Back to School

    I had always longed to get a degree, but raising a family had come first. Now with my last1in middle school, I thought, why not try to2something while I still had the opportunity. When I told my husband Bob my idea, a broad smile lit up his face. “If that's what you3 we'll make it work.”

    When we asked the kids for advice, they had mixed4Our daughter, already in college, thought it a great idea while John, in high school, was5that we might be in college at the same time. James, our youngest, wanted to know who would take him to football practice. I6that things would be a little different7 if everyone contributed, it wouldn't be difficult.

    The next day we drove to the community college and after a careful research, I chose to8in occupational therapy (康复理疗) . Days passed in excitement, enrolling in classes, shopping for9and attending orientation(入学指导). I felt like a kid again, but as the first day of classes drew near, I became10I was simply too old. People would laugh at me. Finally, with encouragement from my family and friends, I stuck with my11

    As I entered my classroom that first morning, I chose a seat in the back, hoping to12attention. For the rest of that day, I did what I saw the other students do, and gradually, my self-consciousness faded. I found the classes and assignments13 and I left that day feeling I might survive. By the end of the first week, I had made a few friends.

    Studying and keeping up with my duties at home was14No sooner had I begun to study than it was time to drive the kids to their activities. Math and science were15my strong subjects, so I devoted more time to those. When the first semester16 I had a 4.0 GPA and was placed on the Honor Roll.

    By the second year, Bob and the kids were all doing their17 and I had learned how to comfortably18my school and home life. My hard work paid off. I was awarded a scholarship and got the bachelor's degree.

    As I drove away on the last day of school, I thought about what a difference returning to19had made in my life. I looked much younger and I had more20and enthusiasm for life. I even became a therapist. It's never too late to try again.

    During my second year at the city college, I was told that the education department was offering a "free" course, called Thinking Chess, for three credits. I 1the idea of taking the class because, after all, who doesn't want to 2 a few dollars? More than that, I'd always wanted to learn chess. And, even if I weren't 3enough about free credits, news about our 4was appealing enough to me. He was an international grandmaster, which 5 I would be learning from one of the game's 6. I could hardly wait to 7him.

    Maurice Ashley was kind and smart, a former graduate returning to teach, and this 8was no game for him: he meant business. In his introduction, he made it 9that our credits would be hard-earned. In order to 10the class, among other criteria, we had to write a paper on how we plan to 11what we would learn in class to our future professions and, 12, to our lives. I managed to get an A in that 13and learned life lessons that have served me well beyond the 14.

    Ten years after my chess class with Ashley, I'm still putting to use what he 15me: “The absolute most important 16that you learn when you play chess is how to make good 17. On every single move you have to 18a situation, process what your opponent(对手）is doing and 19the best move from among all your options." These words still ring true today in my 20as a journalist.

    Since I introduced animals into my child psychotherapy(心理治疗) practice, my life as a doctor has been full of wonders. One Friday afternoon Diane, a dark-haired five-year-old, who had 1 said a word to anyone outside her home environment, came to me for 2 help.

    When Diane and her parents were 3 in the waiting room, my dog, Puppy, and I walked out to 4 them. I noticed immediately Diane sat with her head down, her eyes directed toward the floor in front of her, making no move to 5.

    Puppy, walking ahead of me, made a beeline for Diane. Because Diane's head was 6, Puppy was just three feet from her when the girl finally 7 sight of him. Startled by the 8 sight, the girl's eyes became huge and then her mouth curved slowly into a smile. Puppy stopped 9 in front of Diane and laid his head in her lap.

    I greeted Diane, but she didn't 10. Instead, she began to silently pet Puppy's head, running her 11 softly over Puppy's ears and nose. Obviously she was still 12, but she was smiling and seemed to be enjoying her 13 with Puppy.

    Then I gave Puppy a hand 14 to go back into the inner office. As Puppy walked away, I watched Diane's face fall and her eyes take on a 15 look. I said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't 16 you wanted Puppy to stay. All you have to do for him to come back is say, 'Puppy, come.'"

