经典英文文章通用打基础22篇
Don't Eat the Tomatoes: They're Poisonous!
The first tomatoes were found growing wild by Indians in Peru and Ecuador thousands of years ago. Th e Indians brought the tomato plant with them when they moved north to Central America. The Spanish s oldiers, who conquered Mexico in the early 1500s took tomato plants to Spain.
The tomato soon made its way across Europe, but the English were wary of it. They thought it was not meant to be eaten. English doctors warned patients that tomatoes were poisonous and would bring d eath to anybody who ate one.
For hundreds of years, both the English and the Americans would decorate their homes with tomato plants, but they never dared to eat the vegetable. This myth might still prevail today had it not been for a New Jersey man named Robert Johnson.
In 1808, Johnson returned from South America with a large quantity of tomato plants. He had hoped t o sell them to the American market. He gave the plants to local farmers and offered a prize for the larg est tomato grown. But the tomato was still rejected in his hometown of Salem, New Jersey, and everyw here else as well. Johnson decided to take a desperate measure. He publicly announced he would stand on the steps of the local courthouse and eat a basket of tomatoes in public.
The townsfolk were shocked. Johnson's doctor warned he would foam at the mouth, then fall down a nd die in a few minutes.
Finally, the important day arrived. Two thousand people surrounded the courthouse to watch a man kill himself(or so they thought).The crowd fell into a dead silence as Johnson, dressed in a bright suit, walk ed up the steps of the courthouse. When the clock struck noon, he picked up a tomato and held it up. He then talked to the crowd.
"Friends, I will now eat my first tomato."
When he took his first bite, a woman in the crowd shrieked and fainted. After finishing the tomato, Jo hnson picked up another and started eating it. Another woman in the crowd fainted.
Soon the basket was empty. The crowd exploded in applause. Robert Johnson became a hero. In les s than five years, the tomato became a major crop in America.
Today, over 50000000 bushels of tomatoes are produced each year. Over 40000000 cases of tomato juice are consumed as well as millions of bottles of catsup. The tomato might never have become a pa rt of the American diet had it not been for Robert Johnson's desperate measure.
Thanks, Mom, for All you have done
We tend to get caught up in everyday business and concerns and forget some of the things that are most important. Too few of us stop and take the time to say"thank you"to our mothers.
With a letter to my mother on the occasion of Mother's Day,I'm going to take a minute to reflect. Feel free to use any of this in greeting your own mother on Sunday,May 10.Happy Mother's Day to all.
Dear Mom,
This letter,I kown,is long past due.I kown you'll forgive the tardiness, you always do.
There are so many reasons to say thank you,it's hard to begin.I'll always remember you were there when you were needed.
When I was a child,as happens with young boys,there were cuts and bumps and scrapes that always felt better when tended by you.
You kept me on the straight path,one I think I still walk.
There was nothing quite so humbling as standing outside my elementary school classroom and seeing you come walking down the hall.You were working at the school and I often managed to get sent outside class for something. Your chiding was gentle,but right to the point.
I also remember that even after I grew bigger than you,you weren't afraid to remind me who was in charge.For that Ithank you.
You did all the things that mothers do--the laundry,the cooking and cleaning--all without complaint or objection.But you were never too busy to help with a problem,or just give a hand.
You let me learn the basics in the kitchen,and during the time I was on my own it kept me from going hungry. You taught by example and for that I am grateful.I can see how much easier it is with my own daughter to be the best model I can be.You did that for me.
Your children are grown now,your grandchildren,almost.You can look back with pride now and konw you can rest.As mothers are judged,you stand with the best.
God bless you,Mom.
His life’s work
When his wife died，the baby was two．They had six other children--three boys and three girls，ranging in age from 4 to 16．A few days later he became a widower, the man’s parents and his wife’s parents came to visit the family．“We’ve been talking，”they said，“about how to take care of all these children and work to make a living．So，we’ve arranged for each child to be placed with a different uncle and aunt．We’re making sure that al1of your children will be living right here in the neighborhood，so you can see them anytime…”
The man appreciated their thoughtfulness but refused their kindness. Over the next few weeks the man worked with his children，assigning them chores(杂务)and giving them responsibilities ．
But then another misfortune happened．The man developed arthritis (关节炎)．His hands swelled，and he was unable to hold the handles of his farm tools. He would not be able to continue the work on his farm. He sold his farming equipment, moved the family to a small town and opened a small business．
The family was welcomed into the new neighborhood．Word of his pleasant personality and excellent customer service began to spread in the town．People came from far and wide to do business with him．And the children helped both at home and at work．Their father’s pleasure in his work brought satisfaction to them，and he drew pleasure from their successes ．
The children grew up and got married. Five of the seven went to college and they were married. The children’s successes were a source of pride to the father．Then came grandchildren. No one enjoyed grandchildren more than this man. As they became older, he invited them to his workplace and his small home. They brought each other great joy. Finally, the youngest daughter, the baby, who had been two years old at her mother death, got married. Finally，the man，with his life’s work completed ，died．
This man’s work had been the lonely but joyful task of raising his family．This man was my father．
I was the 1 6-year—old，the oldest of seven．
The Odd Couple (奇特的一对夫妻)
Lisa Giacomo
I have always wondered how my parents were attracted to each other. Their personalities, temperaments, and attitudes toward money are all opposite （相反的）. The saying that “opposites attract”certainly holds true for them.
