“How was school£¬Ben£¿” I asked my __1__ after he began kindergarten this year.“The work is too long and there's not enough time to __2__£¬” he replied with a deep sigh.

I couldn't help but remember Ben's mother£¬my daughter£¬and her __3__ to the first day of school.When Julie __4__ home that afternoon I asked her the same question.She also replied with a long£¬__5__ face but her answer was a little different as she announced£¬“I didn't learn to read today.”

What a(n) __6__ for a little girl who thought she would __7__ know how to read her little books after the first day of school.I had to explain to her that she would __8__ learn to read but it didn't happen quite that fast.

My __9__ went back to my school days again.I could almost __10__ the chalk dust in the air.I suppose few schools still use chalk and __11__£®They have probably been __12__ with newer equipment and large computer screens.

On the first day of school£¬the expectation was so __13__ that I would be up early in the morning and __14__ long before it was time to leave for school.We __15__ about 6 blocks to school in new shoes that felt tight and carried our small supplies inside of a cigar box from one of the local __16__£®The stores must have saved cigar boxes just to give to us children.We __17__ them from year to year until they fell apart.