    After struggling inside, Diane called in a soft 17, "Puppy, come; please come." As Diane's parents watched in tears, I gave Puppy another signal and he ran over to the girl who 18 her chair and hugged Puppy tightly around the neck. Seeing this, I was 19, for Diane had taken the first step in her journey toward being able to interact(互动) with the world outside her home and Puppy had20his magic again.

    I was a single mother of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always1, but we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, 2on our backs. It was Christmas time, we3 downtown to see the Christmas lights, and enjoyed a special dinner, 4 the big excitement for the kids was the fun of Christmas 5 at the market. They talked and planned for weeks ahead of time, 6 each other what they wanted for Christmas.

    The big day arrived and we started out early. I 7 each kid a twenty-dollar bill and asked them to8for presents. Then everyone scattered (散开).

    Back in the car driving home, everyone was9 about Christmas, laughing and asking each other about what they had10 . I found my younger daughter, Ginger, had only one small and flat bag with her. I could 11 enough through the plastic 12 to tell that she had bought candy bars— fifty-cents candy bars！What did she13 with that twenty-dollar bill I had given her? I was so14. After getting home, I called her into my bedroom and closed the door. This was15 she told me.

    "I was looking around and thinking of what to buy, and I 16 to read the little cards on one of the Salvation Army's 'Giving Trees'. One of the cards was 17a little girl, four years old, and all she 18 for Christmas was a doll with clothes and a hairbrush. So I took the card off the 19 and bought the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn't have anything."

    My anger 20 and I had never felt so rich as I did that day.

    It happens every day, everywhere I go. At the supermarket and the post office, people keep telling me to enjoy my kids while they are 1. I spend my days taking care of them and answering 2 questions about everything from why we have two eyes but one nose to 3there are toilets in the heaven. They 4 me from eating a full meal or getting a full night's5.

    Yet, the other day, when I took my kids to a children's museum, I began to 6 what people were trying to tell me. It was the7time we had gone there without diaper(纸尿片)bag, baby bottle or stroller. As l watched-my sons paint there, I was suddenly8by a wave of 9. My babies weren't babies any more.

    Now I'm paying more attention to the 10 that won't happen when my kids are 11I'm enjoying the minute when Christ looked up the sky and 12excitedly: "Wow! The moon!" In a few 13, it will take rare Shrek card or something else to get him that excited. I'm treasuring the moment when Nicholas put down his fork at dinner and asked," Mommy, how are you doing?" About ten years from now, he might not 14 me. When they're in primary school, they won't want to hold my 15 any more. In junior high school, they won't hug me and say," I love you, too." In high school, they won't even want to be16 together with me.

    Pretty 17 they'll both be gone. And I'll 18 through the supermarket and the post office alone, 19 young mothers to enjoy their kids while they are little. Hope they'll20.

A video of Wang Deshun, an 88-year-old model and actor, strutting the catwalk at Shanghai Fashion Week {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(sweep) the internet recently. His distinctive white beard and robust physique, complemented by a vibrant red suit, captivated the audience with a {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(strike)contrast.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} in 1936, this 88-year-old grandpa's spirit is as strong as ever. "I still have dreams and pursuits. I can do now what I could not do in the past, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} that is what rebirth should be about."

Due to the physical {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(require) of pantomime, Wang, at 50 years old, decided to hit the gym. Training for two hours was followed by two hours of swimming every single day for 30 years, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} helped him shape a healthy and strongly-built body.

"Thirty years ago, I used {#blank#}7{#/blank#} models how to walk with the help of my wife. One day (in 2015), one of our students asked about my body's condition, and I said it's fine. So I was invited to make {#blank#}8{#/blank#} appearance in the show," Wang said, recalling the events that led to overnight fame.

After making waves in the fashion industry{#blank#}9{#/blank#}a male model in his late 70s, the then 85-year-old Wang was once again defying stereotypes concerning the elderly by taking {#blank#}10{#/blank#} a new challenge: getting a pilot's license.