The Virtues of Growing Older
Carol Siskin
1 Our society worships youth. Advertisements convince us to buy Grecian Formula and Oil of Olay so we can hide the gray in our hair.1Middle-aged folks work out in gyms and jog down the street, trying to delay the effects of aging.
2 Wouldn’t any person over thirty gladly sign with the devil just to be young again?2 Isn’t aging an experience to be dreaded? Perhaps it is un-American to say so, but I believe the answer is “No.” Being young is often pleasant, but being older has distinct advantages.
3 When young, you are apt to be obsessed withyour appearance.3 When my brother Dave and I were teens, we worked feverishly to perfect the bodies we had. Dave lifted weights, took megadoses of vitamins4, and drank a half-dozen milk shakes a day in order to turn his wiry adolescent frame into some muscular ideal. And as a teenager, I dieted constantly. No matter what I weighed, though, I was never satisfied with the way I looked. My legs were too heavy, my shoulders too broad, my waist too big. When Dave and I were young, we begged and pleaded for the “right” clothes. If our parents didn’t get them for us, we felt our world would fall apart.5How could we go to school wearing loose-fitting blazers when everyone else would be wearing smartly tailored leather jackets? We would be considered freaks. I often wonder how my parents, and parents in general, manage to tolerate their children during the adolescent years. Now, however, Dave and I are beyondsuch adolescent agonies. My rounded figure seems fine, and I don’t deny myself a slice of pecan pie if I feel in the mood. Dave still works out, but he has actually become fond of his tall, lanky frame. The two of us enjoy wearing fashionable clothes, but we are no longer slaves to style6. And women, I’m embarrassed to admit, even more than men, have always seemed to be at the mercy of fashion7. Now my clothes are attractive yet easy to wear. We no longer feel anxious about what others will think. As long as we feel good about how we look, we are happy.
4 Being older is preferable to being younger in another way. Obviously, I still have important choices to make about my life, but I have already made many of the critical decisions that confrontthose just starting out.8 I chose the man I wanted to marry. I decided to have children. I elected to return to college to complete my education. But when you are young, major decisions await you at every turn. “What college should I attend? What career should I pursue? Should I have children?” These are just a few of the issues facing young people. It’s no wonder that, despite their carefree façade, they are often confused, uncertain, and troubled by all the unknowns in their future.
5 But the greatest benefit of being forty is knowing who I am. The most unsettling aspect of youth is the uncertainty you feel about your values, goals, and dreams. Being young means wondering what is worth working for. Being young means feeling happy with yourself one day and wishing you were never born the next. It means trying on new selves by taking up with different crowds.9 It means resenting your parents and their way of life one minute and then feeling you will never be as good or as accomplished as they are. By way of contrast, forty is sanity. I have a surer self-identity now. I don’t laugh at jokes I don’t think funny. I can make a speech in front of a town meeting or complain in a store because I am no longer terrified that people will laugh at me; I am no longer anxious that everyone must like me. I no longer blame my parents for my every personality quirk or keep a running score of everything they did wrong raising me. Life has taught me that I, not they, am responsible for who I am. We are all human beings — neither saints nor devils.
6 Most Americans blindly accept the idea that newer is automatically better. But a human life contradicts this premise. There is a great deal of happiness to be found as we grow older. My own parents, now in their sixties, recently told me that they are happier now than they have ever been. They would not want to be my age. Did this surprise me? At first, yes. Then it gladdened me. Their contentment holds out great promise for me as I move into the next — perhaps even better— phase of my life.10
Paragraphs 1-2
Questions
1. Why do people want to hide their gray hair and delay the effects of aging? (Para. 1)
They worship youth and are afraid of growing older, so they try every means to look young.
2. What does the writer mean when she says “it is un-American to say so” in Para. 2? (Para. 2)
She means these questions seem contrary to the values commonly held by most Americans. And the American people would do anything possible to delay aging.
3. Does the writer deny the virtues of being young?(Para. 2)
No, she does not. The writer admits the virtues of being young, but what she really wants to talk about is the advantages of growing older, which will be discussed in the subsequent paragraphs. So the last sentence is both thematic and transitional.
Words and Expressions
1. aging n. the process of becoming old
e.g. People want to figure out whether doing sports can influence aging in the body.
Comparison:
elderly a. a polite word meaning old
e.g. The building has now been converted into a retirement home for the elderly.
senior citizen a polite expression meaning old people
2. dread vt. feel great fear or anxiety about
e.g. The little girl dreads sleeping alone.
