“It's never too late and you are never too old to start something new!” says Englishtown1Ellen Rema. Ellen began to learn English at the age of 50, and in just a few years, she had made2progress!

    Ellen chose to study at Englishtown because no evening classes were3n the German countryside where she lives. At Englishtown, she joins4classes online and speaks with live native English-speaking teachers.

    In 2001, Ellen began with the first level of Englishtown and quickly5. “I spent hours and hours studying.” she said. “Maybe I wanted too much in a short time. I finished all my6after 2 years and studying English isn't all about hard work. It should also be7! I really like the online conversation classrooms, in which I can learn so much about other cultures and traditions. I am open for all8.” Ellen has been able to9her English to use by visiting England five times! “I'm very thankful to Englishtown because most of the English I know was learned here,” Ellen says. “My life has10with Englishtown.”

    A few years ago, I was with a close friend in a grocery store in California. As we walked along the aisle (过道), we became 1of a mother with a small boy going in the opposite direction. The woman don't noticed us because she was so 2 with her child, who 3 to eagerly pull items off the lower shelves. As the mother became more and more annoyed, she started to 4 at her son and progressed to shaking him by the arm.

    At this point my friend spoke up. A wonderful mother of three, she had probably 5 in her life6 any child so harshly(严厉地). I 7 my friend would give this woman a serious8 about the effect of this kind of behavior on the boy. However to my9 my friend said, “What a(n)10little boy. How old is he?” The woman answered, “He's three.” My friend went on to say how11 he seemed and how her own three children12in the grocery store, pulling things off shelves. “He seems so bright,” my friend said. A(n)13smile came to the woman's face. She said, “Yes, he's very smart,14 sometimes he wears me out.” My friend responded, “ They can do that; they're so15.

    As we16 away, I heard the mother speaking more17to the boy about getting home and cooking his dinner. “We'll have your favorite foods,” she told him.

    How 18my friend achieved harmony in the situation! Really, although sometimes it's necessary to 19someone physically from hurting another person, more often it is helpful that we show love and 20to those lost in anger, allowing them to remember their own tenderness(温柔).

    Hearing my name called, I turned and found it was Carina. After three months, I was 1 with my group leader. She was a twenty-two-year-old native New Yorker who had 2me on a five-week trip to Spain.

    3 our trip was my first experience of traveling and seeing the world, it was an eye-opening one that has left me thirsty for more 4. Much of the change that the trip brought to me came from Carina because she encouraged me to 5 myself while in Spain. She urged me to speak more Spanish and 6 more about Spain. We traveled around and 7 much about Spanish history and present situation, which helped me learn more about the rich Spanish 8.

    Now that we met again in New York, our conversation picked up again, 9 this time it was about our futures. 10, this meeting was less of a reunion but more of a goodbye. She would 11 San Francisco the next day, packing her life into two suitcases and moving to the other side of the country. “I'm not staying here just because it's 12 to live here. Make sure that you will 13 your heart and be brave in your college study,” she urged me.

    Carina's 14made me realize that the world is full of things to explore. I've lived in a small New England town my whole life without any adventure, so it's time to 15 and go somewhere I can do something  16. I see college as a 17 to take a risk and discover new things. I want a place to test new 18. Whether it's helping people as a doctor, or performing research for a field study, I want to be more like Carina and have no fear of trying new things. She introduced me to the world of 19, and now that I've gotten a taste, I'm going to 20 for more.

    When I was in high school, I belonged to a club that did community service work. There was one special1that was uncommon for me. I spent three or four hours2out warm dinner to the homeless out in the streets and then in a homeless3not far from the Bay Bridge as well.

    I was in high school and at the time my little sister was too 4to join in. She wanted to help, so she made many chocolate chip cookies for me to5and hand out to people. When getting to the shelter(避难所 ).I passed out the6 .I began making sandwiches and7them with the crowd. I had the boxes with my sisters8in them and began to9around offering them to anyone near me.

    I moved towards an old gentleman and said, "Sir, would you like a cookie?" He stopped and 10looked at me and said. "What did you say? Did you call me sir? I told him I had, and his eyes 11a little bit and said "No one has ever called me sir in the Past 60 years." So he was completely 12when I did so.

    It shocked me. I explained I had been raised that whatever a person's13and social position were, he deserved respect. It 14me to think that just because he was homeless, no one 15 him the honor. It broke my heart. I just didn't understand why no one ever called him sir, I had never thought that anyone was 16me because I wasn't raised that way. Every 17 person deserves to be treated with respect. Years later, I still18that memory and the19it taught me .Sometimes, what we take for granted can20make a difference in someone s life.

    It had been a long drive to the Veteran's hospital. My brother and I had gone to1my Dad who had been2days earlier, weak, sick and confused. The3had diagnosed him with pneumonia(肺炎) and found cancer cells in his brain. My Dad looked so4lying there in bed. It wasn't just the5that was getting to him. It was also being so6his family and friends.

    As I sat by his7, a little woman with a big smile8into his room. She was at least 80 years old but seemed to have the9of someone 60 years younger. She was a volunteer10handmade get-well cards from the local elementary school. Gently, she took my Dad's hand and thanked him for his service to our country. It was the first time since he had gotten11that I saw my Dad smile. I12her into the hallway as she left and13her for lifting my Dad's14. "I am just sharing a little15, sweetie," she said with a smile as she walked into the next16room to share a little more.

    That 80-year-old angel reminded me again of what is17in this life: sharing our love. When we share our love, we create18not only in the hearts of those19us, but in our own hearts as well. When we share our love, we find ourselves doing what we were always20to do. When we share our love, we make our souls lighter, our lives brighter and the world better.