong word and write the correct word in the blank. Extra word: delete the extra word with an “×.”

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Missing word: mark the position of the missing word with a “∧” and write the missing word in the blank. Old Age People are living far longer these days than∧the past. This is (1) in creating a number of problems for which we need to seek special solutions. Firstly, we need to assure that the elderly (2) ensure have decent incomes, probably derive from provident funds. (3) derived Secondly, we must make sure the health system is sufficient to give adequate care. Thirdly, ways must be found to keep the old from feeling neglected or lonely. We may be able to solve the second problem by keeping people healthier in the first place. Partly this may be achieved by encouraging healthier life-styles, and there is also hope from research of aging. Speed of aging (4) into and longevity varies from species to species, male to female (5) vary and family to family. They are largely genetically determined. Scientists believe they have identified about 200 genes ∧ play (6) that/which a fundamental role in the aging process. It should, in the theory, be possible now to produce drugs able (7) the to delay the process and hold back the affects of aging. It would (8) effects not add to our lifespan. That seems fixed at a maximum of 120 years. It would, moreover, make us fitter to far greater ages. (9) however The third problem is being tackled in Singapore by making it a legal duty for children to take good care of their parents. In Italy, there is also a system of adopting honorable (10) honorary grandparents, old people who dislike the thought of going into an old people’s home. A family agrees to look after an old person until death in return for a generous bequest in the old person’s will. The idea, unfortunately, does seem very open to abuse. It isn’t often a good idea to be in the care of people who will benefit from one’s death. 6. Fill in each blank in the passage below with ONE appropriate word.

Growing Old

Happy birthday! Do birthdays really make people happy? Of course they do. Birthdays celebrate the day we were (1) born. Moreover, that extra candle on the cake represents another year of growth and maturity — or so we hope. We all like to imagine that we’re getting wiser and not just (2) older. Most of us enjoy observing the miracle of growth in others, as well. For instance, seeing our children develop and learn new things makes us feel proud.

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Growing old is not exactly pleasant for people in youth-oriented American culture. Most Americans like to look young, act young and feel young. As the old saying goes, “You’re as young as you (4) feel. Older people joke about how many years young they are, rather than how many years (5) old. People in some countries value the aged as a source of experience and wisdom. But Americans seem to favor those that are (6) young, or at least “young at heart.”

Many older Americans find the “golden years” to be anything (7) but golden. Economically, “senior citizens” often struggle just to get (8) by. Retirement — typically at age 65 — brings a sharp (9) decrease in personal income. Social Security benefits usually cannot make up the (10) difference. Older people may suffer from poor nutrition, medical care and housing. Some even experience (11) age discrimination. In 1987, American sociologist Pat Moore dressed up like an older person and wandered city streets. She was often (12) treated rudely — even cheated and robbed. However, (13) dressed as a young person, she received much more respect. Of course, not all elderly Americans have such negative (14) experiences. But old age does present unique challenges.

Ironically, the elderly population in America is expanding — fast. Why? People are living longer. Fewer babies are being born. And middle-aged “baby boomers” are rapidly (15) entering the ranks of the elderly. America may soon be a place where wrinkles are “in.”

Despite the (16) challenges they face, Americans in their “twilight years” generally (17) refuse to give up on life. They find a variety of ways to keep themselves (18) active. To help them stay in (19) shape, they may join mall walkers clubs, fitness programs and even the “Senior Olympics.” They can enjoy hours of entertainment at senior centers and adult amusement (20) parks. Many enroll in continuing education programs to maintain their mental skills. For Americans, if you’re going to grow old, you might as well do it gracefully.

IV. Translation

1. Translating Sentences

1). 她与他在一起生活度日艰难。(existence)  She had a hard existence with him.

existence n. the state of being a real or living thing, or of being present in a particular place, time, or situation

e.g. The tests confirm the existence of a brain tumor.

2). 至于你刚才提出的问题，我将另外撰文回答。(as regards)

 As regards the questions you raised just now, I will answer them in another article.

as regards: in connection with

e.g. As regards the potential energy crisis, why aren't we putting money into serious alternative sources of energy?

