第十四期 (5/7)

Passage Three

Martin Feldman was a chemistry professor for forty years.

He retired from Howard University in Washington, D.C. about five years ago.

Mr. Feldman says when he retired he thought he would like to do something he had not done before.

Yet, he said, he was not really interested in spending a lot of time as a student in a classroom,

writing papers and taking tests.

One day Mr. Feldman found a list of classes offered at a college near his home.

The college lets people sixty years and older who live in the county take classes.

They do not have to pay the normal tuition cost, just the cost of supplies.

Mr. Feldman decided to try a sculpture class.

It teaches students how to make art out of clay, wood, metal and plastic.

And it meets only one day a week.

Martin Feldman says he quickly decided he really liked sculpture.

So he has continued with the class,

experimenting with combining different materials and shapes.

Most big universities have continuing education programs

that offer traditional classes for older adults who want to continue learning.

Some provide training programs that give people who complete them

a certificate to prove they have gained new skills.

Many smaller colleges offer traditional classes at lower cost

and provide other programs for older adults in their area who have different educational needs.