The staff in this company dread to think what will happen if the financial crisis comes.
Derivation:
dreadful a.
Synonym:
fear, frighten
3. distinct a. noticeable, unmistakable
e.g. The footprints are quite distinct; they must be fresh.
Collocation:
distinct from sth. different in kind; separate
e.g. Mozart’s style is quite distinct from Haydn’s.
Astronomy, as distinct from astrology, is an exact science.
天文学是一门严谨的科学，与占星术完全不同。
Derivation:
distinction n.
distinctly ad.
Activity: Discussion
Do you dread aging? Why? Can you imagine whatyou will become when you are old? What distinct characteristics will you have?
Sentences
1. Advertisements convince us to buy Grecian Formula and Oil of Olay so we can hide the gray in our hair. (Paragraph 1)
Explanation: Grecian Formula and Oil of Olay: Grecian Formula is a popular men’s hair coloring product in the United States, first introduced in 1961 and is still made. One of its main features is that it works gradually so the color change is not noticeable as with dye products. Olay originated in South Africa as Oil of Olay. It was known as Oil of Olay until 1999 in South Africa and North America, and Oil of Ulay in the United Kingdom. It is a brand based around facial moisturizer and skin care products. It claims to have the effect of helping people to stay looking young.
Translation: 广告使我们相信，只要购买了希腊处方染发剂和玉兰油就能使我们青春永驻。
3. gladly sign with the devil just to be young again (Paragraph 2)
Explanation: Literally, the phrase means to sign a contract with the devil, so that the devil would help you become young again in exchange for your soul.In the text the phrase is metaphorically used to mean be willing to do anything (even bad) to become young again.
Paragraph 3
Questions
1. According to the writer, what is the first advantage of growing older? (Paragraph 3)
Not being obsessed with one’s appearance.
2. Why are adolescents apt to be obsessed with their appearances? (Paragraph 3)
Because they feel anxious about what others will think.
Words and Expressions
4. be obsessed with have an unreasonably strong and continuous interest in particular things or persons
e.g. The new president was obsessed with the thought of being watched.
新主席总觉得受人监视而心神不宁。
Derivation:
obsession n.
obsessive a.
Translation:
她童年时一直害怕父母离异。
The fear of her parents’ divorce obsessed her throughout her childhood.
Synonym:
preoccupy, haunt
5. perfect vt. make sth. perfect
e.g. Nowadays, more and more foreigners come to China to perfect their Chinese.
Derivation:
perfection n.
perfectible a.
Comparison:
improve vt. cause sth. to become better
refine vt. improve sth. by removing defects and attending to details
6. turn into change completely and become sth. else
e.g. After years’ development, Shenzhen, which used to be a small village, has turned into an international metropolis.
Synonym:
change into, become
Comparison:
turn against sb. 与某人反目成仇
turn sth inside out 把里面翻作外面
turn (sb. / sth.) over （使某人/某物）翻身或翻转
7. diet
vi. eat less in order to lose weight
e.g. The doctor told the patient to diet and take some exercise.
n. the type of food that a person regularly eats
e.g. Exercise and a well-balanced diet keeps you fit and healthy.
Collocation:
a diet of sth. so much of sth. that you feel boring or unpleasant
e.g. a constant diet of soap operas on TV 多得令人腻烦的电视连续剧
8. be satisfied with feel pleased because you have what you want or because things have happened in the way that you hoped
e.g. The CEO of this company is not satisfied with the volume of business.
Comparison:
satisfactory a. a word for describing a result, situation, etc., that makes one feel satisfied because it is what one was hoping for
e.g. The score of her TOFEL was satisfactory.
satisfying a. a word for describing a job, activity, or experience that makes one satisfied because one enjoys doing it and results are often very good
e.g. There’s something very satisfying about making explorations.
Synonym:
gratify, content
9. plead vi. make an urgent, emotional statement or request for sth.
e.g. The little girl pleaded with her parents not to leave her in her uncle’s home.
The criminal pleaded to see his wife once more.
Comparison:
beg vi. ask sb. very strongly in a way that makes one feel ashamed or makes other people lose respect for him
e.g. The unfilial son begged mercy of his mother.
Collocation:
plead with sb. for sth. make repeated urgent requests to sb. for sth.