Their personalities are quite different. My mother is outgoing（爽直的）and friendly. She enjoys people because, to her, they are the most interesting form of life. When she meets new people, she greets them as if they were old friends, whether they are first time clients（顾客）at her beauty shop （美容院）or acquaintances（熟人）of someone she already likes. She loves to socialize. Making conversation（交谈）with any type（类型）of personality comes easily to her —it’s a natural quality（品质）.
My father, on the other hand, is conservative（保守的）and shy . Socializing is not easy for him. His shyness may give the impression（印象）that he’s cold, but once he gets to know you, his warmth and sincerity（真诚）emerge （显现出来）.
When it comes to controlling one’s temper（脾气）, my mother clearly outdoes（胜过）my father. She will tolerate （容忍）a lot before she gets angry and prefers to rationalize（自我辩解）rather than lose her temper. However, my father’s temper is like a short fuse （导火线）on a stick of dynamite （炸药）. He will flare up （勃然大怒）immediately （立刻）when something is said or done wrongly. Also very stubborn（固执的）, he always insists（坚持）that he is right. Our dinners often turn into debates（争论）, with the issue（问题）usually being money.
My mother is not a bargain（便宜货）shopper. She does not cut out coupons（赠券）or compare（比较）products or prices; she is impatient —if she likes something, she buys it. My father, therefore（因此）, has always done our food shopping. He compares products and prices, looks for sales（廉价出售）and bargains, and buys only what he needs. He has also always taken care of our household finances（财政）and is the bookkeeper and accountant（会计）of the family. My father says that my mother has champagne（香槟酒）tastes （品味）with a beer（啤酒）pocketbook, and she says that he’s cheap, but there is a happy compromise（妥协）—she spends and he saves.
“It must be love,”I say about this odd couple. They may be very different, but they are also very compatible（和谐的）. Learning from each other ensures （确保）the success of their partnership（夫妻关系）.
Walk, Don’t Run
---Just get off your butt1. Ten minutes a pop2
can add up to lifesaving fitness.
You want to get healthy. You know you need to exercise more. But if you’re not ready to grunt through an hour of Spinning or kickboxing, don’t despair3. There’s growing agreement among exercise researchers that the intense physical activities offered by most health clubs are not the only –or even the preferable---path to better health. Indeed, the best thing for most of us may be to just walk.
Yes, walk. At a reasonably vigorous clip (three to four m.p.h.) for half an hour or so, maybe five or six times a week. You may not feel the benefits all at once, but the evidence suggests that over the long term, a regular walking routine can do a world of preventive good.
Walking, in fact, may be the perfect exercise. For starters, it’s one of the safest things you can do with your body. It’s much easier on the knees than running and doesn’t trigger untoward4side effects. ―If everyone were to walk briskly 30 minutes a day, we could cut the incidence5 of many chronic diseases by 30 to 40 percent.‖ says Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
And for those of us who don’t have half-hour chunks of time, the news gets even better. Several recent studies suggest that walking briskly three or four times a day for 10 minutes at a time may provide many of the same benefits as walking continuously for 30 minutes.
Because walking affects you in so many ways at once, it can be difficult to determine precisely why it’s good for you. But much of the evidence gathered so far is compelling.
Heart Disease Brisk walking is good for the heart, which makes a lot of sense. The heart is a muscle, after all, and anything that makes the blood flow faster through a muscle helps keep it in shape. But regular walking also lowers blood pressure, which decreases the stress on the arteries. It can boost the amount of HDL cholesterol (the good one) in the blood. It even seems to make the blood less ―sticky,‖ and therefore less likely to produce unwanted clots. This all adds up to as much as a 50-percent reduction in the risk of suffering a heart attack.
Stroke In an analysis of the health habits of 72,488 nurses over the past 14 years, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health recently found that those who walked six or more hours per week decreased by 40 percent their risk of suffering strokes caused by a clot.
