Famous centenarians (百岁老人) still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire. "Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases. He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession. Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project. "You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said. When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature. It gave to me what it took from others."
Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character. Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens.
Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation.
Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer. The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor. "The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently. He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder (胆囊) operation he composed a samba tune (桑巴舞曲) in the clinic.
Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters. The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works. Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing. "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?" Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role".
Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who is 101-year-old and is still active in medical science, has described the force that keeps driving her on: "Progress is created through imperfection." In 1986 she and her lab colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on nerve growth factor. She's convinced that humans grow on challenges.
With so many brilliant examples given, we can see clearly that age is no barrier to some high achievers.
【小题1】From the first two paragraphs, we can see ______.
A.being active at 102 is achievable for everybody |
B.Oliveira owes his long life to his mother’s help |
C.being fit in old age is a matter of luck and character |
D.social skills and wisdom are difficult for the senior |
A.4 | B.5 | C.6 | D.7 |
A.wants to sit or lie in comfort |
B.is waiting for people to pick him up |
C.is willing to work till he dies |
D.prefers to give performance at home |
A.old age is a big problem if you want to succeed |
B.as a senior citizen, you have to be open-minded and optimistic |
C.old people should never think of themselves as old |
D.old age cannot prevent a great person from achieving a lot |
A.intelligent | B.pessimistic | C.positive | D.diligent |
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Young adult filmmakers all hope to show their works in international festivals like Sundance and
They are at the heart of Wingspan Arts Film Festival tomorrow, in a setting any director might envy:
“What’s really exciting is that it’s film for kids by kids,” said Cori Gardner, managing director of Wingspan Arts, a nonprofit organization offering youth arts programs in the
The nine shorts to b shown range from a Claymation biography of B.B. King to a science fiction adventure set in the year 3005. “Alot of the material is really mature,” Ms. Gardner said, talking about films by the
The festival will end with an open reception at which other films will be shown. These include a music video and a full-length film whose title is Pressure.
56. Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival _____________.
A. is organized by a middle school
B. is as famous as the Toronto Festival
C. shows films made by children
D. offers awards to film school students
57. Which of the following is true of Wingspan Arts?
A. It helps young filmmakers to make money.
B. It provides arts projects for young people.
C. It’s a media arts and leadership-training group.
D. It’s a national organization for young people.
58. The underlined word “shorts” in Paragraph 4 refers to _________.
A. short trousers B. short kids C. short films D. short stories
59. Movies to be shown in the festival ______________.
A. cover different subjects B. focus on kid’s life
C. are produced by Global Action Project D. are directed by Ms. Gardner
60. At the end of this film festival, there will be __________.
A. various awards B. “red carpet” interviews
C. an open reception D. a concert at Lincoln Cen查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互联网违法和不良信息举报平台 | 网上有害信息举报专区 | 电信诈骗举报专区 | 涉历史虚无主义有害信息举报专区 | 涉企侵权举报专区
违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com