You may have noticed some changes in your grandparents. As they get old, they start 1 things. And the older they get, the 2 things they will forget. For example, they may not be able to 3 where they left their glasses, or they may forget the names of their close friends. If you don't want to 4 memories very early, put down your sandwiches. A new study published in a science magazine shows that cutting calories can 5 people's (especially the old people's) memory.

Calorie restriction (热量限制) let lab animals live longer. And these 6 animals seemed to be 7. But it wasn't clear 8 it was the same with people.

In the latest 9, scientists asked 50 elderly women to 10 the number of calories they consumed (吃,喝) by a third. After three months, the 11 found that the women were not only 12, but they were better than they had been at 13 words — they remembered more words than ever, which suggested that keeping calories under 14 could help keep the brain 15.

In a word, the less you eat, the more you will remember.

When I was younger, I was accustomed to obeying orders. Go to school. Go to play basketball. 1 the parents. One of the most 2 commands was: Be quiet.

So, I learned to stay quiet—about problems, desires and feelings. I developed a rich 3 world and my thoughts were to be 4 mostly to myself.

On the 5 side, that made me more 6. But it also caused that I didn't experience what I wanted, as the wants and the communication both got stopped by a blanket of 7.

It was a long time before I knew it was okay to 8 about needs, desires, and feelings. As I got older, I found people 9 me to open up and share more. That was difficult to do though. I wasn't 10 it. When people wanted to know more about me, 11 felt like they were shining a burning spotlight into my 12. But this left me 13 inside my own thought. I couldn't talk about what I felt, needed, and wanted, no one could help me make 14. Even if people offered 15, it was misguided because they didn't really know what I wanted. They had to 16, but their guesses were wrong.

However, in order to seek for personal 17, I read lots of books and listened to many audio programs. I liked it when other people 18 their stories, goals, ambitions, mistakes, and feelings. Every now and then, I'd come across something that struck me as really 19 and authentic. And I gradually found I really need to 20 my quiet and safe area now.

I remember it was a Saturday. I was invited to my friend's birthday party.1the first time, I was the first one there. I sat on her couch and just waited2for the party to begin. As a flood of guests came in with warm3, there was one short, thin girl who had a huge smile on her face. She just seemed so4from the other girls there. So I decided to begin a conversation with her.

I asked her "Did your mum drive you here?" She answered," Oh, my mum was5." My heart sank. I continued, "When did she die?" "She died when I was seven."

Later on, she told us what had happened the day her mother died." I came home,6to tell my mum what a great day I had had.7I entered the room, I saw my mother on a stretcher (担架). I began8my sister. She just said, ‘Emma, Mum just needs to go to the hospital.'"

The girl said that she went to sleep that night with9, and woke up to be told by her sister, "Emma, please keep10. Mum's dead."

I was so11by this girl's story. She lost her mother at such a young age，but she made up her mind to be strong. With such a big weight of the world on her12, she looked positive and optimistic. She did not shed (流) a(n)13when telling us her story. Strength is something that can14pain at the worst time. She lives every day of her life to the fullest,15with a heavy heart.

I was on a bus one March evening. The driver didn't 1 to start the bus soon because it was not yet full. A middle-aged woman got on. Tired and sad, she told her story 2, not to anyone in particular. On her way to the station, half of her money was stolen. The other half was hidden under her blouse, so she  3 still had some left. A few minutes later, she stopped crying, but still looked 4.

When all the seats were taken, the driver started the engine. The conductor began to collect fares. When she came to an old man in worn-out clothes, he 5 that he had spent all his money when he had accidentally got on a wrong bus and now he was trying to go home. On hearing this, she ordered the old man to 6 the bus. The old man was almost in tears as he 7 her to let him take the bus home. The driver took the conductor's side and repeated the conductor's 8.

The woman was watching the incident. When the driver and the conductor raised their voices at the old man, she interfered(干预).

"Stop 9 him! Can't you see he's only trying to get home?"

"He doesn't have any money!" the driver 10.