10. tolerate vt. be willing to accept sth. unpleasant or difficult, even though one does not like it or
approve it
e.g. As newcomers, they had to tolerate the awful weather and the tough living conditions.
Comparison:
stand vt. accept or be forced to accept an unpleasant situation
endure vt. accept or be forced to accept an unpleasant situation for a long time
bear vt. accept or be forced to accept an unpleasant situation that makes one angry, sad, or upset
put up with accept or be forced to accept an annoying situation or unpleasant behavior as
part of one’s daily life
Derivation:
tolerant a.
toleration n.
11. beyond prep. outside the range or limit of
e.g. Dealing with such a troublesome problem is beyond my capability.
The radio is beyond repair.
这台收音机已经不能修理了。
Collocation:
be beyond sb. be impossible for sb. to imagine, understand or calculate
e.g. It’s beyond me why she wants to marry Burton.
我不明白她为什么想嫁给伯顿。
Antonym:
within
12. agony n. extreme mental or physical pain or suffering
e.g. The mother was in an agony of losing five sons in the war.
He suffered agonies of remorse.
他饱受悔恨的煎熬。
Derivation:
agonize v.
agonizing a.
agonizingly ad.
Synonym:
distress, anguish
13. deny oneself not do sth. that one enjoys doing or have sth. one desires to have, because he thinks that will be good for him
e.g. He denied himself all small pleasures and luxuries in his effort to live a holy life.
Comparison:
do without be able to manage without sth. one really wants to have
e.g. No one can do without drinking water for a long time.
Translation:
为了省钱给女儿治病，他戒烟了。
In order to save money for his daughter’s medical treatment, he denied himself smoking.
Activity：
Fill in the blank in each sentence with a word taken from the box in its appropriate form.
plead beyond obsess diet satisfy perfect deny oneself turn into agony tolerate |
1. Mozart’s _______ with piano started when he was a baby. (obsession)
2. The shy girl in former days has _________ a pretty lady. (turned into)
3. The _______ toothache tortured me a whole night. (agonizing)
4. Seeing the interesting toys from the window, the little boy _____ with his mother for buying some back home. (pleaded)
5. Shakespeare’s wife had nothing _____ Shakespeare’s second best bed. (beyond)
6. Her parents’ marriage portion really _____ her. (satisfied)
7. He moved to his grandfather’s home so as to _______ his Latin. (perfect)
8. The headmaster _______ those naughty students’behavior. (tolerated)
9. The nurse says Richard has got to go on a _____. (diet)
10. In order to find an expected job, she ________ all the entertainments in her internship. ( denied herself)
Sentences
4. megadoses of vitamins (Paragraph 3)
Explanation: very large doses of vitamins
5. If our parents didn’t get them for us, we felt our world would fall apart. (Paragraph 3)
Translation: 如果父母不给我们买我们想要的衣服，我们就觉得世界末日到了。
6. we are no longer slaves to style (Paragraph 3)
Explanation: we no longer follow the fashion blindly
7. at the mercy of fashion (Paragraph 3)
Explanation: completely controlled by fashion
Paragraph 4
Questions
1. Is it accurate to say that older people are totally free from uncertainty? (Paragraph 4)
No, because they still have important choices to make. However, they have already made the major ones, while young people will meet theirs at every turn.
2. What is the meaning of “at every turn”?(Paragraph 4)
The phrase means “on every occasion”.
Words and Expressions
14. preferable a. more desirable or suitable
e.g. For me, teamwork is preferable to single action.
Synonym:
better, superior
Antonym:
inferior
Derivation:
preferably ad.
preference n.
15. critical a. extremely important, crucial
e.g. Facing the enemy’s invasion, the nation is at a critical time in history.
This document is critical for all the citizens living in this area.
Antonym:
insignificant, uncritical
Derivation:
critically ad.
criticize v.
criticism n.
16. confront vt. deal with sth. in a brave and determined way; bring face to face
e.g. The problems confronting us are knotty.
Confronted by a black bear, the hunter retreated.
Synonym:
oppose, encounter
Derivation:
confrontation
17. await vt. wait for
e.g. A large party awaited him on his birthday.
A big decision awaits him to make.
Synonym:
be ready for, wait for
Translation:
对于这个罪犯而言，等待他的将是法律的严惩。
For this criminal, severe punishment of the law awaits him.
18. carefree a. cheerful and without worries
e.g. Our childhood, those carefree days have gone for ever.
