During my second year at the city college，I was told that the education department was offering a "free"course, called Thinking Chess, for three credits.I (1) the idea of taking the class because ，after all ,who doesn't want to (2) a few dollars?More than that, I'd always wanted to learn chess. And,even if I weren’t (3) enough about free credits,news about our (4) was appealing enough to me. He was an international grandmaster,which (5) I would be learning from one of the game's (6) .I could hardly wait to (7) him.
Maurice Ashley was kind and smart, a former graduate returning to teach, and this (8) was no game for him: he meant business. In his introduction, he made it (9) that our credits would be hard-earned. In order to (10) the class ,among other criteria, we had to write a paper on how we plan to (11) what we would learn in class to our future professions and, (12) ,to our lives. I managed to get an A in that (13) and learned life lessons that have served me well beyond the (14) .
Ten years after my chess class with Ashley, I'm still putting to use what he (15) me:“The absolute most important (16) that you learn when you play chess is how to make good (17) .On every single move you have to (18) a situation ,process what your opponent(对手）is doing and (19) the best move from among all your options.”These words still ring true today in my (20) as a journalist.