2 . I was raised in a house where my sisters and I weren’t trusted by our mother to manage our own appearance．As a result，there were rules，and trends were largely ignored. A few years ago，I was home for a visit when my mom，now in her early 70s，called me into her bedroom．We were about ready to leave for dinner．“I don’t know what to wear,” she complained. “You girls always look so good．”

I paused in the doorway and looked at her, wondering if I’d misheard．“What do you mean?” I asked her．“You know what to wear.” “No．”she answered．“I don’t．Can you pick something?” I was so surprised．

This was the same woman who，in 1989，told my younger sister she wasn’t allowed to leave the house wearing a pair of ripped(有破洞的)jeans；the same woman who，in high school，called me while l was out at a party to ask if my hair was up．“You look better with it down，”she told me，before I could answer. I realized，suddenly, that my mother—always so strong—not only wanted my opinion，but needed it．I pulled a pair of blue jeans from the closet and a light blue sweater from her drawer. “Wear this with your black shoes，”I told her．She did. My mother certainly doesn’t need anyone to take care of her．In fact，she still cares for my grandmother who lives with her．But with that one question，my mother and I started the role reversal(转变)that happens with all parents and all children，from caregiver to receiver．

Now, if I’m visiting or we’re together, it’s rare for her to wear anything without checking with me first．But every so often，it seems like she asks me just to be able to disagree with my answer and pick out something on her own．And when she does，I just tell her what I think of the way she looks. Sometimes it’s “great”．And sometimes it’s “awful.”

3 . Most people can’t live to 100.Those who do live so long can hardly walk, let alone take part in any activities. A few people, however, take part in dangerous activities even though they are more than 100 years old﹣They keep going and going! There is a great grandmother who likes challenging herself although she is 101 years old this year.

Mary Hardison believes that people should always be cheerful and more importantly, take on all kinds of adventures while they physically still can. So, instead of celebrating her 101st birthday with a boring party, she decided to go paragliding(滑翔跳伞)﹣an idea she got from her 75﹣year﹣old son who recently took it up as a hobby.

So on her birthday, cheered on by her big family, she tied herself up together with expert instructor Kevin Hintze, and jumped down fearlessly from the sky near her home in Ogden, Utah. And, it was not just a simple jump either. According to Kevin Hintze, the grandmother encouraged him to turn around, as they made their way down.

This is not the first time that Mary has done something “wild” and “crazy”. For her 90th birthday she rode all the adult rides at Disneyland. And, she is not done yet﹣For her 102nd birthday she hopes to go down the 3,000 feet Alpine Slide at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort!

Not surprisingly, this great action has made Mary Hardison very famous and also earned her a place in the Guinness World Records where she broke a 2007 record set by a 100﹣year﹣old British woman. What an amazing lady!

4 . An old saying goes that “Good fences make good neighbors.” With so many folks ______ to stay at home during the pandemic, good fences can also make good ______ .

In Minneapolis, the Olson family lives next door to 99-year-old Mary. Although Mary’s daughter ______ once a week, for the most part, the pandemic left Mary alone. But with lockdown (封锁) ______ Mary managed to form a special friendship with one of her neighbors—Benjamin Olson, aged 2.

Over time, Mary watched through the chain-link as Benjamin learned to walk, talk, and ______ run and play. Despite the huge differences in their ______ Benjamin was drawn to his elderly neighbor, ______ in her presence. Between the two, they developed a ______ they could play over the fence. Benjamin would ______ her a ball and she’d hit it back to him with her stick.

While others might ______ at the 97-year gap between the two, when Benjamin sees Mary, he ______ sees a friend, not a number. Mary’s daughter believes the ______ has been a lifeline that’s kept her mum going through the long period.

When the lockdown was lifted, Benjamin ______ Mary on her back steps to play games that bring joy to both the young and the young at ______ .

In August, when Mary celebrates her 100th birthday, the one thing she won’t be wishing for is a ______ friend. Benjamin is the one that has covered.

An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) landed on their window.

The father asked his son, “What is this?” The son replied, “This is a crow.”

After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?” The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It’s a crow.”

After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for third time, “What is this?” This time, the son was irritated (生气) and said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow, a crow.”

After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?” This time his son shouted in his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘It’s a crow’. Are you not able to understand this?”

A minute later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered(破旧的) diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the read it, the following words were written in the diary:

“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I didn’t at all feel annoyed, but instead felt a deep affection for my innocent son.”

After reading the diary,the son was in tears and began to reflect on the days when he used to sit together with his father.

Feeling ashamed, the son got down on his knees before his father.

6 . I did not go on my first hike until my mid-30s. I could blame it on the fact that I grew up on the Great Plains of South Dakota and North Dakota. But mostly, to be honest, I just wasn't interested.     1    

I went on my first hike a few years back while living in Vernont. At the urging of my wife, and with my two young kids, we walked a beautiful forest path on a cool August morning.     2     When we reached the top, we ate lunch together overlooking a perfectly still pond and a scenic Vermont.

A few weeks ago, my 11-year-old son, my 61-year-old dad, and I hiked Camelbeack Mountain in Phoenix.     3     And later this week, my wife and daughter will join us to walk the Waterfall Trail in the White Tank Mountains. Most of our hikes only last 2 hours.

Now, just to be clear, by no means would I classify myself as an expert hiker. I love the stillness and calm of an empty path     4     But waking early on a Saturday morning to walk 3-5 miles along a forest path with lunch in the backpack is a journey I'd recommend to anyone.

    5     It provides an opportunity to slow down and disconnect. And given the chance, hiking teaches us important truths about life.

What makes a person excellent?