On the first day of school, our professor challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. “Hi, handsome! I’m Rose. I’m 87 years old.”

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent(幼稚的) age?” I joked.

She replied with a smile, “I always dreamed of having a college education, and now I’m getting one.”

We became friends. Every day we would leave class together and talk for hours. Rose was always full of energy. Over the year, she became a college star and she easily made friends wherever she went.

At the end of the term, we invited Rose to speak at a student gathering. I’ll never forget what she taught us. “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only a few secrets to staying young. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.” she said.

“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability,” she added. “But growing up requires finding the opportunity in change. Have no regrets. People usually don’t have regrets for what they did, but rather for things they did not do.”

At the year’s end, Rose finished the college education. One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

One evening, Anne was at home doing her homework. Matthew was home, but Marilla had gone to the town with the Barrys. Suddenly, Anne looked up and saw Diana standing at the door. She looked very worried.

“What is the matter, Diana?” cried Anne.

“Oh, Anne, do come quickly,” said Diana nervously. “Minnie May is very sick. Father and Mother are away in town and there’s nobody to go for the doctor.”

Matthew quietly got his cap and coat and went for the doctor. The two little girls ran to Diana’s house hand in hand. Minnie May was Liana’s three-year-old sister. She was very sick. Anne saw her and immediately went to work. She had looked after many children before and knew what to do.

“First we must have lots of hot water. Put the fire on. Then I’m going to give her some medicine.” Minnie May did not like the medicine, but Anne did not give up.

All night, Diana and Anne stayed with Minnie May. It was three o’clock when Matthew came with the doctor. But by then, Minnie May was sleeping. Anne told the doctor what she had done. He was very impressed. Later on, he told Mr. and Mrs. Barry, “That little red-headed girl is very smart. She saved that baby’s life.”

The next day at dinner, Marilla told Anne, “Mrs. Barry was here this afternoon. She said you saved Minnie May’s life. She invited you to her house.”

That night, Anne went to the Barry’s. They had a good time, and she felt very happy.

——Taken from Anne of Green Gables

John was driving through a small town, feeling quite hungry. When he saw a small restaurant, he quickly parked his car and walked inside it.

John saw a blackboard with a notice on it. It said,“Today’s Special: Vegetable Soup with Fried （炸） Chicken and Roast （烤）Potatoes.”

“Wow, that sounds pretty good!” John thought to himself. He ordered the special, but a few minutes after receiving his order, John called the waiter back to his table. He was mad.

“Is this the special? It says vegetable soup, but there are no vegetables in this soup at all! It also says fried chicken, but the chicken isn’t fried. And it says roast potatoes, but these potatoes aren’t roasted. What’s going on here?”

The waiter was not used to dealing with people from the city. He wasn’t quite sure what to say to this angry customer. But he finally found a way to answer the man. “My good man,” the waiter said, “that is what makes it so special!”