"Well, that's no reason to throw him off the bus," she insisted.

Then she reached inside her blouse, took out her 11 money, and handed it to the conductor. "Here's his fare and mine. Just stop giving him a hard time. "

All heads turned to the woman. "It's only money," she shrugged.

She rode the rest of the way home 12 a happy smile, with the money she'd lost earlier 13.

On the road of life, the help of strangers can 14 our loads and lift our spirits. How much sweeter the 15 will be when we make it a little smoother for others!

My brother Joe liked driving cars. He was especially 1speed. It was enough to make mother 2.

As a little boy, Joe would often say to me. "Sister, when I am old enough to drive my own car, I will fly so fast that angels will run scared." With a big grin (咧嘴笑), he would 3 the scene. I could have told him it would 4 happen. But I didn't tell him that.

Joe was born blind. But he could 5 like anyone. I didn't want to be the one to 6 Joe's dreams.7 would do that for him, soon enough. Up to then, didn't he 8 his happiness?

Growing up is a 9 between disappointment and surprise, between dreams and reality. When Joe was 12, I think he knew he would never get a license (驾照). As with the other hard facts of life, he seemed to accept it without question or sadness, as if it were 10 more than a card drawn at random (随机地).

One hot summer day when he was 16, Joe, with the help of stick, found his way to my stepfather's car. He felt the heat of the11 opened the door and climbed in. Under the seat, he discovered 6 cans of beer. And he drank all. He found the keys, shouted, "Hooweeee!" and12 it up.

I have heard various versions (版本) of this story. They all 13this: the car's engine 14. My mother fainted. My stepfather rushed outside.

15, for everyone, the Ford didn't move an inch. But to this day, Joe still swears (发誓) that when he found those keys and fired that old engine up, he heard the angels.

Even though my grandfather was a farmer, my grandmother would iron(熨烫) his work clothes every day. She would sprinkle (喷洒) grandpa's 1with something, hang them over a chair so they could dry a bit, and then iron them. I  2  her do this through my childhood. I thought every old woman in the world did it. But as the years passed, I began to 3 this practice. Why did grandfather need his work clothes  4？ Most days, he never met anyone but me and a few other farmers.

One day I asked grandma about it. She told me that grandpa was the most 5 man in the world, and he was the 6 of her life.

Later that day, I looked closely  at grandpa. He sure didn't look all that handsome to me. He was a short and skinny man. His hair was 7  on top, and his false teeth didn't line up very well when he smiled. So I8  grandma about it again. I informed her I had observed grandpa. She  9  and said, "You just aren't viewing things from the  right  perspective (角度). Those eye wrinkles haven't always been there. He has beautiful blue eyes. " She 10, "I want him to feel beautiful. I iron his clothes every day 11 he has made me feel beautiful for all these years. He is a man worthy of 12. " I heard what she said and was still puzzled. How could this old woman think that an old man with false 13 was beautiful?

The years went on, and I watched grandma and grandpa grow old together. I 14  knew what beauty really was—it was grandma ironing grandpa's pants. I was ashamed and decided to 15 the question I had asked.

As a child I didn't really have fond memories of Christmas. When I was 25 years old, I wanted to1the holiday of Christmas. I particularly had trouble with the Christmas music which was2everywhere. That was why I chose to3on that Christmas Eve. The grocery store I worked in was one of the few that4played Christmas music. But that year I was given the best gift ever — a 5 let me regain my Christmas spirit.

It was the Christmas Eve of 2018 and I was serving as a salesman. Christmas Eve is a time when customers become difficult to6 , as patience can be easily lost in the crowds. Salesmen would find few people7at this time. So I was in8when my shift was over. Later, I boarded a subway car and found a single9at the back of it, far from others. I immediately 10 and sat there.

