Homeless to Harvard

《风雨哈佛路》

Homeless to Harvard is based on the “miracle girl” Liz Murray’s autograph①  Breaking  Night. It’s about a girl called Liz. Her parents took drugs② and she began to beg at the age of 8. She was sent to hospice③ by force because she never has gone to  school. When Liz was 15 , she came back from hospice to see her mother  and  she went to school  again. In  the school she made a friend, Chris. And she broke away from④ her home life , left her grandfather’s house and started her life by begging at the same time. It wasn't until her mother’s death from AIDS that Liz decided to turn her life around⑤ by going back to school. Then she went to high school, becoming a star student.

She started to do four years high school courses in two years. She is smart and she studied very hard. She even took some part-time jobs to support herself. She visited Harvard University with her classmates led by their teacher. She also wanted to study here. She got excellent marks in the school. At last, she earned a scholarship to Harvard University through an essay contest sponsored⑥ by the New York Times. She succeeded changing her life.

I was really moved by the film. It told us to struggle and never retreat⑦. I love the words in it: The world is changing while you’re just a stardust⑧. The earth turns around with or without you. Reality doesn’t change according to your will. (世界在转动，你只是一粒尘埃，没有你，地球照样在转。现实是不会按照你的意志去改变的。因为别人的意志会比你的坚强)。So we have to try to work harder and harder. Then we will change our life.

①autograph biography  亲笔传记

②take drugs 吸毒

③hospice 收容所

④break away from 脱离

⑤turn around  扭转

⑥sponsored  赞助

⑦never  retreat  从不退缩

⑧stardust  尘埃

                                        一（2）班 廖聆孜

  Today, I want to introduce this movie to you, which is worth watching and greatly encourages me. I did not have much impetus(动力) to study hard in school. After I watched this movie, I was greatly encouraged. Then I decided to write this film review.

    The move told us a story about a girl named Liz Murray whose parents were addicted to drugs and what made it worse, her mother was also a great drinker. Their house was in a mess and nobody tided it up. They had no money to pay rent for the house. She had to sleep in the street and became homeless.   

The poor girl struggled to get life back when her mother hadn’t taken drugs. She merely went to school but got 100. She was warned to be sent into collecting post, but she never took the warning. Then she became homeless and spent all days wondering around on street corners. Her mother ultimately died of AIDS and left Liz Murray along. The girl wanted to change her present living lifestyle and started a new life. She got part-time jobs but studied everyday even when she was working. She got financial aid from New York Times and went to Harvard.

After finishing watching the film, I felt ashamed. Life was unfair to this girl, but she bore all the suffering and sadness with tremendous courage. She succeeded finally. We always complained about tiring study, the poor study conditions and lack of money, somebody’s treating us unfairly and so on. But compared with Liz Murray, our sadness is nothing.

I knew at that moment I had to make a choice. I could submit to（屈服） everything that happened with a lot of excuses or I could push myself and make my life better. Don’t cry, because there is nothing that make you feel sad; don’t complain, because you are always the lucky one！

  At last，I want to send a word to you; No one can bargain with life. You must endeavor（努力） as long as you are alive.      

一（3）班 刘玉格

It’s my favorite movie, whose leading character is Liz. I put her photo on my desk. Now, you may have learned something happening in her life. So I just want to share my feelings with you. What the movie most impressed me is as follows:

    First, even though she was born in an unlucky family, she always loves her home. No matter what her parents have done, she just loves them so much. The love moved me most.

    Secondly, when she went back to school, she worked so hard. She went to school on a work-study（半工半读） program. She finished four years of high school courses in two years and was successfully admitted to Harvard University. Then she paid her college tuition by applying for a scholarship. She tells us “if you want to succeed, you must make great efforts.” In other words, “No pains, no gains.”

    Thirdly, when she paid a visit to Harvard. She thought it really great. Her teachers told her，“You are so great that you can also be admitted to Harvard University.”She looked at these students and said:“They are not like me.”Then, she thought deeply and told herself:“What makes them so different? Because of where they were born? I was working as hard as I could to live without food stamps. What will happen if I work hard or even more?”

    These words touched my heart.

    At last but not the least, when she gave a talk at the time she got scholarship from The New York Times. She gave a short talk, “I was lucky because there is no security in me all the time. So I was forward… No way to back. I went to a state: “All right, I’ll work as hard as I can and so what happened.” In fact, she tried her best and entered a new world.

    The movie gives me a lot more than I could say today. We may meet troubles in our life but we should feel positive because we can go forward without way to back. And Liz makes me know that life gives everyone different duty, no matter what we are facing, we should just bear our duty. The most important thing she told me is that knowledge is like a tool to help you change your life. Liz also has ever wandered in the corner of the city. However she also went back to school because she realized that only by studying hard can she change her life. So, in my opinion, we study hard not just to get a high-paid job in future, we must use knowledge to change something and then make the society more beautiful.

                                      一（2）刘玉娇