Weight Control The older you get, the harder it is to maintain your weight by simply restricting what you eat. Walking briskly for at least half an hour consumes a couple hundred calories and boosts your metabolic rate for the rest of the day, giving you a better chance of winning the battle of the bulge6.
Walking is also a great way to lose body fat (even if you don’t lose any weight, your body will have a healthier composition). Most people find they have to walk at least an hour a day to drop pounds.
Diabetes7Two recent studies provided strong evidence that lifestyle changes, including brisk walking 30 minutes a day, can postpone—and possibly prevent—the development of Type 2 diabetes in overweight people whose bodies have started having trouble metabolizing glucose7. In both studies, the best results were achieved by subjects who lost five percent of their starting weight. But research in Finland showed that walking had a positive effect even among those who didn’t lose weight.
decreased their risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.
Arthritis9About 10 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis of the knees. Walking reduces pain by strengthening the muscles around the joint. Gently lifting weights can also help. You may need to exercise every other day to give joints time to recover.
Depression A quick walk can clear up the ―blues’’10, but can a walking routine do anything for clinical depression? Evidence suggests it can. Antidepressants may work more quickly to dispel depression, but at least one study found that after ten months, depressed patients who were not medicated and started exercising were less likely to relapse than those who took antidepressant drugs alone.
Walking won’t cure everything that ails you, of course, and nothing happens overnight. ―People who have never exercised regularly should not think that in a week they’ll solve their problems by walking,‖ says Dr. J. David Curb, professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Hawaii. But you can do a world of good for yourself if you keep a steady course.
Here is how to make the most of your walking routine:
*Get into gear11. Walkers’ shoes need to have enough room at the front for the feet to spread.
*Ease on down that road. Avoid muscle aches by starting slowly and incorporating gentle stretches into both your warm-up and cool-down.
*Plot your course. Some people walk at a specific time each day. Others shoehorn walking into their routines by parking the car a few blocks from the store or taking the stairs instead of the escalator.
*Make it noteworthy. Record your efforts, including how long and how far you walked. Jotting down improvements keeps you motivated and challenges you to do better.
Notes:
1.to get off one’s butt: to get up, do not be lazy.
2. a pop: at a time
3.词句含义为：对锻炼，锻炼者只有两种态度：要么一边锻炼，一边抱怨不停，要么灰心失望，
干脆放弃锻炼。作者认为即使不持第一种态度，第二种也要不得。锻炼能带来诸多好处，应该快快乐乐地去做。
4.untoward: troublesome, unwanted;
5.incidence: the rate of occurrence;
6.the bulge 指肥胖的肚子。
7.diabetes: 糖尿病
8.osteoporosis: 骨质疏松症
9.arthritis: 关节炎
10.blues指忧郁布鲁斯歌曲(蓝调音乐)，此处之沮丧，忧郁。
11.gear 指装备、设施。
步行，别跑
--只要站起来，每次十分
钟练习就能使你延年益寿
你想变得健康，你知道你需要大量的体育练习。但如果你不准备在一个小时的转圈或跆拳道中抱怨不停，也不要就此丧气绝望，罢手不干。越来越多的健身研究者们认为大部分健身俱乐部提供高强度的健身活动不是唯一的---甚至不是较好的获得健康的方法。确实，对我们大部分人来说，最好的办
可能不会马上感觉到益处，但证据表明，最终长期有规律的步行能对疾病起到预防作用。
步行事实上可能是最完美的运动，对初始者来讲，它是对付你身体最安全的办法之一。和跑步比较，步行时膝盖更轻松，不会引起麻烦人的副作用。哈佛布莱翰妇科医院防治医学主任乔安曼森博士如是说，“如果每个人每天快步走三十分钟的路程，我们可将许多慢性病发病率降低百分之三十至百分之四十。”
对那些没有半个小时这样大块时间的人，情况会更妙。最近几项研究表明，每天快步行走三至四次，每次十分钟，会同持续步行三十分钟一样给你带来诸多益处。
