An Ageless Story
Every so often we can read about a man or woman who has reached an age
far beyond the limits we ordinarily expect. Reports of a man in Chile 
or a woman in Turkey who has celebrated the 105th or 110th birthday 
occur regularly. The natural question is, to what do there people owe
their longevity? Frequently, the answer concerns the fact that the ancient
one liked to imbibe regularly of some hard liquor. The photograph will
show an apparently virile man or robust woman. Somehow, people who reach
this advanced age seem to remain eternally sturdy. There are no signs
that they have become senile. Smoking a pipe, or sewing on some garment
there rare specimens of hardy humanity are far from the doddering
folk we expect to see.


burn the midnight oil--If I'm going to pass the test tomorrow, I will
have to burn the midnight oil tonight.
(study or work late into the night.)