3). 这听起来也许很无情，但我才不在乎他是否无家可归呢。(callous)  It might sound callous, but I don’t care if he’s homeless.

callous adj. a callous person does not feel any emotion when they see other people in trouble or in pain

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e.g. a callous disregard for human life and the environment

4). 他对老板的尊敬几乎到了低声下气的地步。(abject)  He is almost abject in his respect for his boss. abject adj. showing no pride or respect for yourself

e.g. abject poverty

5). 痛苦的记忆渐渐从她脑海里消退。(recede)

 The painful memories gradually receded in her mind. recede vt. to move further away into the distance, or to become less clear or less bright e.g. The flood waters receded.

6). 我们应该避免对他们的挑衅作出过度的反应。(guard against)  We should guard against overreactions to their provocation. guard against something: to help to prevent something from happening

e.g. Fibre in the diet is thought to guard against heart disease.

7). 你最好关心关心自己的事而不是我的事！(concern oneself with)  You’d better concern yourself with your own business and not mine!

concern yourself with: to pay attention to something because it is important or because it worries you

e.g. I'm too busy to concern myself with your affairs.

8). 该影片是一部有益的家庭娱乐剧。(wholesome)  The film is good wholesome family entertainment.

wholesome adj. considered to have a good influence on people, for example because it does not involve sex or drugs

e.g. wholesome family entertainment

The party are hoping her wholesome image will appeal to voters.

9). 学校中止了给那位学生提供的助学金，理由是他去年的成绩不够好。(on the ground that)  The university has stopped providing financial support to that student on the ground that his performance in the past year was not good enough.

on the ground that: giving a reason for what you say or do, or for being allowed to say or do something

e.g. He was released on the ground that he was acting in self-defense.

10). 为了帮助那些国有小公司渡过经济危机，把它们合并成为一家大公司。(merge)  The government merged those small state-owned firms into a large company in order to help them survive the economic crisis.

merge vt. if two organizations merge, or if you merge them, they combine to form one bigger organization

e.g. Two of Indonesia's top banks are planning to merge. Small publishers were forced to merge with larger companies.

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2. Translate the following passage into Chinese.

My mother, dead now to this world but still roaming free in my mind, wakes me some mornings before daybreak. “If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a quitter.”

I have heard her say that all my life. Now, lying in bed, coming awake in the dark, I feel the fury of her energy fighting the good-for-nothing idler within me who wants to go back to sleep instead of tackling the brand-new day.

Silently I protest: I am not a child anymore. I have made something. of myself. I am entitled to sleep late.

“Russell, you’ve got no more gumption than a bump on a log.”

She has hounded me with these battle cries since I was a boy in short pants. “Make something of yourself!” “Don’t be a quitter!”

“Have a little ambition, Buddy.”

参考译文

我母亲早已不在人世，但她仍时时自由地浮现在我心中，有时早晨天还未亮就把我唤醒。“我最最不能容忍的就是半途而废的人。”

我一生不断听到她说这句话。此时此刻，我躺在床上，在黑暗中慢慢醒来，想重回梦乡而不愿直面崭新的一天，我感觉到了她正怒气冲冲地与我体内那个没出息的懒汉奋力斗争。我默默地道：我已经不是孩子了。我已经小有成就，我有资格睡懒觉。

“罗素，你一点进取心也没有，和二流子简直没什么两样。”

从我还是个穿着短裤的孩提时代起她就一直用这些话激励我前进： “你要混出个人样来！” “不要半途而废！” “要有点志气，孩子。”

V. Oral Activities

1. Giving A Talk

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” For thousands of years, death seems to have been an eternal topic for people all over the world, old and young, men and women. Numerous discussions have been carried out on this theme and in the last paragraph of this passage the author also elaborates on the topic of how to avoid the fear of death. What’s your view on the solemn topic of death? Now give a talk. You may choose any aspect, for example, how to brave death.

