学进去

Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station (加油站) about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register (收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.

I took off , but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.

I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.

Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery (电池) was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership — a shop selling cars — was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.

“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?” I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.

“Thank you” — two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much.

I am a full-time student at College of the Redwoods. During this period it is hard to find time to do anything other than work. But after much thought I decided to spend my extra time volunteering at the Sequoia Humane Society.

After my first day of volunteering, I had a mixture of feelings：I felt guilty (内疚的) because I didn’t do anything to help others in the past 25 years; I felt happy because I was helping animals, and I felt sad because these animals did not have a home with a family. The main reason for people volunteering at animal shelters (收容所) is that it helps the animals. It also helps the workers, because they have so many things to do — such as feeding and cleaning — and they just don’t have enough time to give each animal proper attention and exercise. Volunteers help out by taking dogs on long walks so dogs can get exercised.

Walking and playing with the animals helps them become better suited for adoption, increasing the chance that they will find a home and live happily with their owners. As a person who has had pets all my life, I know the joy and happiness that a pet brings to a person, a family, and the world in general. Even on the most stressful day, I know when get home my dog will be sitting there ready to play with me and take my mind off from whatever is causing the stress I am experiencing. Volunteering at an animal shelter gives someone the opportunity to experience what I have all the time a warm, loving animal that just wants to have fun and make you happy. So make the time to make an animal happy. Start volunteering today!

In America, when the eighth graders leave the middle school, they are often worried about moving to the high school. It is a hard time for them, but it can be an exciting one as well. To make it easier, students need to get familiar with their school.

Even though they’ve done this already in the middle school, it’s still important to find where their classrooms are. Most schools take students to the high school for a visit at the end of their eighth grade year. And, most schools also have a freshman (新生) speech for parents and students before the first year begins. Sometimes the main office will give away a map of the school. This can help students and parents to find different place.

One way to know your high school more and make new friends is to join a club or play a sport. Schools often offer chances to join different clubs and sports. If you are not interested in sports, there are clubs for any interest, such as drama, dance, chess, photography，community service, etc. These clubs allow students from different grades. By joining an activity, students can find new friendships, not to mention improving their chances in future college applications (申请). The school office will have a list of activities offered at the school and information on how to join them.