It was a beautiful day for sightseeing. We were a group of students just out for some fun. The weather was perfect for a picnic, so when lunch time came, we set our sights on a small park. Since we all had different things to buy, we decided to get what each of us wanted, and meet back on the grass in a few minutes.

When my friend Joy headed for a hot dog shop, I decided to go with her. We watched the seller put together the perfect hot dog, just the way we wanted it. But when we took out our money to pay the bill, the seller surprised us.

“You are the first customers to visit, and the first order is given to you for free,” he said.

After we thanked him, we joined our friends in the park, and dug into our food. But as we talked and ate, I was distracted (分心) by a man sitting alone nearby, looking at us. I could tell that he hadn’t showered for days. Another homeless person, I thought, like all the others you see in cities. I didn’t pay much more attention than that.

After we finished eating, we packed our lunch bags and prepared to throw them away.

Suddenly, a strong voice came from that homeless person.

Joy asked me to wait for her for a minute and ran to the hot dog shop.

4 . In a classroom in rural Kenya’s Rift Valley, a student takes notes alongside her fellow classmates. She wears the same school uniform-a grey skirt and a green sweater. However, she is more than 80 years older than them. Priscilla Sitienei, who turned 99-years-old on February 11, said she went back to class to set a good example for her great-grandchildren and to start a new career. “I’d like to become a doctor because I used to be a midwife (助产士)” she said, adding that her children were supportive-of her decision.

Back in 2003, the government of the East African country began an education campaign to help to pay for the cost of primary schooling, allowing some older members of society who had missed out on education in their younger days to continue their dreams. This has given Sitienei more than an education. She’s also become a film star. She traveled to Paris last year for the first showing of a film about her journey titled “Gogo”, which means “grandmother” in her native Kalenjin language. She’ll also be heading to New York City soon for the launch of the film there.

Sitienei, who is in her sixth year of primary school, said her aims were far more practical than becoming a movie star. She had the idea when her great-granddaughter dropped out of school after getting pregnant, “I jokingly asked her if she had any money remaining on her school fee and she said yes, so I told her that I’d use it to attend school.” She said she had hoped that her great granddaughter would continue with her studies. But when she refused, Sitienei decided to go to school herself.

Sitienci also enjoys other school activities, including physical education classes. “It keeps me fit. I get to jump around, even though not as much as they can do, but I at least move my body. That’s my joy,” she said.

Her teachers use Sitienei’s wide experience to keep the peace during lessons. “I appoint Sitienei to help control the class. And it works. When I go outside, the class remains silent, “said Leonida Talaam, her class teacher.

7 . I never saw my father back home from work late or ill, nor did I ever see my father take a night out with the boys. He had no hobbies but just took care of his family.

For 22 years, since I left home for college, my father called me every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. He was always interested in my life — how my family was doing. The calls even came when he and my mother were in Australia, England or Florida.

Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day for three days, painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked was a glass of iced tea, and that I hold a paintbrush for him and talk to him. But I was too busy, for I had a law practice to run, and I could not take the time to hold the paintbrush, or talk to my father.

Five years ago, my 71-year-old father spent five hours putting together a swing set (秋千) for my daughter. Again, all he asked was that I get him a glass of iced tea, and talk to him. But again, I had the laundry to do, and the house to clean.

The morning on Sunday, January 15, 1995, my father telephoned me as usual, this time he had seemed to have forgotten some things we had discussed the week before. I had to go to church, and I cut the conversation short.

The call came at 4:40 p.m. That day my father was sent to hospital in Florida. I got on a plane immediately, and I vowed (发誓) that when I arrived, I would make up for the lost time, and have a nice long talk with him and really get to know him.

I arrived in Florida at 1:00 a.m., but my father had passed away at 9:12 p.m. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me.

In the years since his death I have learnt much about my father, and even more about every single day.

8 . A Portland, Oregon man has become the first person to travel across Antarctica by himself without receiving any assistance.

Colin O’Brady has completed the 1,500-kilometer trip. He crossed the continent in 54 days. Friends, family and other people followed his progress through messages and pictures he left on social media.

O’Brady spoke with his wife Jenna Besaw by telephone soon after he completed the journey. “It was an emotional call,” she said. “He seemed overwhelmed by love and appreciation, and he really wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all of us.”

The 33-year-old O’Brady documented the trip on the social networking services Instagram. He called his journey “The Impossible First”. He wrote that he traveled the last 129 kilometers in one big, final push to the finish line. The distance took over one day to complete. O’Brady wrote, “While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced.”

The day before, he wrote that he was “in the zone” and thought he could make it to the end without stopping. “I was listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe,” he wrote. “I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife. I promised them I would stop when I need to.”

Other people have traveled across Antarctica, but they all had some form of assistance. They either had better, more plentiful supplies or devices that helped move them forward.

In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died in his attempt to travel alone across Antarctica unassisted. Worsley’s friend Louis Rudd, also from Britain, is attempting an unaided solo journey in Worsley’s honor. He was competing against O’Brady to be the first to do it. Besaw told the Associated Press that her husband plans to stay in Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trip.

9 . I was never very neat while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but my always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Overtime, Kate got neater and I got my merriser. She moved to push my dirty clothing over and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

Who broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! why under my bed!” Suddenly I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up. She quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, crying. Obviously. that was something she could not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy (同情) rose up in my heart.

Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bad. Cleaned the suckers and swept the floor even on her side. I got so absorbed into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching. Her tears dried and her expression was such disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me. “Thanks.”

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.

10 . An elderly woman is crediting (归功于) her neighbor's 4­year­old dog with saving her life during last week's dangerously cold temperatures.

Tim Curfman was ______ his garbage with his dog Midnight when he felt its ______ was unusual. It had its ears held up looking at him. It didn't ______ do that. Curfman got the feeling that something's ______. So he observed how his dog was acting and ______ it to a spot on the other side of his house. There, he saw his 87­year­old neighbor, Noreen, ______ in the snow. She was trying to fill her bird feeder when she fell.

Curfman ______ she was out there at least half an hour. She could not get up because she didn't have enough ______ to push herself up, and there was nothing around the corner to get a ______ of, either. The temperature was one degree below zero, but Curfman and Midnight were able to ______ her quickly.

Noreen, who didn't have serious injuries, was lucky to ______ frostbite (冻伤) even though her clothes were wet. Curfman called his wife and they together helped his neighbor up from the snow and into her ______， where his wife helped the elderly woman get into ______ clothes.

Noreen was ______ to Midnight for saving her life. “A dog like this ______ to be proud of because it's not every dog that pays attention to things like this，” Noreen said in an interview.