I hadn't noticed when a man with a loud voice 11 the subway car. When he started to chat with the other passengers, I deliberately (故意地) turned around, showing no12. I wanted to make it clear that I didn't like 13 with him. When the man started singing Jingle Bells, I knew I'd had enough. But slowly the other passengers14, and soon everyone was singing with him. Then, to my 15, I found myself singing as well! With that guy 16 , we sang almost every Christmas song we could remember. Possibly feeling 17 by our singing, passengers from other cars gradually joined us. The fact that our car was full of singing people while others were 18 made me want to laugh.

19none of us had met each other before, I felt we'd 20 a bond of Christmas spirit. Since that Christmas Eve, I have expected Christmas.

Draper was the owner of a secondhand bookstore. One day, when he was sorting through a pile of old books, an envelope fell 1 one. Inside was an undated 2 and a faded photo of a woman holding a little girl on her lap. The letter said if Bethany was 3 it, it meant the author had died.

Tears were welling up in Draper's eyes. These were a 4 woman's last words to her child. He had to 5 Bethany. "Whoever it is will want this," he thought. "You wouldn't 6 a letter like that."

He supposed if the 7 ended up in his shop then Bethany was likely from around Bishop Auckland. And he thought he would 8 the little girl's face. 9 she'd since left the area, there might be someone in the town who would recognize the picture.

He started with the local newspaper. The Northern Echo ran the story of the 10 letter.

11, Bethany Gash, now 21 and a(n) 12 herself, was on Facebook about 10 miles away when a close friend messaged her to check out the 13. As she read her mother's 14, which she thought had been lost forever, she said she thought she must be 15.

Bethany was only 4 when her mother 16. Five years later, her family moved to a new home and the letter, put away in the pages of a book for safe keeping, was unintentionally 17.

She remembered unpacking and looking for the letter, and then 18 searching through everything in the hope that it was there. "That's when I realized it was gone and I'd never see it again," she said.

Draper 19 the letter in person. He also brought her a children's book for her son. Bethany was greatly moved to have the letter back, and also touched by the stranger's 20.

Waiting for the airplane to take off, I was happy to get a seat by myself. Just then, an air hostess came to me and asked, "Would you mind1your seat? A couple would like to sit together. " The only2seat was next to a girl with her arms in casts (石膏绷带), a black-and-blue face, and a sad expression."3am I going to sit there." I thought immediately.

But a soft voice spoke, "She needs help. " Finally, I4to move to that seat. The girl was named Kathy. She was injured in a car accident and now was on her way for5. When the snack and juice arrived, it did not take me long to6that Kathy would not be able to7herself. I considered8to feed her but hesitated (犹豫), as it seemed too9to offer such a service to a10. But then I realized that Kathy′s need was more11than my discomfort. I offered to help her eat and although she was uncomfortable to accept, she12as I expected. We became closer and closer in a short period of time. By the end of the five-hour trip, my heart had13, and the time was really better spent than if I had just sat by myself. I was very glad I had reached beyond my comfort zone to sit next to Kathy and feed her. Love sometimes flows beyond human borders and removes the fears that keep us14. When we are trying our best to15another, we grow to live in a larger and more rewarding world.

佳选项。

I'm not someone who likes to play games. But last April,  I heard some of my classmates talking about the Rubik's Cube（魔方）.

I saw a friend solve this puzzle very1, which really surprised me. Before I had even made my first2, he had aligned（对齐）all  the colors. At the time, I thought my classmate must be using some3technique.

At home I searched online for4. I found out about an Australian teenager who can5the third order cube in 4. 73 seconds. I was shocked. Fascinated（着迷）by his skill , I began to study the Rubik's Cube myself.

Without a teacher to help me, it was a big challenge. The first thing I did was to6the formulas（公式）for the cube.7, that turned out to be an ineffective way of solving the problem.

I began to take another approach to the cube, called "muscle memory". It depends on practicing a specific mechanical movement into memory through8. As time went on, I became more and more skillful. Meanwhile, I found that it was a9way to improve my logical skills and memory.

I'm so glad that I was10to the Rubik's Cube. All in all, to take on a new thing is always a good idea, a way into a new world.