由于步行一下子能在这么多方面给你带来好处，因而很难明确判定它到底为什么对你益处多多。但到目前为止收集到的证据是很能说明问题的。
心脏病快步走对心脏大有裨益，这一点很有道理。心脏毕竟是一块肌肉，任何使其中血液流速加快的东西都有助于使其处于一种良好的状态。同时有规律的步行也能使血压降低，从而降低对动脉的压力。它能增加血液中高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（有益物质）的数量，它甚至好像能使血液不那么粘，这样降低血凝块产生的可能性。所有这些把心脏病发作的可能性降低了百分之五十。
中风在过去十四年中对72，488个护士的健康习惯调查当中，哈佛公众健康学院的研究者最近发现，那些每星期步行六小时以上的人因血凝块导致中风的可能性下降了40%。
体重控制人年龄愈长，仅靠严格控制饮食来保持体重越难。快速行走至少半个小时能消耗掉一、两百卡路里，加速你一天的新陈代谢速度，在控制不使你的肚子鼓出的战争中，你有更多胜算的机会。
步行也是去掉身体脂肪的一个绝好的办法（即使你没减掉任何脂肪，你的身体会更健康）。大部分人发现他们每天必须步行至少一个小时来去掉脂肪。
糖尿病最近的两项研究提供了强有力的证据证明，改变生活方式，包括每天快速行走30分钟能延缓--甚至能阻止--那些代谢葡萄糖开始有问题肥胖病人第二型糖尿病的形成。在这两个实验中，最好的实验结果发生在体重减轻5%的被试验者身上。同时，在芬兰做的研究表明步行对那些体重没有减轻的人也有积极作用。
骨质疏松症步行不仅增大肌肉的力量，而且促进骨骼的生长。研究表明，象孩子和年轻人那样有规律运动并有着健康钙摄入的妇女随着年龄增大，患骨质疏松症的危险降低。
关节炎约有一亿美国人患膝盖骨关节炎。步行通过增强关节周围的肌肉力量而减轻疼痛。作些轻微的举重也有帮助。你可能需要隔一天锻炼一次，这样给关节时间生长愈合。
抑郁一次快速步行可清除你的“布鲁士”，但是有规律性的步行对临床焦虑能起任何作用吗？证据表明能够的。抗抑郁病药可能能够快速地驱散忧郁，但至少有一个研究发现，十个月以后，那些只摄入抗抑郁病药的病人比那些未摄入药物而开始步行的病人更有可能旧病复发。
步行不可能治愈任何使人痛苦的病症，并且没有任何奇迹一夜之间就会发生。“从来不坚持运动的人不该认为一个星期之内他们就能通过步行解决自己的问题。”夏威夷大学老年医学院教授杰大卫科波博士如是说。但是如果你坚持到底，并使习惯成型的话，你得到的好处将是数不胜数的。
这样做你可以最大限度获得步行带给你的好处：
*套上装备步行者的鞋前端应有足够空间，这样脚可以伸展开。
*轻轻松松走下公路为避免肌肉疼痛，开始速度应慢，在热身运动和结束时应加入一些伸展动作。
*计划你的路线有些人每天在固定的时间步行。另外一些人则将步行时间见缝插针，他们或者把车停在离商店几个街区的地方，或者放弃电梯选择爬楼梯。
The Treasure in the Orchard
An old gardener who was dying sent for his two sons to come to his bedside, as he wished to speak to them. When they came in answer to his request, the old man, raising himself on his pillows, pointed thro ugh the window towards his orchard.
"You see that orchard?" said he.
"Yes, Father, we see the orchard."
"For years it has given the best of fruit - golden oranges, red apples, and cherries bigger and brighter than rubies!"
"To be sure, Father. It has always been a good orchard!"
The old gardener nodded his head, time and time again. He looked at his hands - they were worn fro m the spade that he had used all his life. Then he looked at the hands of his sons and saw that their n ails were polished and their fingers as white as those of any fine lady's.
"You have never done a day's work in your lives, you two!" said he. " I doubt if you ever will! But I have hidden a treasure in my orchard for you to find. You will never possess it unless you dig it up. It li es midway between two of the trees, not too near, yet not too far from the trunks. It is yours for the tr ouble of digging - that is all!
Then he sent them away, and soon afterwards he died. So the orchard became the property of his so ns, and without any delay, they set to work to dig for the treasure that had been promised them.
Well, they dug and dug, day after day, week after week, going down the long alleys of fruit trees, n ever too near yet never too far from the trunks. They dug up all the weeds and picked out all the stone s, not because they liked weeding and cleaning, but because it was all part of the hunt for the buried tr easure. Winter passed and spring came, and never were there such blossoms as those which hung the or ange and apple and cherry trees with curtains of petals pale as pearls and soft as silk. Then summer thr ew sunshine over the orchard, and sometimes the clouds bathed it in cool, delicious rain. At last the time of the fruit harvest came. But the two brothers had not yet found the treasure that was hidden among the roots of the trees.
Then they sent for a merchant from the nearest town to buy the fruit. It hung in great bunches, gold en oranges, red apples, and cherries bigger and brighter than rubies. The merchant looked at them in op en admiration.
