What's the most important thing you learned in therapy

Are things better when there are prohibited? In Brazil there is a saying that goes: things are better when they are prohibited. So, acording to this saying, many things such as alcohol, betrayal, gambling are even more appealing because there are prohibited by law or moral rules. In the Bible narrative of Adam and Eva, in remote times, phohibiton failured. Thus they were alearted they must not eat the apple nevertheless they ate it. The same story repeats over times. Those who are in favour of an open relationship argues that they can be with other people if they want, consequently that type of union can be happier because it’s common even when someone is with a partner to have feelings and feel atracted to someone else and they don’t need to refute those insticts.

Why is this question bellow in the simple present "What is the first English phrase you learned"? I thought I should use simple past in this case. Can you explain to me the reason of the use of this verb tense, please? Is the sentence "what was the first English phrase you learned" wrong? but anyways I mustn't use the auxiliary did because there is a to be verb in the sentence, right?

Volunteer work Last year I started to do volunteer work in an institution that helps children with cancer. I wanted to do volunteer work for a long time. When the chance came up I didn't let it go. I got to know this institution because I wanted to donate my hair at the time so I asked my friend if she knew a place, and then she tell me about it. I visited their website and there was a vacant to work in their bazaar. So I subscribe. When I arrived there, there were other candidates and the psychologist gave us a tour. I was amazed how beautiful and inviting the place was. Then in the interview she asked if a wanted to work in the children's recreation and at first I was afraid but then I said yes. This year my cosin had cancer but fortunately he's cured now. I'm living in a different town of my hometown. In my hometown, that is a small city, there aren't institutions like that, but still I'd help at the church as altar boy, a reader or as a catechist. Nowadays I don't attend at the church as much I used to.