(For reference)

For thousands of years, death has been an eternal topic for human beings. Many opinions have been stated on it but today I want to talk from a different angle: our last contribution to society — cremation.

Even today, burial is still common in China, especially in rural areas. How-ever, with the intensified process of urbanization, land is increasingly precious and the traditional practice of

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burial takes up too much space. Besides, traditional burial has a bunch of hazards. First and foremost, it is a waste of land, which is one of the most precious unrecyclable resources. Second, it is bad for the environment since it consumes so many trees every year. In contrast, cremation is both clean and environment-friendly. People’s ashes can be buried under trees or even scattered at sea. Just think how much land and how many trees could be saved in this way! So call on everyone around you, friends and relatives, to make their last contribution to society and our offspring when they have to leave this world one day.

2. Having A Dialogue

In “How to Grow Old” Russell warns that psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One is undue absorption in the past. The other is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigour from its vitality. As a matter of fact, most parents in China are still clinging to their children due to some historical and cultural reasons. Do you think aging parents should live with their children? And why? Now have a dialogue with your partner, supposing that you two have different opinions.

(For reference)

A: I think that aging parents should live with their children so that they can be taken good care of.

B: No, I don’t agree with you. Their children may also have their own business and don’t have much time for them. In this connection, they’d better employ a nurse or a maid. They can ask their children to pay for this. Or they can go to a retirement center where they can make a lot of friends.

A: Money doesn’t mean everything. I think what they need most is love and spiritual support from the family. Friends are good, but they are not family. Besides, they can also help in housework and baby-sitting.

B: That’s true. But parents are always asking too much from us. They always treat us like little boys and girls and whenever we have disagreements with them, they get hurt so easily, and are never really patient enough to listen to us.

A: But are you patient enough to listen to them? Communication is something mutual. We shouldn’t expect our parents to listen to us if we don’t listen to them at all. Parents love us unconditionally and they are always ready to sacrifice for us. They deserve every bit of our respect.

B: Well, you do have some points. But as far as I know, many people still don’t want to live with their parents.

A: I’m really sorry to hear that. But I still insist that when our parents are too old to take care of themselves, we have the obligation to live with them. We should let them feel that they are loved and needed despite their old age.

VI. Research Paper Writing

Revising Your Paper

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The first and most important thing to keep in mind about revision is that it is not the same as proofreading; in fact, the two are barely related. Proofreading is actually the final step before you turn in your paper while revision is part of the ongoing cycle of writing. Remember that a good deal of your thinking comes to you as you are writing and revising, not before you sit down to write. Often your thinking on a subject does not develop fully until you write it out and rethink it, so plan on revising.

Revising a research paper globally involves looking at the bigger picture. It requires you to take a step back and look at the paper as a whole rather than examine it at the sentence level. When making global revisions, you should make sure that it includes a thesis statement. You must also check for cohesion among different sections of the paper. Here is a checklist for revising a research paper:

1 Does the paper fulfill the promise made by the thesis? 2 Do the arguments flow smoothly and logically?

3 Is sufficient attention paid to counterarguments or other points of view? 4 Does the introduction lead effectively into the paper?

5 Does the conclusion either summarize or describe implications? 6 Is the paper focused, adequately developed, and coherent? 7 Are the sources integrated smoothly into the paper?

8 Is information in quotes, paraphrases, and summaries accurately related and clearly acknowledged?

Some of the strategies listed below may help you revise more effectively:

Try the cut and paste method. Cut the paragraphs apart (or write each one on an index card). Then arrange and re-arrange them in various ways.

Mark those drafts up with your pen or pencil. Scratch things out, draw arrows and circles, jot down new evidence or ideas as they hit you, etc. Do not let what might be your most effective idea get lost because you do not want to mess up the paper with chicken scratch.

Understand why you are making changes in your writing. If you have changed your title, know that your intention is to be more specific in your subject or to be more humorous. If you are adding text somewhere, know that it is relevant text that will clarify your thesis. In other words, do not make changes just for the sake of making changes.

