[originaltext]Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 23 to

Now listen to the following recording and answer questions 23 to 25.
    I’m 71. My husband is 76. My parents are in their late 90s, and Olivia, the dog, is 16. So let’s talk about aging.
    Mary Oliver says in one of her poems, " Tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Me, I intend to live passionately.
     (23)When do we start aging? Society decides when we are old, usually around 65, when we get Medicare, but we really start aging at birth. We are aging right now, and we all experience it differently. We all feel younger than our real age, because the spirit never ages. I am still 17.
    What have I lost in the last decades? People, of course, places, and the boundless energy of my youth, and I’m beginning to lose independence, and that scares me.
     (24)What have I gained? Freedom—I don’t have to prove anything anymore. I’m not stuck in the idea of who I was, who I want to be, or what other people expect me to be. My body may be falling apart, but my brain is not, yet. I love my brain. I feel lighter.
    This is Grace Dammann. She has been in a wheelchair for six years after a terrible car accident. She says that there is nothing more sensual than a hot shower, that every drop of water is a blessing to the senses. She doesn’t see herself as disabled. In her mind, she’s still surfing in the ocean.(25)So how can I stay passionate? I cannot will myself to be passionate at 71. I have been training for some time, and when I feel flat and bored, I fake it. Attitude. How do I train? I train by saying yes to whatever comes my way: drama, comedy, tragedy, love, death, losses. Yes to life. And I train by trying to stay in love. It doesn’t always work, but you cannot blame me for trying.
    And, on a final note, retirement in Spanish is celebration. We have contributed to society. Now it’s our time, and it’s a great time. Unless you are ill or very poor, you have choices. I have chosen to stay passionate, engaged with an open heart. I am working on it every day. Want to join me?
23. What does the speaker say about aging?
24. How does the speaker feel when she gets old?
25. How does the speaker stay passionate to life?