【推荐2】I have a neighbor who is a capable and fashionable seventy-year-old single woman. Her name is Grace. Grace was laid off from her job a little over two years ago and has been living off her savings ever since. She has not technically “retired”. Grace called me up one day about this time last year and asked if I had a ladder. She needed to clean out her gutters (雨水槽) and wanted me to hold the ladder.

She didn’t want me to climb up and clean the gutters: she just wanted me to hold the ladder. As it happened, did have ladder. However, being typical procrastinator (拖延者), I said, “The leaves are going to fall off the trees in a month. Why don’t we wait and do it then?” She agreed and naturally we didn’t talk about it again until spring. Spring in Tennessee is wild and we talked about it over the course of three weeks, during which time it rained nearly every day. Then got busy and Grace went into seclusion (隐居).

A couple weeks ago, she told me she’d been spending too much money and decided to apply for a tending job at a local hotel. Though I didn’t know much about today’s people, I’d never considered what it would be like to apply for and begin a new job at the age of seventy. I’m fifty-three and the closer get to that age, the more I think about how great it’ll be if I can just get out of bed when I’m seventy. Anyway she got the job, serving and tending guests at the hotel. She actually lived out her life motto.

The day she left for her training at 6:00 a.m., I walked across the street with my ladder and went to clean out her gutters.

【推荐3】A one-armed 13-year-old basketball player in a video moves China. He is Zhang Jiacheng, from Guangdong Province. In the video, facing a taller, stronger, and older opponent(对手), he isn’t afraid at all.

Attracted by his good skills in the video, many people even fail to know that Zhang Jiacheng has only one arm. Although the young boy lost one of his arms in an accident, he became crazy about playing basketball at 12. “Work hard or just give up,” he always says. Thus, he spent all of his free time on it without considering his body condition.

People’s attention has encouraged him to work harder towards his goal—to become a top basketball player. “I just keep practising every day to improve myself whether at home or in the playground,” he says, “My biggest challenge is to control the ball much better.” After only a year of hard practicing, Zhang Jiacheng has improved his skills greatly. Through patience, confidence and determination, the young basketball player is getting closer to his life goal.

His effort and courage finally caught the attention of Yi Jianlian, a Chinese professional(职业的) basketball player, who shared the video on his own Weibo.

【推荐1】Frank, Aged 21

The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself. Besides, I don’t know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have in one night. It’s best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need to.

Eddie, Aged 20

When I started high school I was really nervous too, especially since I had been home-schooled all through middle school and didn’t really know anyone. I suppose the best advice would be to just relax. The first couple of days can be a little bit hard but things will become easier before you know it.

David, Aged 19

I am not going to lie. The first day is kind of frightening. But you’ll get used to it. Don’t be afraid of anyone; upperclassmen will pick on you more if you let them know you’re afraid. Just take it easy. Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly. After the first week it’s really not bad at all. Don’t worry.

【推荐3】Going from middle school to high school can be difficult, as students are faced with new academic (学业的) and social challenges. Before the first day of high school, there are things every soon-to-be high school freshman and their families should know.

People who have a fixed mindset (思维倾向) believe that they are born to be great or weak. On the other hand, people that have a growth mindset believe that their greatness or weakness is because of their own actions. I totally agree that students should have a growth mindset. I don’t expect any student to move from just passing a subject to an A+. It’s going to take time and focused effort; just keep working on it.

Parents should prepare students to fight the battle “on the pillow” and “in the kitchen”. When I say “pillow” I mean sleep. Not having enough sleep can have some surprising effects on students, including improper behavior, anxiety and poor grades. The second weapon (武器) is eating healthy and balanced meals. Studies show that students who eat nutritious meals and who exercise 60 minutes a day remain more attentive during the school day and experience improved academic achievement and grades. This last “secret” weapon is not to have over-scheduled (安排过度的) time. Make sure students know how to set realistic plans and how to say no to tasks and activities that aren’t important to them.

A lot of students know each other from primary and middle school. They are in their “comfort zones”, feeling they have a sense of control over and expectation of their relationships. But come the first real day of high school, that will all change.The reason I encourage high school freshmen to step out of their comfort zones, though often scary, is that comfort zones get boring and there are many kinds of people to get to know. Let’s encourage them to get involved, have fun and play.