【推荐1】Sonya and her family have been homeless since she was 3 years old. Over the years, they have moved more than 15 times to different shelters around New York City. Moving around was hard on Sonya. At school, Sonya hid her homelessness from teachers and other students. She didn’t want to be treated differently than other kids.

In sixth grade, Sonya discovered a way to deal with some of her stress (压力). She began studying dance at her middle school. “It was a way for me to express myself, instead of just holding everything in” she explains. Soon, Sonya auditioned (试演) for a summer dance camp run by Alvin Alley, a famous dance company. She was accepted. “I was delirious,” says Sonya.

Dancing became an even more important part of Sonya’s life in high school. But things were not going well for Sonya at school. Each time her family moved to a new shelter, Sonya missed school. As the second­oldest of six kids, Sonya often took care of her younger sisters and brothers. She helped them get ready in the morning and took them to school. They would be on time, but Sonya would be late.

Worrying about her family kept Sonya from thinking about her own future. That changed the summer after 11th grade. Sonya learned she would have to go to summer school to graduate. She became determined to succeed, no matter what. “It was a wake­up call,” she says. “I had to focus on (集中精力于……) school and on myself.”

Sonya made up the work that she had missed, and finally graduated from high school. No one in her family had gone to college before. But in September 2015, Sonya enrolled (登记入学) in the State University of New York at Potsdam. She plans to become a doctor for kids and to teach dance to children who have disabilities.

【推荐2】Many Westerners have the idea that everyone in China knows how to do kung fu. This is, of course, a silly belief. But it is true that kung fu is a big part of Chinese culture.

Like most people from the West, I was first introduced to kung fu through Hong Kong action films. Stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan made kung fu popular in the Western world. The flashy and impressive performances they gave in films like Rumble in the Bronx and Enter the Dragon made them household names in the U.S. and elsewhere.

However, my own personal interest in kung fu was actually inspired by a hip hop group. Wu－Tang Clan, founded in the early 1990s in New York City, is one of the most influential hip hop groups in history.

In their songs, they sometimes mention philosophical concepts that come from Wudang quan — a classic Chinese martial art from which they take their name — and Shaolin Temple. I was just a teenager when I first started listening to Wu－Tang Clan — little did I know that I would actually end up living in China later in my life!

I myself do not practice kung fu. However, the concepts behind it are quite interesting to me. There is a Bruce Lee quote that I often think of when I'm struggling with challenges in life. “Be formless, shapeless, like water,” he once said. By this, he meant that you should be ready to adapt to and change your attitudes or beliefs when you face difficulties. I think this is a good way to deal with life.

【推荐1】The other day I was doing some shopping and a homeless man, who was untidy and spent most of the time talking to no one, walked toward a group of us at the checkout stand. I overheard him say to the man in front of me, “I don’t want to steal from this store... would you buy me some food?”

The man in front of me pretended not to hear him; it was as if he were not there. I waited patiently for my turn to be questioned, but it never came. So I asked him, “Can I buy you something to eat?” He gladly accepted. The man got a bag and began putting cupcakes in the bag. As my things were being rung up I watched the man put the cupcakes into the bag; 1, 2, 3... He finally stopped and I asked him how many he had got and he replied 6.

The cashier looked at me in surprise and then added them to my order. After I was through, the man was walking around the store; he said he wanted something to drink, too. The cashier seemed to be keeping a close eye on him. I admit I was too, as I didn’t want him to steal anything either! I told the cashier that if he got a drink I’d just pay for it.

In the end, we both ended up leaving the store, but he stood right outside holding the cupcakes and talking to himself. Or maybe he was talking with someone who he thought was there.

This man’s circumstances (处境) made me sad. How many of our homeless also suffer from a mental illness? Maybe that’s even what led him to be homeless. I also thought about the watchful eye the cashier and I kept over him. Maybe for different reasons, I still hope to run into him again someday, and maybe we can sit down and have lunch together.

【推荐2】I went shopping for a dress to wear to my daughter’s high school graduation half a year ago. To my horror, I could only fit into a size 20.

Being overweight most of my adult life, I always had very little self-confidence. Wearing a dress I didn’t like to such an important event was enough to make me look for help. Thankfully, a friend of mine was attending Weight Watchers meetings, and I noticed her great progress. Her success inspired me to give it a try. I joined Weight Watchers, attended their meetings and started following their Weight-Loss System.

I focused on the plan with determination and never missed a weekly meeting! I discovered that I enjoyed the benefits of having the help and support of others. I also read the weekly online e-newsletter and was inspired by the stories, recipes and information offered there, I also read magazines produced by Weight Watchers, which have great tips and new ideas in each issue.

It’s hard for me to even remember the person I was before my amazing change. I didn’t walk anywhere and couldn’t wash my car or walk my dog. Today I do these simple tasks without even thinking about them. But the change didn’t happen overnight. I had to exercise with patience and perseverance. I decided to take it one day at a time and stick with it for good.

The “new me” is more self-confident and healthier. I love how I feel now. I have more energy and feel like I’m 25 again. So why not give Weight Watchers a try if you have the same overweight problem?

【推荐3】Late last year, I needed to transport some furniture from our house to my son’s flat in central London. I should have paid a man to do it, but foolishly confident in my driving ability, I decided to hire a lorry and drive it myself.

Moving the lorry backward in my yard, I crashed into a small shed, causing permanent damage. Fortunately, I owned the shed. I loaded up with the furniture and set out. By now it was rush hour. My nerves broke down, as I drove the huge lorry through the streets nervously.

At last I arrived at Charlotte Street and found an available parking space. I moved the lorry into it only to notice three people at a pavement cafe waving to me. I got out, trembling violently, like one who had just finished a stormy Atlantic crossing. “You’ve hit the car parked behind you,” they said. I examined the car. There were white scratches on its front face. It bore a disabied sign. So, now I was a bad driver and a bad man. Under the severe look of the three, I left an apologetic note on the damaged car’s windscreen, giving my phone number.

I unloaded the furniture, dripping the sweat, wanting only to escape from the monster. I drove it back to its base at Edgware. On arrival, the boss told me I must fill it up with petrol before returning it. “Just charge me,” I cried, still shaking with fear. He stared at me with understanding. No doubt he’d witnessed others in this state before. “How about I drive you to a petrol station, you fill up and I drive it back?” he asked.

He danced the great lorry through the traffic so carefully that it would have shamed me if I had not been so grateful.