Last year I was put into a lower­level math class at school. The reason I was in this class had nothing to do with my intellect (智力) or maths skills. I am blind.

The only problem with being in this class was that I was surrounded by “at­risk” students. These were kids who did not do well in school and they were constantly in trouble with the school and the law.

    One Tuesday morning, I went to a Christian Student Union meeting before school. There was a guest speaker there that day talking to us about praying (祈祷) for our enemies. I began to think about this. As I considered the idea, I prayed and asked God how I could pray for the kids in my class. I had forgotten that they weren't bad kids; they were just lost.

    At first, the prayers were mechanical. When I would hear their voices in class, I would pray, “Dear God, please bless so­and­so...” But as I continued, I began to think of the kids more often, and in my quiet time at home I would ask God to bless (保佑) the rest of my classmates.

    As time went on, my classmates became more than just annoying kids to me. There was something growing inside my heart for them, something that wasn't there before. They began to feel like family, and I was learning to love them in a way I never thought possible.

    I now see that praying is such a powerful act. Prayer is the most powerful tool a Christian has. When I pray for those around me, it also blesses my life, and it changes my opinion of others. I realized I needed God's blessings to see the world through loving eyes. The prayers I said for others turned out to help me the most.

    Alibaba, Bank of China and Huawei—these are the dream employers for Chinese students, according to a new survey.

    “The survey of more than 55,000 students, conducted by the research firm Universum, has found that roughly a quarter want to work for an international company, while only 9％ want to work for a start-up. Five percent want to start their own business.”

    The students said that work-1ife balance was the most important career goal, followed by job stability. When it comes to desirable companies, Bank of China has been named the top choice by business students for seven consecutive years, and the gigantic state-owned firm shows no signs of giving up its lead.

    William Wu, the China country manager for Universum, said that banking remains an attractive industry for young Chinese. “China's government is now emphasizing the revolution of the finance industry, which leaves the younger generation with the impression that although banking is a traditional industry, there are still a lot of development opportunities.” Wu said.

    E-commerce giant Alibaba (BABA, Tech30) improved six places from 2014, ranking second among business students. Alibaba's rise shouldn't come as much of a surprise—the company held a record-breaking $25 billion IPO in September.

    Among engineering students, Alibaba was once again a bridesmaid. Instead, Huawei—a telecoms infrastructure firm that now makes consumer products-took the top spot.

    “Both of these companies are pioneers in terms of local companies going international.” said Wu. “It shows that… an international development strategy has a positive influence among Chinese young talents.” Tech companies ruled the rankings for humanities students, with Alibaba—which was ninth in 2014 —landing at the top. Last year, Apple was the Number l choice of Chinese students.

    People often go to cafes to relax themselves and keep themselves from falling asleep, but Mr. Healing, a popular cafe chain in South Korea actually does the opposite. Customers can come in, order a drink, lie down a comfortable massage（按摩）chair, and take a nap.

    Many Koreans suffer from a lack of sleep as a result of overworking, so any opportunity to relax and even take a nap is greatly appreciated. Mr. Healing is the perfect place to go when you're on a short work or school break and you need to catch up on sleep. The cafe offers massage periods in various modes, depending on how much time you have and how you choose to spend it.

    The 20-minute session is priced at $ 3.5, the 30-minute massage costs $ 7, and the 50-minute session is $ 9, all of which also include a drink. Once you make your choice, you are taken to the "healing center". You are asked to take off your shoes as well as any jewelry that might damage the chairs, after which you can choose a massage mode, from "stretch" or "sleep". You can start with stretch for a few minutes, and then switch to sleep if you want to take a short nap. After it comes to an end, you are taken back to the cafe area to enjoy a coffee or one of the many other refreshing drinks on the menu.

    Mr. Healing cafes are so popular in Korea that customers are advised to make reservations in advance to be sure that a massage chair is available. "I have to sit on a chair and stare at a computer monitor all day due to my job, the healing room was truly effective to relieve tiredness and stress from weekdays," said Park Hye-sun, a 24-year-old officer.

    Some have described Mr. Healing and other similar cafes in South Korea as simple fashions, but others see them as a sustainable business model, because they offer a service that Koreans really need.

