One day my two sons and I got into my old car to drive to the local post office. I backed out of my drive slowly like I normally do and then pulled to a stop at the side road that leads to the main highway. When it was clear I pulled out and stepped on the gas. As I stepped on the clutch（离合器）and tried to shift into second, though, I immediately knew that something was wrong. The normally solid gear shift（档位杆）now felt like a spoon in a bowl of soup. I tried quickly to get <u>it</u> to lock into any of the gears but did not succeed. Thankfully, the steering wheel（方向盘）was still working fine and I allowed the car to go to the end of the side road where I was able to pull safely into a wide spot and turn the engine off.

It was only later in the day that I finally realized how blessed I had been. I could have been on the main road when that stick shift failed. I could have been in the middle of a curve with no place to turn off the road. I could have had a car too close behind me that wouldn’t have been able to stop in time. A hundred things could have made this incident dangerous or deadly. Yet, the gear shift broken at just the right moment to keep me and my boys safe.

Far too often we only see the bad things in life. We get angry when things don’t go out way, and we fail to see the thousands of times that they do. Yes, my car broken down. Still, my sons and I are safe. We are loved. And we have been given more time here in this world to share our own love and light.

Ninety percent of Americans drive to work every day although working from home is on the rise. If you’re lacking for topics of conversation at a party, chatting about your commute（通勤） is a pretty safe bet.

According to a recent study, driving for more than two hours each day can steadily decrease the IQ of middle aged drivers. The Sunday Times of London detailed the study, which looked into the lifestyle choices of over 500,000 Britons between the ages of 37 and 73.

When looking at the data of the 93,000 participants who drove more than two to three hours per day, the study found a noticeable drop off in brainpower, measured by intelligence and memory tests. The study found similar results with participants who took part in several hours similarly sedentary (久坐的) activities, like television watching.

As it turns out, stimulating activity stimulates your brain, while non-stimulating activity, well, doesn’t stimulate your brain.

“Cognitive (认知的) decline is measurable over five years because it can happen fast in middle-aged and older people. This is associated with lifestyle factors such as smoking and bad diet — and now with time spent driving,” Kishran Bakrania, a medical epidemiologist(流行病学家） at the University of Leicester（莱斯特大学） told the Times.

Fortunately for most Americans, the average commute time was recorded at approximately 26.5 minutes according to the 2015 United States Census.

And if you think that the way to pump up your IQ is through brain games, think again. Just try and avoid those long hours on the road if possible, and if you happen to have free time on your commute, be sure to use it wisely.

At 27, after serving in World War II, I dreamed of owning a piece of land. So I moved from central Illinois to Shelbina, Missouri, and bought 236 acres for $6,000. The plot of land was situated on a dirt road and was half farmland and half trees, with an old house that had no running water or electricity. Obviously, it was not what you’d call prime real estate. But it was mine.

I was alone for the first time in my life, and I found it liberating. My days were filled from dawn until dusk with plowing and planting corn. Dinnertime came and went, and I barely remembered to eat.

I wouldn’t say I was a great success at farming in Missouri. However, when I went to the store to buy some plowshares, I met a nice woman named Claudette working behind the counter. I also ran into her at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Shelbina each week. I found out later that her manager kept asking her about “that tall boy (and eligible bachelor) from Illinois living out in the country in an old house with no water, no electricity and no housekeeper.”

Claudette and her sister soon visited my farm and put up some curtains. To show my appreciation, I took Claudette out for a ride in my 2½-ton Studebaker truck. We married in 1954 and have now been together for more than 62 years!

I later sold the Missouri farm for a $3,500 profit and bought 40 acres in Illinois. For many reasons, buying the Missouri farm was a good idea. I will always cherish memories of owning the farm and meeting my beloved.

Water—To Your Health!

Study after study shows that drinking enough water defends against problems from head to toe. Water is a basic need for cell health.     31    . So pour yourself a nice big glass, sit back, and take a look at the many benefits being well hydrated（保持充足水分）can bring to your health.

You’ll have lots of energy

    32     When you’re dehydrated, cells won’t function well enough and the flow is not so smooth affecting your physical and mental performance and making you feel sluggish（迟钝的）, according to a review of hydration research conducted by scientists at the University of North Carolina.

You might lose weight

A new study from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign involving more than 18,000 adults found that when people increased their daily water intake by one to three 8-ounce cups (on top of the four they already drank on average), they ate less.     33    .