"This is the finest crop I have yet seen," said he, " I will give you twenty bags of money for it!"
Twenty bags of money were more than the two brothers had ever owned in their life. They struck the bargain in great delight and took the money - bags into the house, while the merchant made arrangem ents to carry away the fruit.
"I will come again next year," said he, " I am always glad to buy crop like this. How you must have dug and weeded and worked to get it!"
He went away, and the brothers sat eyeing each other over the tops of the money-bags. Their hands were rough and toil-worn, just as the old gardener's had been when he died.
"Golden oranges and red apples and cherries bigger and brighter than rubies," said one of them, softly. " I believe that this is the treasure we have been digging for all year, the very treasure our father mean t!"
The Golden Carambola Tree
Long, long ago there lived a rich family of four people: a father, a mother and two sons. When the par ents died they left their fortune of gold, houses and land to their sons but the older boy cheated his bro ther and took almost everything for himself. The only thing he left the younger brother was a carambola tree.
The younger brother, who was gentle and calm, was not upset by his brother's greedy, dishonest beha viour. He found himself a job and spent his spare time caring for the carambola tree. Whenever he looke d at it, it reminded him of his father and mother. He hoped it would bear a rich crop of fruit for him to sell at the market and so earn some extra money.
One morning, just as the fruit was ripening, a phoenix flew down and began to eat the best carambol as. "Please don't eat them," said the young man. " I must sell them at the market. I really need the mo ney. Perhaps I can offer you something else to eat."The phoenix replied, " I will pay you in pure gold fo r what I eat. Get a bag ready and when I have finished eating you can have a fortune in gold pieces to replace your carambolas."
The young man fetched a bag and, when the phoenix had eaten its fill, it carried him on its back far over the sea to an island where gold coins lay thickly on the ground. The young man took a gold coin f or every piece of fruit the phoenix had eaten and then the great bird carried him and his bag full of gol d back to his home.
The young man bought a new house and filled it with expensive furniture. Then he bought some busin esses and settled down to enjoy the life of a rich man. Very soon he invited his brother to share a fine meal with him to celebrate his changed fortune.
The older brother was amazed to find his brother so wealthy. "How did you become rich so quickly? " he asked very anxiously. The young man told him the story of the phoenix and the tree, and straight a way the older brother wanted to exchange the carambola tree for the gold, houses and land his parents had left. The younger brother, who felt he had already more than enough wealth to last him all of his lif e, agreed to the exchange.
When the fruit of the carambola was ripening once more, the phoenix returned to eat it. The older br other demanded to be paid for his fruit and the phoenix agreed. "Get a bag to carry the gold and you s hall be paid,"it said.
When the phoenix carried the older brother to the island, the greedy man was not content to replace each piece of fruit with a gold coin but seized handfuls of coins, and packed the bag full. On the way b ack from the island, the bag was so heavy that even the great phoenix could not bear the weight. It dro pped both the man and the bag into the ocean. The older brother drowned and the gold was lost at the bottom of the sea.
A Dinner of Smells
One day a poor man came into a little town. He was very hungry. Every time he saw food, his mouth watered. But he had no money.
The poor man stopped outside a fine restaurant. The food at the restaurant smelled delicious. He sniff ed and sniffed the wonderful smell.
The owner of the restaurant came into the street.
Hey! You! the owner called. I saw what you did! You smelled my excellent food! You stole the smell o f my food. Are you going to pay for it?
The poor man replied, I cannot pay. I have no money. I took nothing!
The owner of the restaurant did not listen to him. I'm taking you to the judge, he said. And he took t he poor man to court. The judge listened to the story. This is very unusual, he said. I want to think abo ut it. Come back tomorrow.
The poor man was very worried. He had no money. What can I do? he asked himself. He could not sleep at all.
The next morning the man got up and said his prayers. Then he went slowly back to the court. On t he way he met the wise mullah, Nasrudin.
Nasrudin, the poor man cried. Please help me. People say that you are very clever. I am very unhapp y and very worried. He told Nasrudin his story.
Well, well, wise Nasrudin said. Let's see what happens. The two men went to court.
The judge was already there. He was with the owner of the restaurant. They looked very friendly with each other. When the poor man arrived, the judge began to speak. He said the poor man owed the res taurant owner a lot of money.
Nasrudin stepped forward. This man is my friend, he said. Can I pay for him? He held out a bag of money.
The judge looked at the restaurant owner. Can Nasrudin pay? he asked.
Yes, the restaurant owner said. Nasrudin has money. The poor man does not. Nasrudin can pay!
