A. tradition
B. danger
C. pressure
D. disadvantage
4. The author wrote the passage to .
A. praise Oprah Winfreys courage and success
B. express gratitude and admiration to Oprah Winfrey
C. encourage people who are facing obstacles
D. congratulate on the opening of Oprah Winfreys school
The richest man in the world can now also claim a degree from the college he dropped out of three decades ago.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivered the commencement1 address at Harvard University on Thursday, and was awarded the L.L.D. honorary doctorate2.
“Our speaker is known as the most influential entrepreneur3 of the personal computer revolution. He was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004, 2005, 2006 and again in 2007,” said Harvards president, Derek Bok. Then Bok spoke more directly to Gates: “Just think what you could have achieved if you had stayed another two years.”
Gates told the students, many of whom will soon be launching into fulltime careers, that work isnt the only thing of significance.
“Judge yourself not on the professional accomplishments but on how well you have addressed the worlds inequities4, how you have treated people who have nothing to do with you,” he said.
In recent months, Gates has been giving a larger portion5 of his time and energy to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on issues including global health and education. In 2008, he plans to make the foundation his chief responsibility.
But for the most part, the Microsoft cofounder stuck to the serious message about trying to make the world a better place. He urged the graduates not to get discouraged about seemingly intractable6 challenges of poverty and poor health.
As many as 30,000 people were expected to attend the outdoor commencement ceremony.
Gates wasnt the only highprofile speaker on the Harvard campus this week. On Wednesday, former President Bill Clinton delivered Harvards Class Day speech. Gates and Clinton have collaborated7 on great efforts to fight the AIDS epidemic8 in developing countries.
Recent past Harvard commencement speakers have included journalist Jim Lehrer in 2006, actor and writer John Lithgow in 2005 and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2004.
【生词注释】
1. commencementn. 毕业典礼；学位授予典礼2. doctoraten. 博士学位
3. entrepreneurn. 企业家4. inequityn. 不公平；不公正
5. portionn. 一部分；一份6. intractableadj. 难对付的；难解决的
7. collaboratevi. 合作8. epidemicn. 流行病
1. We know from the text that Bill Gates .
A. got an important award from Harvard University
B. left the college for his career ahead of two years
C. addressed at Harvard University for the highprofile speaker
D. urged the graduates not to fight the AIDS epidemic in developing countries
2. What is the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation?
A. It claims a degree from the college one dropped out of.
B. It delivers the commencement address at Harvard University.
C. It fixes its eyes on issues about health and education throughout the world.
D. It collaborates on great efforts to attend the commencement ceremony.
3. Bill Gates has done all the following EXCEPT that .
A. he claimed a degree
B. he used much of his time and energy to his foundation
C. he gave a speech
D. he went to work with journalist Jim Lehrer
4. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that .
A. a large number of famous men went to Harvard University after success
B. Harvard University only brings up some journalists, actors and writers
C. General Kofi Annan acted as a professor at Harvard University after retirement
D. Jim Lehrer, John Lithgow and Kofi Annan are Gates brothers
Michael Phelps was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood.