When you’re basically satisfied that you have accomplished in your paper what you intended to do, when you feel that your readers will understand (and perhaps even applaud) your thesis and its support, you can proofread that final copy.

VII. Listening Exercises (Optional)

Different Attitudes towards Smoking

A. An American talks about a trip to England and France, and how she was surprised at the attitudes towards smoking. Listen carefully and take notes in the notes box.

B. Listen again. Answer these questions with the help of the notes you have taken.

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1. How does the speaker feel about smokers huddled outside buildings in the cold?

 She feels somewhat sorry for them, although she clearly disapproves of smoking and she thinks it is appropriate that they go outside to smoke.

2. What does she think are the attitudes to smoking in England?

 She thinks that even though there is an active campaign against smoking, smokers just ignore the signs and pretty much smoke wherever they like.

3. What was the problem the speaker encountered in a restaurant in London?

 One of the customers was taking food from the buffet while holding a cigarette over the food.

4. What does the speaker say would have happened to the woman in an American restaurant?  She says she would have been thrown out.

5. What was the result of her experience of other attitudes to smoking?  It gave her far more respect for smokers in the United States.

Script of “Different Attitudes Towards Smoking”

Earlier this year I took a trip to England and France. My family helped me out. I wanted to go see some friends in France, and I also had three people that I went to school with at Oxford. It was a wonderful trip, I really loved it. But one thing that struck me was how different (I guess this would strike anyone whenever they traveled) other cultures are from your own. Not just how different they are but how similar, but I suppose it is the differences that really stand out. One of the things that struck me was the difference in attitudes towards smoking. There is a growing anti-smoking sentiment in America. And you see smokers huddled outside of their office buildings, in front of doors with their cigarettes in their hands and shuddering, wrapping their coats closer about them and getting a drag off a cigarette. And they seem almost embarrassed, almost like they are taking illegal drugs. And I feel sorry for them in a way, but I don't like smoking personally.

However when I went to England and France, I got a new prospective on this issue. To be blunt, people in Europe smoke like chimneys, from what I could see. There are no-smoking signs all over the place, but no one seems to pay attention to them. People seem to smoke anywhere and everywhere, even though there are anti-smoking campaigns. In fact, when I was in England there was controversy, that I heard about several times over the radio, about a member of the World Cup soccer team who smoked. And people were actually saying “Well, he shouldn't be on the team because he's a bad example for our children.\" Well I think if they want to look at bad examples for their children, they should just go out on the street, or go into the subways or look in the mirror even, because so many of them are smoking in very inappropriate places. I went to a restaurant in London, (the food was very bad but that's beside the point), and they had a buffet. They had a buffet in which people could take what they wanted for a certain price. And there was this one woman who held her lit cigarette in her hand. And she was blowing smoke and holding her cigarette directly over the buffet food. I was appalled that this would even be allowed. I

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thought in America this person would be kicked out immediately. And actually when I talked to an English person later, they were pretty appalled too. And they said that it was rude even by British standards.

But it didn't just make me feel that the Europeans are bad and it didn't just have a negative effect. It also had conversely a positive effect on my attitudes towards American smokers. There are a lot of American smokers who have attitudes, and they will proclaim their right to smoke whenever they want, and they will chafe, they will complain about anti-smoking rules. But they will generally follow the rules. If they cannot smoke in a public building, if there is a no-smoking sign, they will go outside. And they will not smoke where they are asked not to smoke. And in general they do have consideration for non-smokers. They will ask \"Can I smoke?\" Whereas it seems to me, at least in Europe, that people just smoked. They didn't ask for permission or anything. So this experience in Europe gave me more respect for people who smoke in America, even though I still don't like smoking. I respect the fact that even when they do smoke they follow the rules and try to respect other peoples' feelings.

Section Five Further Enchantment

I. Lead-in Questions

What would you do after your retirement? Do you have any plan?

Open for discussion.

