I found the last outdoor table at my favourite cafe. Reading as I ate my breakfast slowly, I was enjoying the feeling of the cool wind and the warm sun when a table next to me opened up. A woman, who had been standing nearby, clearly waiting for a seat, stepped towards the table. But from the other direction, straight from the parking lot, came a man who got to the table first.

    The woman, with a smile on her face, explained that she'd been keeping her eye on that table for several minutes and had been on her way over. The man, also smiling but determined, told her she was out of luck.

    She stood off the side, clearly disappointed, and greeted her friend with the disappointing news. I sat at my table, taking in the scene, and suddenly I realized that I had an opportunity to be kind.

    I stood up and asked her to come to my table. Quietly, I told her I had seen what had happened, and I was happy to give her my table. I was only going to be there a few more minutes anyway, so I was happy for her and her friend to have the seat.

    "But where will you sit?" she asked. I was almost done eating, I said, and I would find a seat at the counter (柜台) inside. She thanked me and beamed with delight as she invited her friend to sit down.

    Thinking about it as I finished up, I realized that whether or not the woman had acceptable demand for the table was unimportant. The feeling of the situation -- the look of hurt on her face -- had struck me, and I had the ability to do something about it.I just hope that woman's morning at the cafe was great. I know mine was.

    Photography is a very popular art form. Anyone with a camera – or a mobile phone – can practice it. A picture communicates in a way that words often can't. As the photographer Destin Sparks put it, "Photography is the story I fail to put into words." And there's no better opportunity to practice the art of photography than during our vacation time.

    Holiday photos have been a part of the culture of travelers for a long time. For decades, vacationers have made sure they've packed a camera along with bathing suits, Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses. A camera is an important holiday item. But over the last 10 years, photography has become much more popular. It's easy to capture (捕捉) still and moving pictures of places of interest, and it's also easy to show off these pictures on social media. Armed with their smart phones, tourists, this year more than ever, are capturing the beauty of our planet.

    Of course, travel companies have caught on to this. Trekksoft has an example of photo-tourism from the United States, a land with a vast choice of beautiful locations. Antelope Slot Canyon Tours in Arizona specializes in tours of the state's famous canyons（峡谷）, which gives photographers the opportunity to capture them on camera.

    Not that any great technology is needed for this: most of the tourists are able to make beautiful images with just their mobile phones. Still, help is on hand from the tour guide for those who aren't great at using their cameras. These tour guides have taken a course in photography in case the skills they've learned would help their customers.

    A bicycle may be seen by most people as just another vehicle (交通工具), but for many Londoners, cycling is a way of life. According to an official UK government survey in 2017, about 570,000 bike journeys are made every day in London. In fact, almost half of the vehicles that pass over London Bridge each day are bikes.

    London introduced a public bike-sharing system in 2010. "There can be no doubt that our trusty bicycles have changed the way people get around our great city," Johnson told the Guardian in 2015.

    In London, bikes are used for more than just taking short trips to and from the subway. No matter where you want to go in the city, taking a bike is usually the quickest and easiest choice.

    And it's not just shared bikes that the government is encouraging people to ride. In many companies across the UK, the UK government's Cycle to Work scheme (骑行倡议) allows employees to buy a brand new bike without having to pay any tax (税). This means that it's common to see many people cycling to and from work, and some employers even provide workplace showers and lockers (储物柜) for their workers. More importantly, a cycle-friendly boss may let you off for being late if you rode a bike to work.

    Not only is it great for the environment and our body, cycling is also good for the mind. According to National Geographic Magazine, "Bike riding can improve people's happiness."

How to Handle Being the New Kid at School

    Being the new kid at school can be a terrible experience! It might seem like everybody else knows exactly how to act. But remember you aren't alone. Actually, everybody is nervous on their first day and you can fit right in with the help of the following tips.

    Plan ahead the night before.  Lay out your first day outfit (全套服装), pack a lunch, and make sure you have all your school supplies ready to go. Planning ahead can help you get a good night's sleep and feel less nervous about your first day.

     Make sure your clothes are cleaned and pressed and that you've showered, brushed your teeth. If you're hoping to attract friends with similar interests, try wearing a shirt with your favorite show, musician, or sports team on it.

    Do your best to stay calm and positive. It's normal to feel nervous or anxious when you're the new kid at school. If you feel nervous, start by taking some deep breaths.  You can listen to music that makes you feel calm or happy. Try imagining a good first day in your mind instead of keeping thinking about things that could go wrong.

     Don't come in on the first day with your head hanging down, your shoulders lowered, and your eyes on the floor. Walk with your head held up, your back straight, and a bright expression on your face. Make eye contact with other people, and smile if they look at you or speak to you.

A. Use your body language to show confidence.

B. Introduce yourself to your teachers and classmates.

C. Choose clothes that make you feel great.

D. This can be an easy way to start a talk and break the ice a little.

E. You should keep talking and let people know that you are friendly.

F. Remember that everyone is the new kid at some point and that it's not a big deal.

G. You'll feel less worried if everything is ready before you wake up for your first day.

    I sat down at my desk and started writing a letter of thankfulness, but when it came to actually putting the letter into the mailbox... I 1  I couldn't do it. I suddenly felt a sense of 2 and insecurity (不安).

    The letter was to an old teacher with whom I kept in 3 on Facebook. For months, I read about what she 4 on her Facebook page, which helped me to live my life differently. Her volunteer (志愿者) work wasn't huge. 5, she was doing small, local good deeds. 6, she changed my views on the world and for some reason. I felt I should let her know how her example 7 influenced me.

    I could have easily sent her an email, but that seemed not enough for such an important thank-you. That's why I ended up 8 the letter. But now here I was, standing before the mailbox, unable to put the envelope inside. What was stopping me? It suddenly hit me that I was 9 of being too nice. I guess I felt strange 10 it wasn't like she was my best friend or a relative. Maybe my 11 was too heartfelt. Thinking this over, I put the envelope in the mailbox 12.

    Weeks later I received a message from her. It turned out she was 13 a hard time and my note 14 a lot to her. She said she had no idea she was playing such a big 15 in others' life.

    Not only did this letter make her happier, but her response to it brightened my world and 16 my level of happiness as well. I was so 17 that it had such a great influence on her that I decided to write a(n) 18 letter to someone each month. Now it's easier for me to 19 the goodness in others and be more 20 for this beautiful life I'm living.

    As an old saying goes, "Friends are like wine, the older, the better." Many people consider old friends to be more important than new ones. For example, if two pieces of advice  (give) to solve a problem, one from a new friend and the other from  old friend, people would prefer the  one to the former one, even though the new friend's advice may be better.

    I, however,  (agree) with the old saying, believing that new friends are not necessarily  (bad) than old friends. It is not always right  (determine) your friendship by the length(长度) of time.

    Once you call someone a friend, he must be a person who is  (rely) and whose interests are in common with  (you). It is mainly his character (性格) and interests  make him your friend. It actually has little to do with time. People's appearance may change, but their character usually stays the same. Therefore, on this point, there is no  (different) between old friends and new friends.

1）表示理解并给与安慰；

2）提出有效的建议。

注意：1）词数80左右；2）可适当添加细节，使行文连贯。