Nasrudin smiled. He stood next to the restaurant owner. Nasrudin held the bag of money near the rest aurant owner's ear. He shook it so the coins mad a noise.
Can you hear the money? he asked.
Of course I can hear it, the restaurant owner said.
That is your payment, the mullah said. My friend smelled your food, and you heard his money.
And that is the end of the story.
Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other―it doesn?t matter who it is―and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.
经常保持笑容，对你的另一半、你的孩子微笑，甚至对陌生人也不要吝惜你的微笑，因为小小的微笑就能大大增进
From Crutches to a World-class Runner
A number of years ago in Elkhart, Kansas, two brothers had a job at the local school. Early each morning their job was to start a fire in the potbellied stove in the classroom.
One cold morning, the brothers cleaned out the stove and loaded it with firewood. Grabbing a can of kerosene, one of them doused the wood and lit the fire. The explosion rocked the old building. The fire killed the older brother and badly burned the legs of the other boy. It was later discovered that the kerosene can had accidentally been filled with gasoline.
The doctor attending the injured boy recommended amputating the young boy's legs. The parents were very sad. They had already lost one son, and now their other son was to lose his legs. But they did not lose their faith. They asked the doctor for a postponement of the amputation. The doctor consented. Each day they asked the doctor for a delay, praying that their son's legs would somehow heal and he would become well again. For two months, the parents and the doctor debated on whether to amputate. They used this time to instill in the boy the belief that he would someday walk again.
They never amputated the boy's legs, but when the bandages were finally removed, it was discovered that his right leg was almost three inches shorter than the other. The toes on his left foot were almost completely burned out. Yet the boy was fiercely determined. Though in great pain, he forced himself to exercise daily and finally took a few painful steps. Slowly recovering, this young man finally threw away his crutches and began to walk almost normally, Soon he was running.
This determined young man kept running and running and running - and those legs that came so close to being amputated carried him to a world record in the mile run. His name? Glenn Cunninghum, known as the "World's Fastest Human Being," and named athlete of the century at Madison Square Garden.
The Smile
Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smail at each other-it doesn't matter who it is- and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.
Mother Teresa
Many Americans are familiar with The Little Prince, a wonderful book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. This is a whimsical and fabulous book and works as a children?s story as well as a thought-provoking adult fable. Far fewer are aware of Saint-Exupery?s other writings, novels and short stories.
Saint-Exupery was a fighter pilot who fought against the Nazis and was killed in action. Before World War II, he fought in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists. He wrote a fascinating story based on that experience entitled The Smile (Le Sourire). It is this story which I?d like to share with you now. It isn?t clear whether or not he meant this to be autobiographical or fiction. I choose to believe it is the former.
He said that he was captured by the enemy and thrown into a jail cell. He was sure that from the contemptuous looks and rough treatment he received from his jailers he would be executed the next day. From here, I?ll tell the story as I remember it in my own words.
“I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous and distraught. I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those.
“I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did n ot make eye contact with me. After all, one does not make eye contact with a thing, a corpse. I called out to him …Have you got a light, por favor?? He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette.
“As he came close and lit the match, his ey es inadvertently locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don?t know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn?t want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lops, too. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.
“I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension, too. …Do you have kids?? he asked.
“?Yes, here, here.? I took out my wallet and nervously f umbled for the pictures of my family. He, too,
“Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.
“My life was saved by a smile.”
Yes, the smile – the unaffected, unplanned, natural connection between people. I tell this story in my work because I?d like people to consider that underneath all the layers we construct to protect ourselves, our dignity, our titles, our degrees, our status and our need to be seen in certain ways –underneath all that, remains, the authentic, essential self. I?m not afraid to call it the soul. I really believe that if that part of you and that part o f me could recognize each other, we wouldn?t be enemies. We couldn?t have hate or envy or fear. I sadly conclude that all those other layers, which we so carefully construct through our lives, distance and insulate us from truly contacting others. Saint-Ex upery?s story speaks of that magic moment when tow souls recognize each other.
I?ve had just a few moments like that. Falling in love is one example. And looking at a baby. Why do we smile when we see a baby? Perhaps it?s because we see someone without a ll the defensive layers, someone whose smile for us we know to be fully genuine and without guile. And that baby-soul inside us smiles wistfully in recognition.
Hanoch McCarty
Blameless
Kathy Johnson Gale
I was a freshman in college when I met the Whites. They were completely different from my own family, yet I felt at home with them immediately. Jane White and I became friends at school, and her family welcomed me like a long-lost cousin.
In my family, it was always important to place blame when anything had happened.