II. Text II

NEARING 90

William Maxwell

1. Out of the corner of my eye I see my 90th birthday approaching. It is one year and six months away. How long after that will I be the person I am now?

2. I don’t yet need a cane but I have a feeling that my table manners have deteriorated. My posture is what you’d expect of someone addicted to sitting in front of a typewriter, but it was always that way. “Stand up straight,” my father would say to me. “You’re all bent over like an old man.” It didn’t bother me then and it doesn’t now, though I agree that an erect carriage is a pleasure to see, in someone of any age.

3. I have regrets but there are not very many of them and, fortunately, I forget what they are. I forget names too, but it is not yet serious. What I am trying to remember and can’t, quite often my wife will remember. And vice versa. She is in and out during the day but I know she will be home when evening comes, and so I am never lonely. Long ago, a neighbor in the country, looking at our flower garden, said, “Children and roses reflect their care.” This is true of the very old as well.

4. Though there have been a great many changes in the world since I came into it on August 16,

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1908, I try not to deplore. It is not constructive and there is no point in discouraging the young by invidious comparisons to the way things used to be.

5. I am not — I think I am not — afraid of dying. When I was 17, I worked on a farm in southern Wisconsin, near Portage. It was no ordinary farm and not much serious farming was done there, but it had the look of a place that had been lived in, and loved, for a good long time. I was no more energetic than most adolescents but the family forgave my failures and shortcomings and simply took me in, let me be one of them. The farm had come down in that family through several generations, to a woman who was so alive that everything and everybody seemed to revolve around her personality. She lived well into her 90’s and then one day told her oldest daughter that she didn’t want to live anymore, that she was tired. Though I was not present but only heard about it in a letter, this remark reconciled me to my own inevitable extinction. I could believe that enough is enough.

6. Because I actively enjoy sleeping, dreams, the unexplainable dialogues that take place in my head as I am drifting off, all that, I tell myself that lying down to an afternoon nap that goes on and on through eternity is not something to be concerned about. What spoils this pleasant fancy is the recollection that when people are dead they don’t read books. This I find unbearable. No Tolstoy, no Chekhov, no Elizabeth Bowen, no Keats, no Rilke. One might as well be —

7. Before I am ready to call it quits I would like to reread every book I have ever deeply enjoyed, beginning with Jane Austen and Isaac Babel and Sybille Bedford’s The Sudden View and going through shelf after shelf of the bookcases, until I arrive at the autobiographies of William Butler Yeats. As it is, I read a great deal of the time. I am harder to please, though. I see flaws in masterpieces. I would read all day long and well into the night if there were no other claims on my time. Appointments with doctors, with the dentist. The monthly bank statement. Income tax returns. Afternoon tea with X, dinner with the Y’s. Our social life would be a good deal more active than it is if more than half of those I care about hadn’t passed over to the other side. However, I remember them. I remember them more, and more vividly, the older I get.

8. I did not wholly escape the amnesia that overtakes children around the age of 6 but I carried along with me more of my childhood than, I think, most people do. Once, after dinner, my father hitched up the horse and took my mother and me for a sleigh ride. The winter stars were very bright. The sleigh bells made a lovely sound. I was bundled up to the nose, between my father and mother, where nothing, not even the cold, could get at me. The very perfection of happiness.

9. At something like the same age, I went for a ride, again with my father and mother, on a riverboat at Havana, Ill. It was a side-wheeler and the decks were screened, I suppose as protection against the mosquitoes. Across eight decades the name of the steamboat comes back to me — the Eastland — bringing with it the context of disaster. A year later, at the dock in Chicago, too many of the passengers crowded on one side, waving goodbye, and it rolled over and sank. Trapped by the screens everywhere, a great many people lost their lives. The fact that I had been on this very steamboat, that I had escaped from a watery grave, I continued to remember all through my childhood.

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10. I have liked remembering almost as much as I have liked living. But now it is different, I have to be careful. I can ruin a night’s sleep by suddenly, in the dark, thinking about some particular time in my life. Before I can stop myself it is as if I had driven a mine shaft down through layers and layers of the past and must explore, relive, remember, reconsider, until daylight delivers me.

