I was in a shopping mall, so I decided to go and get a cup of coffee. As I was making my way to the coffee shop, I noticed an old gentleman poorly dressed sitting near the shop. I knew from the first sight that he needed help. He had a little lunch in front of him and was enjoying it. It was clear that he had a problem with his right eye. I then joined the line and waited to be served.

    Then it happened. One of the most beautiful gestures(姿态) I had ever seen in my life. There was a young man in front of me in the line who was also waiting to be served. The next thing I knew was that the young man handed the waitress(女服务员) 20 dollars and requested a glass of juice as a favor(善行). The waitress looked at the young man a little perplexed, not fully understanding the request. That was when the young man asked her to give the juice to the old gentleman eating his lunch outside, as well as the change(零钱) from the 20 dollars. The young man also told her that he would be watching every second so that she would be completely safe. Then there was a wonderful exchange between the waitress and the old man. I only wished I could take a photo of the smiles on both of their faces.

As I was considering this event later, I wondered why the young man didn't perform this act of kindness himself. Maybe he was hoping that this act of kindness might inspire(激励) others to do something for this old man as well.

    In Los Angeles, a waiter served a group of teens. The waiter remembered his experience as a young high school prudent. So he made sure the teens had a pleasant experience at the restaurant. The waiter made sure of it.

    After serving all the teens doing a great job, he was left a tip（小费）,only $3.28. That was hardly enough to buy a drink at Roebucks.

    The waiter went home. And he felt hatred for the students who did not know the value of hard work. They looked down on people like him. Or so he thought.

    After several days, the waiter forgot about it. His life went on as usual. But ten days later, he received a letter from the teens.

    “About a week and a half ago, on October 7, my three friends and I came to eat at this restaurant as our own homecoming celebration. It was an exciting experience for us to be here alone, and it was all new to us. And you were the best waiter we could ask for. You were kind, helpful, and didn't treat us like babies! So I want to say thank you for making our 'groan-up' experience so amazing and fun.

    “I would also like to say sorry on behalf of(代表) my group. Since we were new to all of this, reasonable(合乎情理)，but we had completely forgotten(and didn't know, to be honest) what a tip even was, let alone how much to give. So we emptied our pockets, and all our money added up to $3.28.

    “Having no idea of how small this really was, we left. Later, we realized our mistake and felt terrible. We knew we had to make it right.

    “So together with this letter, you will find the correct 18% tip + extra for simply being amazing. Thank you for your help and patience and also thank you for making our night fun. Thank you!”

①

My family is my heart and soul(灵魂). They make me happy; they make me whole. They are the ones who know me best and love me more than all the rest.

My family is my shining star. They guide me through both near and far. They are the ones who lift me high and help me reach for the sky.

My family is my rock and stay. They never let me lose my way. They are the ones who hold me near and wipe away (抹去) my every tear.

My family is my pride and joy. They are my treasure and my little toy. They are the ones who make me smile and make life worthwhile(值得的).

by Joanna Fuchs

②

Our home is where our hearts belong and where love and warmth are ever strong. It's where we learn to laugh and play and where we find our strength (力量)each day.

Our home is where we find our rest and where we feel we are truly blessed (祝福的). It's where we learn to love and care and where we find the strength to share.

Our home is where the memories lie and where the soul can always fly. It's where we find our hopes and dreams and where we learn to spread our wings.

Our home is where our hearts can sing and where we find our everything. It's where we learn to love and be loved and where we find the strength to rise above.

by Kelly Roper

 According to a research more than 130 billion pounds of uneaten food go to waste in Laura's country each year. That is about 30% of the yearly food supply (供应). It is a sad fact especially when you consider how many families and homeless people are in hunger.

 When Laura saw her school dining hall throw away food that was not eaten at all every day, she came up with an idea. She started a project to help her school dining hall to give away uneaten food to homeless shelters (庇护所) in her community. In the past three years, the same project has spread to other schools and some fast food restaurants throughout the city. The project is called Feed& find, and has already fed thousands of people in her city.

 How does it work? Through an app, Feed& amp; Find matches local homeless shelters with school dining halls and restaurants that have uneaten food to provide. When dining halls or restaurants have uneaten food left, they can use the app to share the information about the food. A truck driver working for the project is then sent to pick it up and take it to a shelter.

 Pretty cool, right? It's not surprising that people in other cities have got in touch with Laura hoping that she could have developed similar projects for their communities.

 Some people, however, have concerns about the safety of the uneaten food. They think such food may not be clean enough. Still, this project is a clever way to help solve the problem of food waste and it helps those in need.

The perfect language learner

Every language student wants to know the secret to making the most progress in the shortest time. What does the perfect learner do to better acquire a foreign language? The following are some tips which may help you improve your language skills.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Even when you are really tired, do some learning, even if it's only 5 to 10 minutes. Never miss a chance to increase your knowledge. Use it, or lose it! Practice makes perfect.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

To really learn a new word, you have to remind yourself of it six times over hours, days and weeks. Write down all your new vocabulary in a little book that you can always carry around with you. Or keep a record in your mobile— you always have it with you, don't you? According to a recent study, 86 percent of the participants(参与者) believe that they are more likely to be successful in remembering new words with a vocabulary list.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Don't worry about small mistakes! No one minds! When you learn new vocabulary or grammar, use it as soon as possible. If you can't use them accurately, it is likely that someone will point out your mistakes at once. Challenge yourself! Go for it!

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

You can use technology to improve your English such as listening to podcasts (播客) of native speakers, reading news in the language you are learning, watching videos, etc.

Cheer up! You can be a perfect language learner!

Is vocabulary learning important to you? Why or why not? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Every child has a hobby. My hobby is studying the night sky. But some friends of mine have special hobbies.