Synonym:
lighthearted, untroubled
Collocation：
keep a peaceful and carefree mind 悠闲自在
19. unknown n. an unknown person or thing
e.g. I wish to have a journey into the unknown so that I can be oblivious of myself.
Recently I always see an unknown appearing in my neighbor’s garden.
Antonym:
celebrity
Collocation：
content unknown
identity unknown
Activity: Story-telling
Do you still remember those carefree days in your childhood? Did you have any critical time in the childhood? What meaningful things did you confront? What things were preferable for you to do at that time? Try to tell your classmates some of your interesting childhood stories.
Sentences
8.… but I have already made many of the critical decisions that confront those just starting out. (Paragraph 4)
Translation: 但是当刚刚踏入社会的年轻人在为生活中的每个重要决策感到焦头烂额之时，我已经做过很多重要的决断。
Paragraph 5
Questions
1. What is the meaning of “wishing you were never born the next”? (Paragraph 5)
It is related with the first half of the sentence and the complete structure is “feeling happy with yourself one day and wishing you were never born the next day (because you feel so miserable).”
2. Try to explain the phrase “keep a running score of everything they did wrong raising me.”(Paragraph 5)
It means “constantly remind myself of all the unhappy things that my parents did to me in the process of raising me.” Here “score” means “record.”
Words and Expressions
20. benefit n. anything that brings help, advantage, profit
e.g. All the 11 countries get benefit from China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.
Derivation:
beneficial a.
benefit vt.
Synonym:
profit, advantage
21. worth a. deserving of
e.g. The football game between England and Germany is worth watching.
The scheme is well worth a try.
这个计划倒值得一试。
Collocation:
not worth a straw worthless
worth its weight in gold extremely helpful, useful, etc; invaluable
Translation:
他觉得他的生命已经没有继续下去的意义了。
He felt that his life was not worth a straw to continue.
22. sanity n. the state of being mentally healthy; the ability to think and behave normally and reasonably
e.g. His story was so extraordinary that we began to doubt his sanity.
The president’s sanity in investing huge amounts of money in gold mines was questioned.
Synonym:
reasonableness, rationality
Antonym:
insanity
Derivation:
sane a.
sanely ad.
23. make a speech speak formally to a group of listeners
e.g. Jack’s friend pleaded with him for making a speech at a wedding reception.
Synonym:
give a lecture, lecture
Comparison:
make a face 做鬼脸
make a fortune 发大财
make a fool of oneself / sb. 使自己/某人出丑
24. quirk n. a strange or unusual habit or part of sb.’s character
e.g. One of her quirks is that she is always doubtful about being watched by somebody.
Many scientists have quirks in their life or work.
Synonym:
oddity, eccentricity
Translation:
他很怪，把自己的妻子称作史密斯夫人。
He had a strange quirk of addressing his wife Mrs. Smith.
Sentences
9. It means trying on new selves by taking up with different crowds. (Paragraph 5)
Explanation: It means trying behaving differently from their usual selves by associating with different people.
Paragraph 6
Questions
1. What evidence does the writer cite to back her view in this paragraph? (Paragraph 6)
Her parents’ example.
2. What does “this premise” refer to? (Paragraph 6)
It refers to “newer is automatically better.”
Words and Expressions
25. contradict vt. be opposite in nature to
e.g. The document contradicts what we heard in the conference last week.
Synonym:
oppose, disagree
Derivation:
contradictory a.
contradiction n.
26. phase n. stage of development
e.g. Usually, spring is a significant phase of a lot of illness.
Childhood is an enlightening phase for a child.
Synonym:
stage, period
Collocation:
in phase being in the same state at the same time
out of phase not being in the same state at the same time
e.g. The two subsidiary corporations’ operations were out of phase so that the headquarters could not handle the problems timely.
这两个子公司的业务活动不同步，总部因而没能及时地解决一些问题。
Sentences
10. Their contentment holds out great promise for me as I move into the next — perhaps even better — phase of my life. (Paragraph 6)
Explanation: Their contentment makes me believe that I’ll be as happy as they are when I am their age.