11. I have not forgotten the pleasure, when our children were very young, of hoisting them onto my shoulders when their legs gave out. Of reading to them at bedtime. Of studying their beautiful faces. But that was more than 30 years ago. I admire the fact that, as adults, they have taken hold of life, and I am glad that they are not materialistic, but there is little or nothing I can do for them at this point, except write a little fable to put in their Christmas stocking. Our grandchild is too young to respond to any beguiling but his mother’s and father’s. It will be touch-and-go whether I live long enough for us to enjoy being in each other’s company.

12. “Are you writing?” people ask — out of politeness, undoubtedly. And I say, “Nothing very much.” The truth but not the whole truth — which is that I seem to have lost touch with the place that stories and novels come from. I have no idea why. 13. I still like making sentences.

14. Every now and then, in my waking moments, and especially when I am in the country, I stand and look hard at everything.

III. Text II: Comprehension

1. Answer the following multiple-choice questions: 1). What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage? A. To tell people how to keep young.

B. To persuade people to live a meaningful life. C. To recall his entire life.

D. To express some feelings about old age. Key [ D ]

2). What’s the meaning of “erect carriage” in Paragraph 2? A. Standing straight. B. Fine figure. C. Bendy shape. D. Slim body. Key [ A ]

3). Which of the following is NOT true about the author? A. He reads extensively.

B. He is a demanding reader.

C. He has more memories of childhood compared with most people. D. He was energetic and active in his youth. Key [ D ]

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4). Which of the following is NOT a sweet memory for the author? A. Hoisting the children onto his shoulders. B. Reading to the children at bedtime. C. A sleigh ride with his parents.

D. The riverboat named the Eastland. Key: [ D ]

5). Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the author? A. Obliviousness. B. Good memory.

C. An attentive observer. D. Well-educated. Key : [ A ]

2. Text II: Questions for Discussion

1). Does the author have any regrets as he is nearing 90?

Yes. In Paragraph 3 the author admits that he has regrets but there are not very many of them and, fortunately, he forgets what they are. His forgetfulness on the one hand is the result of his old age and on the other hand reflects his strong confidence in life.

2). How does the author view changes?

The author might not like some of the changes but he tries to persuade himself to accept them. In Paragraph 4 he tells us he tries “not to deplore.” He says there is no point in making unnecessary and unconstructive comparisons between the past and present since it discourages the young.

3). Is the author afraid of dying? Why or why not?

No. The author is not afraid of dying. In Paragraph 5 he makes it very clear. At an early age he was convinced by the story of the old lady that everyone will die, including himself. The remark of the old lady also convinced him that one should have no regret if he has lived long enough.

4). Does the author still live an active life as he is nearing 90?

Yes. His vitality is reflected in the following aspects:

A. His walking ability: In Paragraph 2 the author says that he doesn’t yet need a cane, which indicates that he has not yet lost his walking ability, and still has an active life.

B. His good memory: In Paragraph 3 the author tells us that “I forget names too, but it is not yet serious.” This indicates his memory is still good for a man of his age.

C. His reading ability: In Paragraph 7 he says that “Before I am ready to call it quits I would like to reread every book I have ever deeply enjoyed, beginning with Jane Austen and Isaac Babel and Sybille Bedford’s The Sudden View and going through shelf after shelf of the bookcases, until I arrive at the autobiographies of William Butler Yeats.” This indicates that

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he still enjoys reading.

D. His writing ability: In Paragraph 13, he tells us that “I still like making sentences,” which indicates that he is still writing.

Thus, we can infer that he still enjoys an active life.

5). What can we learn from this essay?

This essay is about an old man’s positive attitude towards life. It tells us that there are still so many things for us to enjoy at an old age and that, instead of worrying about our own “inevitable extinction,” we should be content with what we have and enjoy ourselves while we can.

