Six years ago at the age of 35,I suddenly decided I wanted to learn the cello（大提琴）.Straight away I rented an instrument and appeared before Wendell Margrave,professor of musical instruction.

    "You can be as good as you want to be,"Margrave said rather mysteriously.On a piece of paper he drew the notes E and F.He showed me where to put my fingers on the neck of the cello and how to draw the bow.Then he entered my name in his book: 10 am,Tuesday.Tuesday followed Tuesday,and soon it was spring.

Thus began my voyage out of ignorance and into the dream.E-F,E-F,we played together—and moved on to G.It was a happy time.I was again becoming something new,and no longer trapped as the same person.Surely the most terrible recognition of middle life is that we are past changing.We do what we can already do.The cello was something I couldn't do.Yet each Tuesday this became less and less true.Riding home on the bus one snowy night and learning the score of Mozart's C-Major Quintet(莫扎特的C大调五重奏),I felt the page burst into music in my hands.I could by then more or less read a score,and was humming（哼唱）the cello line,when suddenly all five parts came together harmonically（和谐地） in my head.The fellow sitting opposite stared.I met his glance with tears,actually hearing the music in my head for the first time.Could he hear it too, perhaps?No,he got off at the next stop.

    As the years slipped by,my daughter grew up,playing the piano well.My goal was that she and I would one day perform together.I also wanted to perform in public with and for my peers,and to be secretly envied.I continued to play,to perform,but it is not the same.Before,when I heard a cello,it was all beauty and light.Now,as the TV camera gets close to Rostropovich's face,I recognize that his smile shows his incredible determination.Even for him,the cello is a difficult instrument that doesn't respect your ambitions.I picked up my cello and practiced.As good as I wanted to be,I am as good as I'm going to get.It is good enough.

The Advantages of Hobbies

    Hobbies provide entertainment and a chance lo continuously learn something new and develop a skill set. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Hobbies are praised as a key to stress reduction.Becoming lost in the mental concentration or physical action which you are deeply interested in helps you shift focus from the parts of life that are stressful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And in turn you are more peaceful when working on other work.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Many people set goals with their hobbies that provide them satisfaction when these goals have been achieved.These goals can be simple,like improving a golf score,writing a certain number of pages for a novel each day or seeing an entire collection of classic films.

    Hobbies provide a sense of community when you meet other people who enjoy similar activities. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} More populated cities typically have numerous clubs or groups for people to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about a particular hobby.Becoming a member of one of these organizations allows greater growth within your hobby,as well as a chance to make new friends.

    Having a hobby can develop a talent that makes a person feel proud and satisfied.For example,a tennis hobby developed at a young age can lead lo a career as a professional athlete one day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}For example, writer Vladimir Nabokov also collected butterflies,which allowed him to do better in his chosen fields because he used learned skills from one to improve the other.

A.There are a variety of hobbies.

B.Hobbies provide a sense of achievement.

C.Some hobbies affect other aspects of your life.

D.Focusing on something enjoyable can calm the mind.

E.They also provide many other social and health benefits.

F.Having a hobby increases the chances to interact with like-minded people.

G.Some hobbies containing physical activities offer an enjoyable way to stay healthy.

    It is widely acknowledged that it is by no means an easy task to bring up a child well. And our ancestors already understood it well. As an old proverb says, “It takes an entire village to raise a child.” That is being quoted more and more often these days. And I'm pleased about that.

    Parents need to be involved in their children's education in many ways. Helping children with homework and studying, going on a field trip, teaching a craft or coaching a child's sports team are all great ways to be involved with your child's education. And don't forget to communicate with teachers—they need and respect your input. Studies show that children learn more and schools function better when parents and schools work together.

    Communities can help children create and achieve new goals. There are other ways such as helping with homework. reading to a child, coaching a children's team, providing emotional support, helping solve problems and building self-esteem（自尊）. Kids need role models and advisers can be role models by sharing their experiences and wisdom.

    Businesses can also help shape our children's future—invite a class from your local school to visit your workplace. You may be providing a glimpse that opens a new world of possibilities. Show students what goes on during a typical day. Give a mini course for students: how products are made; how machinery works. You may have a developing electrician, a teacher, a nurse, or even a newspaper reporter on your hands.

    It really does lake an entire village to raise a child. So share the responsibility－and the joy—of bringing a child to his or her full potential.

