A jobless man wanted very much to have the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed(面试) him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. “You have passed the test,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the form（表格） to fill in and the date when you may start.” The man replied, “But I don't have a computer, neither an e-mail.” “I'm sorry,” said the HR manager. “If you don't have an e-mail, that means you are not living. And anyone who isn't living cannot have the job.”

    The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do with only $10 in his pocket. He thought and thought. Then he went to the supermarket and bought 10 kilos of tomatoes. He sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he had 20 dollars. He did that three times, and started to go early every day, and returned home late. Shortly, he bought a cart , then a truck, then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles(运货车队). Five years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers (零售商)  in the US.

    One day, one of his friends asked him for his e-mail. He said, “I haven't got one.” His friend couldn't believe his ears. “Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?” The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft!”

    One day, when I was a new student in high school, I saw a boy from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. He was carrying all his books. I thought to myself: "Why would anyone bring home all his books on Friday? He must really be a bookworm. "As I was walking, I saw some kids running toward him. They knocked all his books out of his arms and pushed him to the ground.

    His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw tears in his eyes. I felt sad and I went directly to him.

    As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are fools." He looked at me and said, "Thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. Then I invited him to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He agreed. We played together and had fun on that weekend. The more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him. Over the next three years, Kyle and I became best friends.

    When we were seniors, we began to think about college. We would go to different schools, but I knew we would always be friends.

    As a top student, Kyle was invited to give a speech for graduation. He was nervous when he was about to speak on the stage. So I said, "Hey, you'll be great!" He looked at me and smiled.

    Being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. "he said in his speech. He talked about meeting me and being best friends with me in the last four years. When he finished the story, he looked at me and gave me a little smile.

    I saw his mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same thankful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth.

    Never underestimate(低估)the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person s life, for better or for worse.

    O. Henry was a great writer. His pen name was O. Henry and his real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. When he was about 20, he went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then in a bank. When some money went missing from the bank, some people thought he was the thief, so he was sent to prison(监狱). During the three years there, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of the prison, he went to New York and went on writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor people there. And people liked his stories very much.

    Every night in Jinan University in Guangzhou, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}play diabolo (空竹) as a crowd watches in amazement.

    Chen Zhelun, 25, a Malaysian-Chinese started the diabolo club, which helps to increase the popularity of this traditional Chinese game. He is one of many students expressing their interest in the country's cultural heritage (遗产) by {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    The diabolo, which came from China, is popular among Chinese living in Malaysia.

    "We played diabolo from primary school onward. I thought I could find someone {#blank#}3{#/blank#}in China, but only a few students knew about it. So I started a club to develop it," says Chen.

    To Chen's surprise, the old game has interested a huge crowd—more than 1,000students have joined the club.

    "It {#blank#}4{#/blank#}and it's fun," says Chen.

    But some prefer quieter activities. Every weekend, one classroom in Shenzhen University is always crowded, but it's unusually silent. The members of Lanting Calligraphy Club are writing Chinese characters with traditional brushes.

    As head of the traditional Chinese local operas club, Kong Yanquan plans to put modern elements (元素) into traditional culture to get students to join his club.

    "I think it's everyone's duty {#blank#}5{#/blank#}China's traditional culture among young people," he says.