“Who did this?” my mother would scream about a dirty kitchen.
“This is all your fault, Katharine,”my father would insist (坚持)when the cat got out or the dishwasher broke.
From the time we were little, my sister, brothers and I told on each other. We set a place for blame at the dinner table.
But the Whites didn’t worry about who had done what. They picked up the pi eces and moved on with their lives. The beauty of this was driven home to me the summer Jane died.
In July, the White sisters and I decided to take a car trip from their home in Florida to New York. The two older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were college students, and the youngest, Amy, had recently
t urned sixteen. Proud of having a new driver’s license（驾照）, Amy was excited about practicing her driving on the trip. She showed off her license to everyone she met.
The big sisters shared the driving of Sarah’s new car during the first part of the trip, bu t when they reached less crowded areas, they let Amy take over. Somewhere in South Carolina, we pulled off the highway to eat. After lunch, Amy got behind the wheel. She came to a crossroads with a stop sign. Whether she was nervous or just didn’t see the sign no one would ever know, but Amy continued into the crossroads without stopping. The driver of a large truck, unable to stop in time, ran into our car.
Jane was killed immediately.
I was slightly injured. The most difficult thing that I’ve ever done was to call the Whites to tell them about the accident and that Jane had died. Painful as it was for me to lose a good friend, I knew that it was far worse for them to lose a child.
of sadness and of joy at seeing their daughters. They wiped away the girls’ tears and made a few jokes at Amy as she learned to use her crutches（拐杖）.
To both of their daughters, and especially to Amy, over and over they simply said, “We’re so glad that you’re alive.”
I was astonished. No blame. No accusations.
Later, I asked the Whites why they never talked about the fact that Amy was driving and had run a stop sign.
Mrs. White said, “Jane’s gone, and we miss her terribly. Nothing we say or do will ever bring her back. But Amy has her whole life ahead of her. How can she lead a full and happy life if she feels we blame her for her sister’s death?”
They were right. Amy graduated from the University of California and got married several years ago. She works as a teacher of learning-disabled students. She’s also a mother of two little girls of her own, the oldest named Jane.
I learned from the Whites that blame really isn?t very important. Sometimes, there?s no use for it at all.
A Lady Named Lill
By James M.Kenmedy and James C. Kennedy
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
Mother Teresa
Lillian was a young French Canadian girl who grew up on a farm in Ontario. At the age of 16, her father thought "Lill" had enough schooling, and she was forced to drop out of school. In 1922, with English as her second language and limited education and skills, the future didn't look bright for Lill.
Her father was a strict man who seldom took no for an answer and never accepted excuses. He demanded that Lill find a job. But her limitations left her with little confidence, and she didn't know what work she could do.
With small hope of gaining employment, she would still ride the bus daily into the "big cities" of Windsor or Detroit. But she couldn't muster the courage to respond to a Help Wanted ad; she couldn't even bring herself to knock on a door. Each day she would just ride to the city, walk aimlessly about and at dusk return home. Her father would ask, "Any luck today, Lill?
No... no luck today, Dad, she would respond meekly.
As the days passed, Lill continued to ride and her father continued to ask about her job-hunting. The questions became more demanding, and Lill knew she would soon have to knock on a door.
On one of her trips, Lill saw a sign at the Carhartt Overall Company in downtown Detroit. HELP WANTED, the sign said, SECRETARIAL. APPLY WITHIN.
She walked up the long flight of stairs to the Carhartt Company offices. Cautiously, Lill knocked on her very first door. She was met by the office manager, Margaret Costello. In her broken English, Lill told her she was interested in the secretarial position, falsely stating that she was 19.
Margaret knew something wasn't right, but decided to give the girl a chance.
She guided Lill through the old business office of the Carhartt Company. With rows and rows of
her. With her eyes staring down, the farm girl followed Margaret to the back of the room. Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, Lill,let's see how good you really are.
She asked Lill to type a single letter, and then left. Lill looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 A.M. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She thought that she could slip away in the crowd then. But she knew she should at least attempt the letter.
On her first try, she got through one line. It had five words, and she made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. At noon, she said to herself, I'll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again.
On her second attempt, Lill got through a full paragraph, but still made many mistakes. Again she pulled out the paper, threw it out and started over. This time she completed the letter, but her work was still full of mistakes. She looked at the clock: 11:55 - five minutes to freedom.
Just then, the door at one end of the office opened and Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lill, putting one hand on the desk and the other on the girl's shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, Lill, You're doing good work!
Lill was stunned. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape vanished and her confidence began to grow. She thought, Well, if she thinks its good, then it must be good. I think I'll stay!
