Children often ask for money from their parents. But in the US, some students work as babysitters(临时保姆) to get money. Noa Mintz, a 15-year-old girl in the US, has her babysitting shop.

    About three years ago, Mintz, worked for some time as a babysitter. She found that there was no good way for families to find babysitters. So she wanted to do something about it. Mintz started Nannies by Noa in her summer vacation. It helps families and babysitters to find each other quickly.

    At first, Mintz helped write down the names of her friends and classmates who wanted to babysit(当保姆). Later, Nannies by Noa became a big shop. It now has 25 full-time nannies(全职保姆) and 50 babysitters.

    When talking about her work, she feels proud(自豪的). She knows it's just a start. “It's good to see that I give people jobs. It's great to see what I can do.” said Mintz.

    Once upon a time, there lived a very rich and wealthy man in a big town. He led a luxurious life. He always showed off his wealth to his friends and relatives.

    His son was studying in a distant city and he returned home for vacation. The rich man wanted to show off to his son how rich he was. But his son didn't like any luxurious lifestyle. However, the rich man wanted to make his son realize that his lifestyle was extremely rich and that poor people suffered a lot. He planned a day's visit to the entire town to show him the life of the poor people.

    The father and the son took a chariot and visited the entire town. They returned home after two days. The father was happy that his son was very quiet after seeing the poor people honoring（尊敬） the rich man and after witnessing the sufferings of the poor.

    The rich man asked his son, "Dear boy, how was the trip? Have you enjoyed it?"

    "Yes my dad, it was a great trip with you," the son replied.

    "So, what did you learn from the trip?" the father asked.

    The son was silent.

    "Finally you have realized how the poor suffer and how they actually live," said the father.

    "No father," replied the son. He added, "We have only two dogs, they have 10 dogs. We have a big pool in our garden, but they have a large bay（港湾） without any end! We have luxurious and expensive lights from various countries, but they have countless stars lighting their nights. We have a house on a small piece of land, but they have abundant fields that go beyond the horizon（视野）. We are protected by huge and strong walls around our property（财产）, but they bond with（与……连着） each other and surround themselves with their fellow beings. We have to buy food from them, but they are so rich that they can grow their own food."

    The rich father was stunned and speechless, on hearing his son's words.

    Finally the son added, "Dad, thank you so much for showing me who is rich and who is poor. Thank you for letting me understand how poor we really are!"

    Chris Rock was born in the state of South Carolina in the United States. When he was a child, his family moved, and he grew up in a poor area in Brooklyn, New York.

    As a teenager, Rock left high school and started telling jokes in comedy clubs in New York City, Even at age 18, Chris Rock was very funny. He told jokes about his family (his parents were very strict), and about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Many of his jokes were also about high school, which Rock says was terrible.

    Famous comedians(喜剧演员)went to see Rock's performances. One comedian(Eddie Murphy) helped him get work on television and in the movies. Chris Rock still acts in movies, but he does not want to be a serious actor. For him, comedy is more important. It makes people laugh, but it can also make people think.

    Today, Chris Rock still does live comedy shows around the world. He also created a TV show called Everybody Hates Chris. It is about his teenage years growing up and going to school in Brooklyn. In 2006, it was considered as one of the best comedy shows on American television.

    Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic knew from an early age that he was different. There is no medical explanation for Vujicic's physical disability. Though he struggles（挣扎）with some little things of everyday living（brushing teeth, for example）,he has become a great speaker.

    Confidence didn't come naturally to Vujicic. Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, he struggled with depression （抑郁）and was bullied（欺凌）at school. When he was just 10 years old, he tried to kill himself. Thanks to his family's strong support and selfless love over time, Vujicic chose to be positive towards life. After his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with a serious disability when he was seventeen, he started to give public talks. The great Australian has visited more than 50 countries and given thousands of talks. No matter where he goes, he communicates the main message﹣that no matter what difficulties you meet, you can overcome ! Here's what he said in one of his powerful speeches:

"I felt like I was a burden （负担）to those around me and the sooner I go, the better it'd be for everyone. I wanted to end my pain and end my life at a young age, but I am thankful once again, for my parents and family who were always there to comfort me and give me courage.

    Because of my emotional struggles I had experienced with bullying and loneliness, God has given me a passion（激情）of sharing my story and experiences to help others deal with whatever difficulty they have in their life and let God turn it into a blessing. To encourage and inspire others to live to their fullest potential and not let anything get in the way of achieving their hopes and dreams. "

    When someone shouts at you or says something that can hurt you, how will you feel and what will you do? Last week, I learned an important life lesson from a taxi driver.

    Last Tuesday, I called a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane(车道)when suddenly a black car jumped out. My driver quickly stopped his car and almost hit the other car! The driver of the other car turned his head around and started shouting at us! My driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, in a really friendly way.

    So I asked, "Why did you just do that? That driver almost hit your car and sent us to the hospital!" However, he said, "Many people are like garbage trucks（垃圾车）. They run around full of garbage一all kinds of bad feelings. As their garbage adds up, they need a place to dump （倾倒）it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people."

    His words touched me a lot. Since then, I have started to see "garbage trucks" everywhere. I see the load(负载)they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.