Translation: 在我迈向生命的下一个阶段，或许是更好的一个时期时，我父母的幸福感给我提供了这样一个保证：我也许会幸福的。
Section Four Consolidation Activities
1. be apt to be likely to 易于……，有……的倾向
e.g. Infants are apt to put their hands into their mouths. 婴儿爱把手往嘴里塞。
2. in general as a whole 通常，大体上；总的来说，从总体上看
e.g. In general, this company’s products are very reliable. 这家公司的产品通常是很可靠的。
In general, this paper is a bit difficult for these students to finish in an hour. 总的来说，让学生在一个小时内完成这份试卷有些困难。
3. at the mercy of powerless against; completely controlled by 对……无能为力；任……处置，任由……摆布
e.g. Some people are born with the belief that they are masters of their own lives. Others feel they are at the mercy of fate. 有些人天生相信自己是生命的主宰，另一些人则觉得他们受到命运的支配。
I don’t want to put myself at the mercy of others. 我不希望任由他人摆布。
4. no wonder not surprising / only too natural 不足为奇，并不奇怪
e.g. It is no wonder that it is so wet in the south. 南方这么潮湿，并不奇怪。
No wonder you’re so tired, you’ve worked three hours without a break. 难怪你这么累，你已经连续工作了三个小时。
It is no wonder that he failed his final exam. 他没能通过期末考试，这是不足为怪的。
2 Word derivation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.
1. She has got this obsessive (obsess) fear of losing control, so she never shows her emotions.
2. People under a lot of stress at work will often experience moodiness (mood), irritability and a loss of confidence.
3. They wanted a tolerable (tolerate) existence —more food, better shelter, and peace.
4. In the end, the company and its investors came to a mutually beneficial (benefit) arrangement.
5. Working with the mentally handicapped can be a satisfying (satisfy) and rewarding experience.
6. Frogs can search for food underwater, hidden(hide) from birds of prey.
7. When I asked her about where she wanted the meeting to be held, she didn’t express any particular preference (prefer).
8. The committee has made four specific criticisms(critical) of the government’s transportation policy.
1. obsess v. （使）牵挂，（使）惦念，（使）着迷
obsessed a. 着迷的
obsession n. 困扰，沉迷，着魔
obsessive a. 着迷的，强迫性的，分神的
e.g. 爱丽丝被一个她刚刚认识的男孩迷住了。
Alice was obsessed by a boy she has just met.
他一直想要找到他的父亲，但是最近这变成了一种狂热。
He’s always wanted to find his father but recently it’s become an obsession.
2. mood n. 心情，情绪
moody a. 易怒的，喜怒无常的，情绪化的
moodiness n. 忧郁
e.g. 我每个星期日情绪都很坏。
I am always in a bad mood on Sunday.
我的妻子在医院里心情不好。
My wife is moody at the hospital.
3. tolerate v. 容忍，忍受
tolerable a. 可容忍的
tolerant a. 宽容的，容忍的
e.g. 她能忍受寒冷的天气。
She can tolerate the cold days.
这种炎热的天气在夜晚可以忍受。
The heat was tolerable at night.
4. benefit n. 利益；津贴
beneficial a. 有益的，有利的
beneficiary n. 受惠者，受益人
e.g. 这项工程对每个人都大有好处。
This project is of great benefit to everyone.
新鲜空气有益于健康。
Fresh air is beneficial to our health.
她的丈夫是她遗嘱的主要受益人。
Her husband is the chief beneficiary of her will.
5. satisfy v. 使满意，满足
satisfaction n. 满意
satisfactory a. 令人满意的
e.g. 观赏一幅美丽的图画使人心满意足。
Looking at a beautiful painting always gives one satisfaction.
她对现状根本不满意。
She is not at all satisfied with the present situation.
6. hide v. 隐藏，隐瞒
hiding n. 隐藏，躲藏
hidden a. 隐藏的，秘密的
e.g. 她设法不表露自己的感情。
She tried to hide her feelings.
警察正在追赶藏匿起来的杀人犯。
The police are following a murderer who’s in hiding.
7. prefer v. 较喜欢；宁可
preferable a. 更好的，更合意的
preference n. 偏爱，优先，喜爱物
preferential a. 优先的；优惠的
e.g. 我更喜欢牛奶，而不是咖啡.
I prefer milk to coffee.
我父亲感到在乡村生活比在城市生活要好些。
My father finds country life preferable to living in the city.
对于求职者，我们优先考虑有一定经验的人。
In considering people for jobs, we give preference to those with some experience.
8. critical a. 批评的；决定性的，关键的
critic n. 批评家，评论家
criticism n. 批评，评论
criticize v. 批评；非难
e.g. 他的行为招致尖锐的批评。
His behavior called forth sharp criticism.
他批评了我的冒险活动。
He criticized my taking risks.