    You may have heard adults say they are uncomfortable in the morning without a cup of coffee. One reason they may feel that way is that coffee contains caffeine(咖啡因). Caffeine appears naturally in coffee, tea, and cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate. But now food makers are adding it to many products, from potato chips to water.

    The US government is especially worried about the problem. That's why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is studying the health effects of caffeine on young people. Studies show that too much caffeine can make people nervous and unable to sleep. What's more, caffeine is habit- forming. Those who consume it regularly and stop suddenly may experience headaches and feel tired.

    One of the biggest concerns is the large amount of caffeine added to so-called energy drinks, like Red Bull. A 12-ounce can of cola has about 35 milligrams of caffeine. A similar serving of Red Bull contains more than three times that amount.

    The Institute of Medicine is also working on caffeine-safety measures. "Teenagers should not drink beverages that contain caffeine. They should be aware of caffeine's effects on health and on how the brain works. Take, for example, teenagers who consume caffeine to stay awake and study for a test. They will remember less of what they just studied," said Stallings, a member of the institute.

    Companies that make products with added caffeine claim they do not advertise them to kids. However, there is no law to stop children from buying them. So the FDA needs to set limits on caffeine, especially in energy drinks. As for added caffeine in foods, the government should just say no. If not, the amount of caffeine should be printed on food labels to remind consumers. The government must do that.

    Doctors say kids should avoid caffeine. If you need extra energy, try these natural boosters: eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep.

    Sandi Patty has been a name synonymous (同义的) with Gospel music because of her singing ability since she released her first album in 1979.

    Patty's newest book. The Voice, takes a deep dive into parts of her life she's kept private for years. Surprisingly, The Voice is not primarily concerned with Patty's singing voice. Patty was always a talented singer. However, she struggled to find her inner voice and speak up for herself. "I was a shy kid. Words were hard for me," Patty said.

    One of the reasons why Patty found it so difficult to use her voice was a traumatic childhood experience. At age six, she was abused by a friend, an experience she opened up for the first time in the book.

    She is sharing the story of her experience now, hoping it will help other people feel less alone. "Feeling alone keeps everybody silent about the tough times in our lives, so we think we're the only ones," Patty said. She wrote in The Voice that she felt like it was her job to make everyone feel better.

    Friendships were essential for helping Patty find the courage to speak up. They reminded her that she didn't need to make others feel better because the people she loved didn't doubt she cared for them.

    Friends and family were crucial for helping Patty confront another struggle she faced—shame. She felt unpleasant for insecurities about her weight and her divorce. "I've heard it explain that guilt tells us we have done something wrong and shame says we are wrong," Patty said.

    "I want people to know that their stories and their voices matter," Patty said. "We have to figure out a way to take our pain away and put it where it needs to be, without letting it guide our lives. Pain is a part of our story. It describes us, but it doesn't need to define us."

    People generally tend to pick out the best-looking fruits and vegetables when shopping for produce, but Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws is attracting customers with badly-shaped and faulty produce at the price of 30% lower than normal-looking ones.

    A trial run of the ugly food line, named "Naturally Imperfect", began with only apples and tomatoes to choose from. Consumer demand has been so huge that Loblaws is going to introduce more unsightly vegetables and fruit options like onions and mushrooms. The line is available at other stores, including Real Canadian Superstore and Your Independent Grocer.

    All the produce that will be sold through Naturally Imperfect would otherwise have been used in juices, sauces, or soups, or have not been harvested at all. The director Dan Branson explained that this program benefited both food producers who would otherwise have to let abnormal harvest go to waste, and consumers who could buy fresh produce at low prices. And he was right, given how popular the line has become.

    "It really went well beyond our expectation," Branson said. "I think it really spoke to the fact that Canadians are out there really looking for some options."

    Of course, Canadians know that beauty is more than skin deep, but they also recognize that they can get the same flavor and nutritional benefits in spite of appearances. The positive response to the initial offering of apples and potatoes showed the opportunity to expand the line and offer more options at a greater price to Canadian families.

    "If you grow produce in your backyard, there will be a lot of produce that won't look as pretty as what you will see in a grocery store," said Branson. "And nature doesn't grow everything perfectly. I'd like to think if somebody were to take a No Name Naturally Imperfect apple, put right beside a No.1 apple, close their eyes and eat them, there would be no difference."