英语四级晨读美文

第第页英语四级晨读美文

Itisaplainfactthatweareinaworldwherecompetitionisgoingoninallareasandatalllevels.Thisise*citing.Yet,ontheotherhand,competitionbreezeapragmaticattitude.Peoplechoosetolearnthingsthatareuseful,anddothingsthatareprofitable.Todayscollegeeducationisalsoaffectedbythisgeneralsenseofutilitarianism.Manycollegestudentschoosebusinessnorcomputingprogrammingastheirmajorsconvincedthatthisprofessionsarewherethebigmoneyis.Itisnotunusualtoseethecollegestudentstakingaparttimejobsasawarmingupfortherealbattle.IoftenseemyfriendstakingGREtests,workingonEnglishorcomputercertificatesandtakingthedrivinglicencetogetalicence.Well,Ihavenothingagainstbeingpractical.Asthecompetitioninthejobmarketgetsmoreandmoreintense,studentsdohavereasonstobepractical.However,weshouldneverforgetthatcollegeeducationismuchmorethanskilltraining.Justimagine,ifyourutilitarianismisprevailsoncampus,livingnospaceforthecultivationofstudentsminds,ornurturingoftheirsoul.Wewillseeuniversityistrainingoutwelltrainedspiritlessworkingmachines.Ifutilitarianismprevailssociety,wewillseepeoplebondbymind-forgedmedicalslostinthemoney-makingventures;wewillseehumalitylossingtheirgraceanddignity,andthatwouldbedisastrous.Idliketothinksocietyasacourageandpeoplepersumedforprofitorfameasahoresethatpullsthecourage.Yetwithoutthedriverpickingdirectionthecouragewouldgostraightandmayevenendoutinaprecarioussituation.Acertificatemaygiveyousomeadvantage,butbroadhorizons,positiveattitudesandpersonalintegrities,theseareassetsyoucannotacquirethroughanyquickfi*edway.Intodaysworld,whetherhighestlevelofcompetitionisnotofskillsore*pertise,butvisionandstrategy.Yourintellectualqualitylargelydetermindshowfaryoucangoinyourcareer.

ChineseUndergraduatesintheUS

Eachyear,eliteAmericanuniversitiesandliberalartscolleges,suchasYale,Harvard,Columbia,AmherstandWellesley,offeranumberofscholarshipstoChinesehighschoolgraduatestostudyintheirundergraduateprograms.Fouryearsago,IreceivedsuchascholarshipfromYale.

WhataretheseChineseundergradslike?Mostcomefrommiddle-classfamiliesinthebigurbancentersofChina.Thegeographicaldistributionishighlyskewed,withShanghaiandBeijingheavilyover-represented.Outsidethemainpool,anumberofYalestudentscomefromChangshaandNingbo,swhereseachyearAmericanYalegraduatesaresenttoteachEnglish.

TheoverwhelmingmajorityofChineseundergraduatesintheUSmajorinscience,engineeringoreconomics.Manywereacademicsuperstarsintheirhighschools-goldmedallistsininternationalacademicOlympiadsorprizewinnersinnationalacademiccontests.OnceonUScampuses,manyofthemdecidetomakeresearchalifelongcommitment.

Lifeoutsidetheclassroomconstitutesanimportantpartofcollegelife.AtAmericanuniversitiestheaveragestudentspendslessthanthirteenhoursaweekinclass.ManyChinesestudentsusetheirsparetimetopickupsomee*trapocketmoney.AtYale,oneofthemostcommoncampusjobsiswashingdishesinthedininghalls.VirtuallyallChineseundergraduatesatYaleworkpart-timeinthedininghallsatsomepointintheircollegeyears.Astheygrowinageandsophistication,theyupgradetobetter-payingandlessstressfulpositions.Themorepopularandinterestingjobsincludeworkingasacomputerassistant,mathhomeworkgrader,investmentofficeassistantandlaborresearchassistant.Thelatterthreeoftenleadtostimulatingsummerjobs.

StudentactivitiesareanotherprominentfeatureofAmericancollegelife.Eachweektherearecountlessstudent-organizedeventsofallsorts-athletic,artistic,cultural,politicalorsocial(i.e.justforfun).Newstudentorganizationsareconstantlybeingcreated,andChineseundergradscontributetothisferment.SportloomsmuchlargeronUScampusesthaninChina.AtYale,intramuralsportsfromsoccertowaterpolotakeplaceallyearlong;henceathletictalentisarealsocialasset.OneoftheChinesestudentsatYaleseveralyearsagowasaversatilesportsman.Hisathletictalentsandenthusiasticparticipationinsportingevents,combinedwithhisotherfinequalities,madehimapopularfigureinhisresidentialcollege.

IWanttoKnow

Itdoesn’tinterestmewhatyoudoforaliving.Iwanttoknowwhatyouachefor,andifyoudaretodreamofmeetingyourheart’slonging.

