When Sarah Hansen first came to Bonnie Schlachte's ballet studio, she jokingly called herself a “weeble-wobble,” telling her ballet teacher that when she tried to walk, she would fall. “She couldn't walk across the room without holding on to something,” recalls Schlachte. “She would immediately fall.”

    Hansen was only in middle-school, but a progressive neurological disease was hindering her ability to walk, let alone do ballet. But Hansen had a tenacious spirit and desperately wanted to learn ballet. Hansen joined in weekly group classes at Schlachte's ballet studio called Ballet for all Kids, a studio that teaches children with disabilities. Soon after she began classes and private lessons, her family saw a vast improvement in her ability to move.

    She worked tirelessly in the studio, focusing on what her instructor wanted from her. “At the time, her foot wouldn't fully rest on the floor,” explains Schlachte. “That's why she couldn't stand on her own, there was no support.”

    Schlachte pushed her student, explaining to Hansen that her brain has neuroplasticity(可塑性) so eventually it will receive the message.

    As a mom, a classically trained ballerina, and holding a degree in psychology, Bonnie Schlachte was the perfect person to push Hansen to do her best. Schlachte put herself through college with dance and theater scholarships. After graduation, she came across an opportunity with children with developmental disabilities. She fell in love and chose to focus on jobs in that field.

    Years later, Schlachte found herself watching and celebrating Hansen, who at one point could barely walk, was now moving across the floor on her own two feet. “One day, her ankle dropped, and she put her whole foot on the ground,” says Schlachte. “I was crying, her mom was crying, it was a great moment.”

    Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone,not in features but in footsteps.As he grows you also age, and your ambitions become more unachievable.You begin to realize that your boy,in your footsteps,could probably accomplish what you hoped for.But footsteps can be muddied and they can go off in different directions.

    My son Jody has hated school since day one in kindergarten.Science projects waited until the last moment.Book reports weren't written until the final threat.

    I've been a newspaperman all my adult life.My daughter is a university graduate working toward her master's degree in English.But Jody? When he entered the tenth grade he became a “vo-tech” student(技校学生).They're called “motorheads” by the rest of the student body.

    When a secretary in my office first called him “motorhead”,I was shocked.“Hey,he's a good kid,” I wanted to say.“And smart,really.”

    I learned later that motorheads are,indeed,different.They usually have dirty hands and wear dirty work clothes. And they don't often make school honor rolls(光荣榜).

    But being the parent of a motorhead is itself an experience in education.We who labor in clean shirts in offices don't have the abilities that motorheads have.I began to learn this when I had my car crashed.The cost to repair it was estimated at $800.“Hey,I can fix it,” said Jody.I doubted it ,but let him go ahead,for I had nothing to lose.

    My son ,with other motorheads,fixed the car.They got parts(零件）from a junkyard,non-toasting toaster have been fixed.Neighbours and co-workers trust their car repair to him.

    Since that first repair job,a broken air-conditioner,a non-functioning washer and a non-toasting toaster have been fixed.Neighbors and co-workers trust their car repairs to him.

    These kids are happiest when doing repairs.They joke and laugh and are living in their own relaxed world.And their minds are bright despite their dirty hands and clothes.

    I have learned a lot from my motorhead: publishers need printers,engineers need mechanics,and architects need builders.Most important,I have learned that fathers don't need clones in footsteps or anywhere else.

    My son may never make the school honor roll.But he made mine.

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    The U.S. Department of Labor statistics (统计) show that there is an oversupply of college-trained workers and that this oversupply is increasing. Already there have been more than enough teachers, engineers, physicists, aerospace experts, and other specialists. Yet colleges and graduate schools continue every year to turn out highly trained people to compete for jobs that aren't there. The result is that graduates cannot enter the professions for which they were trained and must take temporary jobs which do not require a college degree.

    On the other hand, there is a great need for skilled workers of all sorts: carpenters, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, TV repairmen.

    These people have more work than they can deal with, and their annual incomes are often higher than those of college graduates. The old gap that white-collar workers make a better living than blue-collar workers no longer holds true. The law of supply and demand now favors the skilled workmen.

    The reason for this situation is the traditional myth that college degree is a passport to a prosperous future. A large part of American society matches success in life equally with a college degree. Parents begin indoctrinating (灌输) their children with this myth before they are out of grade school. High school teachers play their part by acting as if high school education were a preparation for college rather than for life. Under this pressure the kids fall in line. Whether they want to go to college or not doesn't matter. Everybody should go to college, so of course they must go. And every year college enrollments (入学) go up and up, and more and more graduates are overeducated for the kinds of jobs available to them.

    One result of this emphasis on a college education is that many people go to college who do not belong there. Of the sixty percent of high school graduates who enter college, half of them do not graduate with their class. Many of them drop out within the first year. Some struggle on for two or three years and then give up.

    American and British people use different greetings. In the USA the commonest greeting is “Hi”. In Britain it is “Hello!” or “How are you?”. “Hi!” is creeping(不知不觉地进入) into British, too. When they are introduced to someone, the Americans say, “Glad to know you.” The British say, “How do you do?” or “Pleased to meet you.” When Americans say “Good-bye”, they nearly always add, “Have a good day.” or “Have a good trip.” etc. to friends and strangers alike. Britains are already beginning to use “Have a good day.”

    The British usually use “got” in the sense of “have”. The Americans hardly ever do.

AmE: Do you have a car, room, etc.? Yes, I do.

BrE: Have you got a car, room, etc.? Yes, I have.

    There are a number of differences between American and British English in the spelling of words, e.g. check(US)/cheque (UK). Many American words ending in “or”, e.g. honor, labor are spelt in British English with an “our,” e.g. honour, labour. Many verbs in American English with “ize” or “izing” forms, e.g. organize, realizing are spelt in BrE with “ise” or “ising”, e.g. organise, realising. In American English, “practice” is used both for the verb and noun. In BrE, the verb is spelt “practise”, and the noun “practice.” In American English, one writes “traveler,” while in British English, one writes  “traveller”.

    It was once predicted that British and American English would become separate languages finally. But the opposite has happened. The links(联系) between the two countries are so strong that linguistically(语言上地),and probably culturally(文化上地) too, they are closer together than ever.

Europe is famous for big cities and world-class art museums. It's easy not to notice the small, beautiful villages in Europe. However, if you're after relaxation, peaceful country walks, beautiful buildings, and chances for different cultures on your next trip, consider cutting down some of your city time and head out to a village instead. Here are three of the most beautiful villages in Europe, along with our top picks for places to stay in each.

Bibury in Gloucestershire, England

Often praised as the most beautiful village of the Cotsworlds, Bibury is also one of the most popular places for visitors to stay in the area, and attracts a lot of tourists from around the world. It's set among the green hills that the area is known for and is composed of light-beige(浅米色) stone houses, including the famous Arlington Row, a line of houses dating back to 1380.

Cong in County Mayo, Ireland

Set on a small sea-facing island on the western coast of Ireland, Cong is a quiet village that's famous for its grey stone ruins and many outdoor activities. One of the biggest reasons for its fame is that the 1952 film The Quiet Man was made there, but the biggest draw for most visitors is the chance to visit (or stay in) Ashford Castle, which is now run as a great expensive hotel.

Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy

Spread over a hilltop nearly 2, 000 meters above sea level, the Tuscan village of Montepulciano offers beautiful buildings from the Middle Ages, as well as many chances to visit wineries(酿酒厂) and taste the locally produced Vino Nobel di Montepulciano. With fortifications(防御工事) dating back to the 14th century, the village has churches and public squares, which are truly fascinating.