I've recently spoken very directly with a few of my students about a malady that afflicts a certain small percentage of students in that final run of days that lead to the big one: GRADUATION DAY. That malady is not the dreaded H1N1 virus, nor bronchitis, appendicitis, or tonsillitis. No, the malady of which I speak is known as "senioritis." Senioritis is an affliction that can treat college and high school seniors the way a fly swatter treats flies. Everything is buzzing along fine and dandy, and then, bam! The symptoms of senioritis are well known. They include an all but irresistible urge to cut classes and ignore due dates for homework and presentations. Students in the throes of senioritis often feel a profound sense of lethargy. Right out of the blue, seniors about to graduate suddenly become candidates for the Nobel Prize in Absenteeism. Stricken with senioritis, some young scholars are unable to lift a single finger or take a single step forward. A severe case of senioritis may actually sink an ordinarily cheerful and energetic senior into a bottomless pit of listlessness and languor. "Seniors," runs my advice these days, "treasure these last laps between now and June. Keep pumping those knees. The finish line is near. Don't stop yet. Don't be an absentee."
malady:疾病,社會歪風
dreaded:可怕的
symptom:癥狀
lethargy:嗜睡,無生氣
absenteeism:曠課
lap:一圈
fly swatter:蒼蠅拍
to cut class:翹課
to lift a finger:舉手之勞