Itdoesn’tinterestmehowoldyouare.Iwanttoknowifyouwillrisklookinglikeafoolforlove,foryourdreams,fortheadventureofbeingalive.

Itdoesn’tinterestmewhatplanetsaresquaringyourmoon.Iwanttoknowifyouhavetouchedthecenterofyourownsorrow,ifyouhavebeenopenedbylife’sbetrayalsorhavebecomeshriveledandclosedfromfearoffurtherpain!

Itdoesn’tinterestmeifthestoryyou’retellingmeistrue.Iwanttoknowifyoucandisappointanothertobetruetoyourself;ifyoucanbeartheaccusationofbetrayalandnotbetrayyourownsoul.ifyoucanbefaithfulandthereforebetrustworthy.

Itdoesn’tinterestmetoknowwhereyouliveorhowmuchmoneyyouhave.Iwanttoknowifyoucangetupafteranightofgriefanddespair,wearyandbruisedtothebone,anddowhatneedstobedoneforthechildren.

Itdoesn’tinterestmewhereorwhatorwithwhomyouhavestudied.Iwanttoknowwhatsustainsyoufromtheinsidewhenallelsefallsaway.Iwanttoknowifyoucanbealonewithyourself,andifyoutrulylikethecompanyyoukeepintheemptymoments.

Itdoesn’tinterestmewhoyouare,howyoucametobehere.Iwanttoknowifyouwillstandinthecenterofthefirewithmeandnotshrinkback.

Iwanttoknowifyoucansitwithpain,withoutmovingtohideit

Iwanttoknowifyoucanbewithjoy,mineoryourown,ifyoucandancewithwildnessandlettheecstasyfillyoutothetipsofyourfingersandtoeswithoutcautioningustobecareful,berealistic,ortorememberthelimitationsofbeinghuman.

Iwanttoknowifyoucanseebeauty,ifyoucansourceyourlifefromgod’spresence.Iwanttoknowifyoucanlivewithfailure,yoursandmine,andstillstandontheedgeofalakeandshouttothesilverofthefullmoon,“Yes!”

Beauty

therewereasensitivityandabeautytoherthathavenothingtodowithlooks.Shewasonetobelistenedto,whosewordsweresoeasytotaketoheart.

Ihavethoughtaboutheroftenovertheyearsandhowshestruggledinasocietythatplacesanincrediblepremiumonlooks,class,wealthandalltheotherfineriesoflife.Shesufferedfromadisfigurementthatcannotbemadetolookattractive.Iknowthatherconditionhurtherdeeply.

Wouldherlifehavebeendifferenthadshebeenpretty?Chancesareitwouldhave.Andyettherewereasensitivityandabeautytoherthathadnothingtodowithlooks.Shewasonetobelistenedto,whosewordsweresoeasytotaketoheart.Herwordscamefromawoundedbutlovingheart,verymuchlikeallhearts,butshehadmoreofaneedtobeawareofit,tolivewithitandlearnfromit.Shepossessedafine-tunedsenseofbeauty.Heronlyfearinlifewasthelossofafriend.

Itissaidthatthetruenatureofbeingisveiled.Thelaborofwords,thee*pressionofart,theseeminglyceaselessbuzzthatishumanthoughtallhaveincommontheneedtogetatwhatreallyisso.Thehopetodrawclosetoandpossessthetruthofbeingcanbeafeverishone.Insomecasesitcanevenbefatal,ifpleasureisonestruthanditsattainmentmoreimportantthanlifeitself.Inotherlives,though,thesearchforwhatistruthfulgiveslife.

Thetruthofherlifewasadesiretoseebeyondthesurfaceforaglimpseofwhatitisthatmatters.Shefoundbeautyandgraceandtheybefriendedher,andshowedherwhatisreal.

WorkandPleasure

Tobereallyhappyandreallysafe,oneoughttohaveatleasttwoorthreehobbies,andtheymustallbereal.Itisnousestartinglateinlifetosay:“Iwilltakeaninterestinthisorthat.”Suchanattemptonlyaggravatesthestrainofmentaleffort.Amanmayacquiregreatknowledgeoftopicsunconnectedwithhisdailywork,andyethardlygetanybenefitorrelief.Itisnousedoingwhatyoulike;youhavegottolikewhatyoudo.Broadlyspeaking,humanbeingsmaybedividedintothreeclasses:thosewhoaretoiledtodeath,thosewhoareworriedtodeath,andthosewhoareboredtodeath.Itisnouseofferingthemanuallabourer,tiredoutwithahardweek’ssweatandeffort,thechanceofplayingagameoffootballorbaseballonSaturdayafternoon.Itisnouseinvitingthepoliticianortheprofessionalorbusinessman,whohasbeenworkingorworryingaboutseriousthingsforsi*days,toworkorworryabouttriflingthingsatthe