IV. Notes of Text II

About the author

William Maxwell (1908–2000), American editor and author. Maxwell taught English at the University of Illinois before joining the staff of The New Yorker magazine. In his 40 years there, he edited writers such as John Cheever, J.D. Salinger, Eudora Welty, and Mavis Gallant. He himself was the author of spare, evocative short stories and novels. Perhaps his best-known work is The Folded Leaf (1945), about the friendship of two small-town boys. Among his other works are the novels The Château (1961) and So Long, See You Tomorrow (1980) and the short-story collection All the Days and Nights (1995).

invidious comparisons to the way things used to be (Paragraph 4) unpleasant comparisons to our lives in the past

Here the author is referring to comparisons which imply that life was better in the past and that the present is not as pleasant.

... everybody seemed to revolve around her personality. (Paragraph 5) ... everyone was attracted to her and influenced by her personality.

... this remark reconciled me to my own inevitable extinction. I could believe that enough is enough. (Paragraph 5)

... this remark made me accept the fact that death was inevitable for me. Therefore, I could believe that one should be content when he has lived long enough.

drifting off (Paragraph 6) falling asleep

Tolstoy (Paragraph 6)

Count Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), Russian writer. He is noted for the novels War and Peace (1863–1869), an epic tale of the Napoleonic invasion, and Anna Karenina (1873–1877).

Chekhov (Paragraph 6)

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904), Russian short-story writer and playwright. His best plays

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include The Seagull (15) and The Cherry Orchard (1904).

Elizabeth Bowen (Paragraph 6)

Elizabeth Dorothea Cole Bowen (19–1973), British writer, born in Ireland. Her novels include The Heat of the Day (1949).

Keats (Paragraph 6)

John Keats (1795–1821), English poet, a principal figure of the romantic movement. His poems include “Ode to a Nightingale” (1818).

Rilke (Paragraph 6)

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926), Austrian poet, born in Bohemia; pen name of René Karl Wilhelm Josef Maria Rilke. He wrote Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus (both 1923).

call it quits (Paragraph 7)

Usually this phrase means “stop doing something.” Here it means “die.”

Jane Austen (Paragraph 7)

(1775–1817) English writer. Her novels include Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Pride and Prejudice (1813).

Isaac Babel (Paragraph 7)

(14–1941) Short-story writer and playwright who was a correspondent with the Red Army forces of Semyon Budyonny during the Russian civil war. Babel’s fame is based on his stories of the Jews in Odessa and his novel Red Cavalry (1926). He was the first major Russian Jewish writer to write in Russian.

Sybille Bedford (Paragraph 7)

(1911–2006) distinguished novelist, literary journalist, legal reporter, travel writer and biographer of Aldous Huxley. Although she eventually settled in London in the 1960s, she was thoroughly cosmopolitan, a characteristic always reflected in her work.

The Sudden View (Paragraph 7)

Sybille Bedford’s first book, published in 1953. Its full title is The Sudden View: A Mexican Journey, a travel book written before such things were fashionable. It is a charming, animated and very funny account of her time in Mexico. It was republished as A Visit to Don Otavio in 1960 and was chosen for the Best of British Travel Books promotion in 1984.

William Butler Yeats (Paragraph 7)

(1865–1939) Irish poet and playwright. His play The Countess Cathleen (12) and his collection of stories The Celtic Twilight (13) stimulated Ireland’s theatrical, cultural, and literary revival. Notable poetry: “Sailing to Byzantium” and “Leda and the Swan.” He was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.

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... it is as if I had driven a mine shaft down through layers and layers of the past and must explore, relive, remember, reconsider, until daylight delivers me. (Paragraph 10)

... it is as if I had driven a mine shaft all the way down through the past and must explore, relive, remember, reconsider, until I wake up in the morning.

touch-and-go (Paragraph 11) uncertain

V. Fun Time & Memorable Quotes

a). Fun Time play the video

b). Memorable quotes

\"At age 50, every man has the face he deserves. \"

— George Orwell

\"We don't grow older, we grow riper.\"

— Pablo Picasso

\"We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.\"

— Oscar Wilde

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