Your memory may improve

Your brain is hugely dependent on fluid—all those brain cells need liquid to fire properly. According to a review published in the journal Nutrients, studies have consistently found that memory and attention improve in children after they take a drink of water.     34    .

Your skin will grow

According to research, skin is at least 30 percent water. If your skin cells don’t get the water they need, they’ll start to wither and shrink. But if you drink enough water, you skin cells will become larger, softer and rounder, minimizing the appearance of wrinkles.

    35    

When women in a small study from the University of Connecticut lost just 1.36 percent of their body mass through sweat (and didn’t drink enough water to replace it), their moods soured and they were more likely to experience headaches and exhaustion.

A letter from Grandpa

Dear Ronny,

Years ago you came to me for help. You said, "Grandpa, how is it that you've accomplished so much in your life? You're still full of _________, and I'm already tired of struggling. How can I get that same _________ that you've got?"

I didn't know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are _________, I figure that I ________ you an answer. So here is what I believe.

I think a lot of it has to do with how a person _______ things. I call it “keeping your eyes wide open”.

First, realize that life is filled with________, but many are good ones. If you don't keep watching for them, you'll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while, and you will be.

When you meet up with challenges, _________ them. They'll leave you wiser, __________, and more capable than you were the day before. When you make a mistake, be ________ for the things it taught you. Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.

And always follow the rules. Even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with _________ the rules, you're only fooling yourself.

Sometimes we have to be ________ enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Life isn't just reaching _________. Part of it is moving from one peak to the next. If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to________. Leave the past in the past. Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view.

Dump things that weigh you down __________ and spiritually. When an old resentment（怨恨）, belief, or attitude becomes heavy,_________ your load. Shed those hurtful __________ that slow you down and drain（消耗） your energy.

Remember that your choices will create your _________and your failures. So consider all the pathways _________, and decide which one to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.

Most important of all, ________give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the one who resolves to win. Give life everything you've got, and life will _________its best to you.

Love always,

Grandpa

Hello Kitty，one of the most famous imaginary    56     (character) in the world, greets us everywhere. Since she was born，she    57    (gain) impressive popularity — she is     58       international fashion queen.

2014 was the character's 40th birthday. Fans from around the world gathered     59    (cheerful) to celebrate their love of Hello Kitty.

Hello Kitty,     60     (design) as a character, was to attract pre-teenage girls. The designers could not

Helen McCarthy, an author and expert on Japanese Cartoons, explained     63    the character is so popular. “Because Hello Kitty is all about happiness, friendship and fun. Women and girls all over the world are happy     64    (buy) the image of the trusting, loving childhood represented by Hello Kitty. ”

And the imaginary character does not only appeal    65    females. There are also Hello Kitty products for boys and men，such as neckties and golf bags.

Yours,

Mark

67. My mother always told me it was better to be smart than to be beautiful. “If you are smart, finally you will afford to be beautiful.” All I needed were the brains, and someday, I would be a really beautiful lawyer.

My mother worked at a TV station and I would come along and watch the magic of filming TV shows. But all the same, I was learning.

When my father’s business failed, I was able to continue to attend one of the best bilingual(双语的）schools in Mexico City thanks to scholarship. Scholarship followed me into middle school and high school.

However, during my senior year in high school my family moved to my dad’s country, the United States. For the first time in my life, I had optional（可选择的） classes. So I decided to take psychology class. While I found the public school system to be a joke, I did find my psychology class attractive. My mother, in her dreams for my life, did not see psychology as a good choice, but I was like her, strong-willed to the subject.

I married young, even before I had a degree under my belt. Worst of all, I married a kid who wanted to be poster（牧师）. My mother loved Andy dearly but she would ask him occasionally, “ When will you have a real job?” I did finish my degree and I became a social worker, but when I had my first child at age 24, I quit my job. Then at 26, another baby girl joined our family. Unfortunately, this baby girl had Down syndrome（唐氏综合征）.

How would I be able to break the news to my mother? “ It is better to be smart than to be beautiful.” I knew what “smart” meant in the statement, and I doubted if my with an extra chromosome（染色体） would meet those expectations. My mom was coming to the hospital to meet her new grand-baby. I would tell her then. I needed time to gather my thoughts. I was afraid, afraid that she would see Nichole as one that would never be smart... or beautiful.