教育:70-Year-Old Graduate Proves It's Never Too Late(音频)

来源: 斓婷 2014-07-17 09:38:40 [] [博客] [旧帖] [给我悄悄话] 本文已被阅读: 次 (7433 bytes)
It is never too late to try to make the life you have always wanted.
---Jerry Reid 
  



Jerry Reid on the University of Virginia's Hoo Crew. He's the one in the orange wig.

70-Year-Old Graduate Proves It's Never Too Late(ZT)
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/year-old-graduate-proves-its-never-too-late/1941507.html
http://av.voanews.com/clips/LERE/2014/06/20/c4bea08d-8fbf-4ed3-a67c-4c29be6774d1.mp3?download=1

From VOA Learning English, this is As It Is.  I'm Anna Matteo in Washington.


Many schools across the United States hold graduation ceremonies this time of year.  College and university graduations are especially happy celebrations.  With degrees in hand, graduates start a new and important part of their lives.
       
This is especially true for Jerry Reid.  He graduated this year from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville with a bachelor’s degree.  Wearing a UVA t-shirt, backpack and a boyish smile, he looks like most of the students on campus - except for his gray hair. 

You see, Jerry Reid is 70 years old.

                                            
He says he did not just want a degree.  He says he wanted to have the full college experience he did not have as a younger man. 
 
So, Mr. Reid joined the “Hoo Crew,” a group that cheers loudly for the school at sports events.
 
Jerry Reid is 70-year-old UVA Graduate
Jerry Reid is 70-year-old UVA Graduate


He also joined a fraternity, a men’s group on campus. 

He went to bars and sang drinking songs along with many other students. 
 
“From Rugby Hill to Vinegar Mill, we’re gonna' get drunk tonight.”                                                                     

Mr. Reid is popular on campus.

“He’s the coolest 70-year-old I know though.”

His age does not seem to make any difference.  
 
About a half-century ago, in his 20s, Mr. Reid was not in school.  Instead, he was racing cars and chasing girls.  But he says his friend Bill invited him to UVA parties. 
 
“Bill Sturman just told me what a screw-up I was, that there was no way I’d ever make anything out of my life unless I came up here and went to school with him.” 
                                            
That was in 1963.  Jerry Reid says it took him 48 years to take that advice.  In 2011, he entered college.  His last examination before graduation involved the Civil War general for the South, Stonewall Jackson.
 
“Our next speaker is Jerry Reid.” 
 
”His (Stonewall Jackson’s) blunders were not as large as his enemy’s in most cases…and astounding luck remained on his side.”
 
UVA Professor Luke Wright says Mr. Reid influenced students.  Professor Wright says he opened the minds of the young adults. The teacher says Mr. Reid showed them “that life does not end at 40.”
 
Quite the opposite, the 70-year-old college graduate believes that getting older can be the beginning of a dream.  He advises others that it is never too late to try to make the life you have always wanted.
 
“Remember that path that you left waits for you.  It’s there.  It’s yours.  All you gotta' do is get out of your own way and get back to it.  And that’s exactly what I did.” 

Jerry Reid and his wife Susan.
Jerry Reid and his wife Susan.

Mr. Reid says that he and his wife Susan now will take some time off to enjoy his college degree.  Then he will return to UVA to begin studying for his graduate degree.  But before he does that, he says he and his wife still have more graduation parties to go to.
 
I’m Anna Matteo. Is there a path in life that you would like to get back on?  Let us know in our comment section where you can practice your English.

所有跟帖: 

教育:70-Year-Old Graduate Proves It's Never Too Late(视频) -斓婷- 给 斓婷 发送悄悄话 斓婷 的博客首页 (637 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 09:41:02

如果有70岁才开始学英语到了80岁讲的和母语一样好的例子对咱们鼓舞就太大了 -abookl- 给 abookl 发送悄悄话 (111 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 09:53:14

马寅初七十学俄语 -abookl- 给 abookl 发送悄悄话 (1417 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 13:15:30

原来英国有个免费广播剧网站,可惜现在要钱了 -abookl- 给 abookl 发送悄悄话 (29 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 13:43:19

问题是没有多少这样的实况录音材料,有的都是人为杜撰的包括广播剧 -abookl- 给 abookl 发送悄悄话 (93 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 18:22:20

也是因为我懒,反正听的时候没别的事干,朗读需要主动精神,听不需要 -abookl- 给 abookl 发送悄悄话 (96 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 18:33:56

I'd recommend NPR's podcasts. You can subscribe to them in your -好学又好问- 给 好学又好问 发送悄悄话 好学又好问 的博客首页 (368 bytes) () 07/18/2014 postreply 06:38:28

我在开车的路上听NPR:) -南山松- 给 南山松 发送悄悄话 南山松 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/19/2014 postreply 07:31:42

才知道马寅初精通英文,会德文&法文。70岁学俄语,三年就学会了。 -斓婷- 给 斓婷 发送悄悄话 斓婷 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 15:30:02

我估计这种精通也就是方舟子式的精通而已 -abookl- 给 abookl 发送悄悄话 (134 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 18:35:39

College experience~~~never too late, nice story^_^ -京燕- 给 京燕 发送悄悄话 京燕 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 16:41:42

What a living proof! It's never too old to learn. -~叶子~- 给 ~叶子~ 发送悄悄话 ~叶子~ 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 17:11:04

福至心靈, today finished C-E connection of fu series. -走马读人- 给 走马读人 发送悄悄话 走马读人 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 17:43:16

I couldn't agree more. It is never too old to learn. -新民- 给 新民 发送悄悄话 新民 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/17/2014 postreply 19:30:48

很鼓励人心- it is never too late... -乐星- 给 乐星 发送悄悄话 乐星 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/18/2014 postreply 11:00:33

谢abookl,小曼,好学又好问,京燕,叶子姐,走马读人,新民&乐星留言。 -斓婷- 给 斓婷 发送悄悄话 斓婷 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/18/2014 postreply 21:19:06

It's Never Too Late! Thanks for sharing:) -南山松- 给 南山松 发送悄悄话 南山松 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/19/2014 postreply 08:17:57

谢abookl,小曼,好学又好问,京燕,叶子姐,走马读人,新民,乐星&松松留言。 -斓婷- 给 斓婷 发送悄悄话 斓婷 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 07/19/2014 postreply 14:02:08

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