Lill did stay at Carhartt Overall Company... for 51 years, through two world wars and a Depression, through 11 presidents and six prime ministers - all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.
Learning to Learn
Effective study skills and strategies are the basis of effective learning. They give you an opportunity to approach learning tasks systematically and independently. By always using good study habits—learning to work smarter—you will work like and become a successful student.
Learn To Learn
Learning is a very personal matter. There isn't one study/learning skill or strategy that works for every person in every situation. Therefore, learning to learn strategies are about learning what you know, learning what you don't know, and learning what to do about it. Your repertoire of study/learning strategies will: ?enable you to take more responsibility for your own learning
?allow you to spend your time effectively and stay on task
?help you select the best approach(s) for each assignment or task
?provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to begin, follow through, and complete assignments/tasks
?present you with access to a variety of content and reference materials
?give you the confidence to know when and who to ask for help
1.Know Yourself
Begin by honestly assessing your strengths and weaknesses in basic college skills—reading, writing, listening, and mathematics—and study/work habits such as as organization, time management, concentration, listening, and note taking.
Next, identify your learning style preferences. Many factors affect learning, but consider whether you learn most effectively by reading, by watching, by listening, or by doing? You must also become familiar with your instructors teaching styles to help you adapt your learning style to the best advantage.
In addition, consider when (Are you a morning person or a night owl?) and where (Do you concentrate best in a bright room with noise or in a cozy, quiet corner?) you are at your best for learning.
2.Manage Your Time and Life
The first step in learning to manage your time—controlling your own life—is to identify what your goals are and then to establish priorities to help you reach them.
Analyze how you are using your time. If you aren't spending time on your priorities, you must make the necessary adjustments or you won't reach your goals. If school, learning, and good grades are a priority, then you must make and follow a schedule that gives a significant amount of time to go to class and study.
As a good student, you will not necessarily study more than a poor student, but you will definitely use your study time more effectively.
Learn to keep your attention focused on the task at hand—concentrate. When you are in class or ready to study, give it your full attention.
And remember, how well you learn something, not how fast you learn it, is the critical factor in remembering. You must "get" something before you can "forget" it.
4.Know What Study Means & How To Do It
Learning takes more than just going to class and doing homework. It is really a four-part cycle:
preview>>class>>review>>study
When you establish a learning-cycle routine you will be able to learn more in less time with less stress.
5.Develop A Thinker's Vocabulary
English is the richest language with the largest vocabulary on earth. Each of our words is a symbol that represents an idea or object. Your ability to understand the meaning of the words others use and to select the right one(s) to communicate your ideas, information, and feelings is very important to effective learning.
To develop a thinker's vocabulary, you must become sensitive to words and develop strategies for unlocking the meanings of new words and a process for remembering the new words and their meanings.
6.Become An Active Reader
Did you ever fall asleep while playing tennis or when watching your favorite television show?
Probably not. How about when you're reading?
Probably so. What makes the difference?
If you are actively involved, physically and mentally, you stay interested and committed. When you become passive, you rapidly lose interest and drift away.
To learn from study/reading material, you must be an active, thinking participant in the process, not a passive bystander. Always preview the reading and make sure you have a specific purpose for each assignment. Read actively to fulfill your purpose and answer questions about the material. Keep involved by giving yourself frequent tests over what you've read.
7.Become An Active Writer
Writing that accurately expresses your ideas demands not only writing skill but focused attention, critical thinking and active involvement. Only if you become actively involved in the writing process will you be able to communicate your ideas clearly.
Your writing must have:
o organized development of your idea with major and minor supporting details, and
o a logical conclusion.
8.Build Listening & Note taking Skills
Accurately listening to a lecture and deciding what is important are two skills that must be mastered before you worry about how to write the information in your notes. Again, being an active rather than a passive participant is the key to your success.
Taking good notes demands that you :
o prepare for class,
o become an active listener,
o distinguish major from minor points,
o use a note-taking system,
o participate in class, and
o review often.
9.Know How To Study For & Take Exams
Exams are your way to show a professor how much you've learned. Preparing for exams will give you a better understanding of the material, lower your anxiety, and improve your scores.
Find out as much as you can about the exam, study and review the material over a period of time (use the night before as a final review not a cram session), pace yourself during the exam, and always go over your graded exam with your professor.
10.Master Every Course
You can't get something for nothing. You can, however, get nothing for something and that's exactly what you will get from any course if your only investment is money.
True education is not about cramming material into your brain. True education is the process of expanding your capabilities, of bringing yourself into the world.
Professors can merely set the stage for you to create learning through your own action.