    Dave Merry and his tools have been through a lot together. The tools helped Dave, now 80, repair his home in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he and his wife, Annette Merry, lived for 46 years and raised three children. The table saw, the jointer plane, the drill press, and the dozens of other power and hand tools had pride of place in his carefully organized workshop. "I had a whole setup, and it was beautiful," says Dave, a retired engineer.

    But then Annette experienced a stroke (中风) that left her relying on a walker to get around, and the Merrys decided to move into assisted living. Dave's workshop was obviously a minor consideration given Annette's condition, but the family knew that giving it up, on top of everything else, would hurt.

    It was the Merrys' daughter who came up with a possible solution. She'd heard about some people who were setting up a tool library—a nonprofit facility that would lend out tools just as a regular library lends books. Might Dad be interested in donating his?

    "I said yes," Dave says.

    The people creating the St. Paul Tool Library were thrilled. They had expected it would take a year to collect enough tools to make their facility fully functional. Instead it took one day: the day Dave donated his.

    The library's founders drove over to the Merrys' house and picked everything up themselves. The library is housed in the basement of the American Can Factory. Members pay an annual fee (from $20 to $120) for unlimited tool use and a varying number of visits to the workshop. And they get an extra benefit: Dave Merry. "Almost every time we're open, Dave's here," says one of the founders, Peter Hoh. "It means a lot to me to be able to go and use my tools," Dave says. "But it means just as much to help DIYers use the tools properly."

    As Hoh puts it, "This is his workshop now."

    Here are some professions Americans consider to be the most honest. Maybe the rest of us can learn from what these people do to establish good relationships with others.

    MEDICAL DOCTORS

    Jack Jacob, Age: 44, Fountain Valley, California

    I try to introduce myself in a pleasant way. I sit down. I don't stand. I make good eye contact with the patient and his or her family. Communication skills are key, as well as showing understanding and availability. For a physician, the most rewarding thing is when someone who has seen your work chooses you.

    ENGINEERS

    Chrissy Keane, Age: 41, Crofton, Maryland

    I don't know that being an engineer means you are automatically trustworthy. However, I do think that most engineers like to follow rules and be organized. They tell you what they think, whether you want to hear it or not. Those are important elements in building trust.

    POLICE OFFICERS

    G. M. Cox, Age: 64, Fort Worth, Texas

    As a police officer, I have the best interests of the people I serve in my heart and in my actions and I'm going to treat everyone the same way. I always want to go up to people and speak to them with respect. Don't talk down to them. You have to establish and maintain that trust. Be equal!

    Until the 1990s coffee was rarely served in China except at luxury hotels aimed at foreigners. When Starbucks opened its first outlet there in 1999, it was far from clear that the country's avid tea-drinkers would take to such a different-and usually more costly- source of caffeine. Starbucks tried to attract customers unused to coffee's bitter taste by promoting milk and sugar-heavy concoctions(调和) such as Frappuccinos.

    But coffee has become fashionable among the middle class in China. Starbucks now has about 3, 800 outlets in China- more than in any other country outside America. Statista, a business-intelligence portal(门户网站), says the roast coffee market in China is growing by more than 10 % a year. Starbucks and its rivals see big opportunities for expanding there.

    So too, however, do home-grown competitors. A major new presence is Luckin Coffee, Beijing- based chain. Since its founding less than two years ago, it has opened more than 2,300 outlets. On May 17th Luckin's initial public offering on the Nasdaq stockmarket raised more than $570m, giving it a value of about $4bn.

    Luckin's remarkable growth is sign of change. No longer do Chinese consumers see coffee as such a luxury. Most of Luckin's outlets are merely kiosks where busy white-collar workers pick up their drinks, having ordered them online. Super-fast delivery can also be arranged through the company's app. Independent coffee shops are springing up. The growth is striking given the country's reputation for its tea-drinking culture where many residents like to relax in teahouses sipping tea served gracefully.

    But the two markets are different. The teahouses tend to cater to older people who like to spend long hours playing mahjong and gossiping. At the coffee shops it is rare to see anyone over 40. Young people use them for socialising, but much of their interaction is online -sharing photos of their drinks and of the coffee-making equipment. An option on the Chinese rating app Dianping allows users to search for wanghong ("internet viral") coffee houses: ones with particularly photogenic decor(照片装饰) where better to sip and We Chat?