I never wanted a dog, but now I'm so glad I have one. About two years ago, my wife, Cathy, got a little dog with a face only a mother could love. We named her Gertie.
Gertie is the kind of dog that has to grow on you. So I dicided that the dog would be trained. This didn't quite go as planned. At 15 weeks old, she was nearly made to leave the Petsmart Training School. She spent every night lying in our bed-snoring (打鼾)so loudly that I hardly got a good night's sleep.
Then, about six months after she arrived, I felt that something in my heart was taking place, and I was unable to stop it. My behaviour(行为方式)began to change. I began to smile at people when passing them in a street. I returned(招手)from neighbours. I started calling my kids, and to my surprise, they started calling me. I even tried to speak to my grandchildren over the phone once. I even was glad to listen to laughter from a 10-month-old granddaughter. The point is that I was changing.
My wife and I both agree that it is Gertie who has changed my behaviour. Gertie is now nearly two years old and almost fully grown.I have come to like the pet little by little, though she is my wife's dog.
【小题1】What did the man think of the dog at the beginning?

Birthdays are strange things. The more you have, the more you try and pretend they don’t matter, and the more     1.  . I’m not really sure why they think so. It’s true that you are getting older, but as     2.  , “Who isn’t getting older every day?” The problem may be that a birthday reminds people of all the things     

3.  , but have not. I certainly understand that feeling, though I think    4.    that I most want to do — a kind of personal re-ordering (重新排序) of the to-do list. What makes you depressed(郁闷) on your birthday is that you realize your re-ordered to-do list is exactly the same as it was last year. That makes you feel     5.  , and not been anywhere. I have not had that experience this year. I look back at where I was last year and find things have changed since then.

This course is for those who want to learn to type, as well as those who want to improve their typing. The course is not common. You are tested in the first class, and begin practising at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours. Bring your own paper.
Course fee: $125      Materials:  $25
Two hours for each evening for two weeks. New classes begin every two weeks.
This course is taught by a number of professional business education teachers who have successfully taught typing course before.
UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS
This twelve-hour course is for people who do not know very much about computers, but who need to learn about them. You will learn what computers are, what they can or can’t do and how to use them.
Course fee：$75  Jan 4,7,11,14,18  Wed.&Sat. 9:00---11:30 a.m.  Equipment fee:$10
David is a professor of Computer Science at Beijing University. He has over twenty years of experience in the computer field.  
STOP SMOKING
Do you want to stop smoking? Have you ever tried and failed? Now is the time to stop smoking using the latest methods. You can stop smoking, and this twelve-course will help you do it.
Course fee：$30  Jan 2,9,16,23   Mon 2:00---5:00 p.m.
Dr. John is a practicing psychologist who has helped hundreds of people stop smoking.
【小题1】If you choose the UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS course, you will have
classes_______.