Mr. Bard is the manager at his family's shoe company. He really 1 competence in his workers. He always tells the 2 and hard-working employees that he is 3 of them. But Mr. Bard does not only show his appreciation through words. The most competent workers are also paid 4 .

    Mr. Bard thinks when an 5 works harder and produces higher quality shoes, the company earns more money. 6 , the employee should also earn more. But many of the less competent workers 7.

    “We are equal,” they protest (抗议). “We do the same job, so we should get the 8 pay!”

    He is a kind man, but he is also 9 . If he keeps hiring the less competent workers, the whole company will 10 . and perhaps all employees will lose their jobs. It will also be bad for his family and for the company's 11 .

    To 12 the situation, Mr. Bard creates evening workshops (工作坊) to help 13 the employees who are not working at company 14 . They watch the most competent workers, who receive a special bonus for 15 their co-workers, and make lots of notes. They inspect the production line, ask lots of questions, and 16 until they are skilled and 17 .

    Production at the company 18 . and the customers are happier with the high 19 shoes! As sales increase, Mr. Bard is able to pay his workers better. And 20 the company's smart pay system, the most competent workers can be highly rewarded.

    University was a new experience for me. I had grown up in a small seaside town in the south of England, and suddenly I was 1 together with people of my age from all over the country. People were speaking in 2 that I had only ever heard on TV, and sometimes using words that I had 3 heard before.

    I had only been at university for about a week when I 4 David Pitman, from Blackburn in the north of England. We 5 that we both played tennis, and arranged to meet up one afternoon for a 6.

    I went to the sports hall at the time we'd 7, and went into the changing rooms. David was already there, and I could see that he wasn't very 8. He was searching anxiously for something inside his bag. He looked up at me as I 9.

    “I've 10 my keks,” he said. “You haven't got any, have you?” 11 I had no idea what he was talking about. Tennis balls? Shorts? Trainers? What? I said: “Sorry?” David repeated: “Have you got any 12 keks with you?”

    Of course, I could have asked him what the word meant, 13 I was too embarrassed (尴尬的) and didn't want to offend (冒犯) him. David saw the 14 on my face, and said: “You know — keks. Shorts. Tennis shorts.”

    Now I 15, and luckily, I did have some 16 in my bag. I lent them to him, we 17, and he won. Then we went to get a 18. The woman at the canteen asked me what I wanted. “I'd like a Black Beauty, please,” I said. (Where I 19, that's cola and ice cream.) “What on earth is that?” said the woman. I 20 knew how she felt.

    My nephew's 10-year-old son came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I persuaded him to 1 inside and joined him in a game. After 2for an hour, I suggested that we relax for a while. I 3 my favorite recliner（躺椅）to let my neck muscles relax. He had slipped out of the room and I was catching a few enjoyable 4 of peace and quiet.

    "Look, Alice," he said eagerly as he 5 over to the chair where I was sitting." I found a kite. Could we go outside and 6 it?"

    Glancing out a nearby window, I noticed it was7 outside. "I'm sorry, Tripper," I said, sad to see his 8 eyes. "The wind is not 9 today. The kite won't fly."

    The10 10-year-old boy replied, "I think it's windy enough. I can get it to fly." He answered 11 he hurried out to the back door.

    Up and down in the yard he ran, 12 the kite attached to a small length of string. He ran back and forth, as hard as his ten-year-old legs would carry him, looking back 13 at the kite behind. After about ten minutes of unsuccessful determination, he came back in.

    I asked, "How did it 14 ?"

    "Fine," he said, not wanting to admit 15. "I got it to fly some"

As he walked past me to return the kite to the closet shelf, I heard him say under his breath," I guess I'll have to wait for the16. "

    At that moment I heard another voice speak to my 17 ."Alice, sometimes you are just like that. You want to do it in your way 18waiting for the wind."

And the voice was right. We usually want to use our own efforts to 19what we want to do. We wait for the wind only after we have done all we can and have exhausted（耗尽）our own 20 .

    Almost everything was fantastic in the nature camp except for a girl, Elizabeth. When I saw her sitting alone in the hot sun at lunch, I asked her to eat with us under a(n) 1 tree. However, Elizabeth refused my kind 2. When we invited her to play volleyball with us, Elizabeth 3 our invitation, too. After a few more 4 refusals like that, I decided to stay away from Elizabeth.

    It 5 that we were going on a nature 6 and that our instructor paired everyone up with a partner. Guess who my partner turned out to be. It was Elizabeth!

    “What do you like to do 7?” I asked, trying to make small 8 as we started out. “I like to 9 in peace and quiet,” Elizabeth 10. So we had the quietest and most peaceful hike in the world 11 we saw a bird. “I think his wing is hurt. Poor little bird,” Elizabeth said 12. “He might be taking a rest over there.” I said. Elizabeth nodded. Then she whispered, “But what if he's in13, like my granddad?” “Your granddad?” I said. “He 14 and broke his leg the day the camp started. He's 15 in hospital and is in so much pain,” Elizabeth explained. I noticed she was 16. “I'm sorry for what I have done. For some reason, whenever I get really sad, I act 17 and want to be alone,” she added.

    “I get it,” I said. “I don't always know how to 18 it when I'm feeling down, either.” “Thanks,” she said, wiping off her tears.

    After that, Elizabeth seemed to get along well with us, and I think she actually 19 the last few days of the camp.

    Next time, if someone is unfriendly, give him a second 20. Maybe he's going through a tough time.

    Our teachers tried teaching us about death during nursing training. As a student nurse, I knew I would see death in my1. I had no idea of the2it would have on me,3.

    The first person I saw die was an elderly man, John, who had been4for weeks. His heart was5and the health－care team was keeping him comfortable and6his symptoms. He had stopped speaking days before but was still awake at times, and his7when we spoke to him was beautiful.

    When I came on to the8one morning, the night staff said he had deteriorated (恶化) overnight and had9left to leave. A trained nurse and I gave him a bed bath, shaved him and changed his sheets. For the next six hours I10his hand and talked to him. The doctor came in regularly and asked if he needed more pain relief but he seemed11most of the time. He only12opened his eyes to smile at me. Early in the afternoon the nurse came back in and we washed his face and13his hair. As she was just about to leave the room, she stroked his hair and said:" Oh John, just14." Minutes later, he did.

    It has been 20 years since John's death. I have seen15deaths in my time nursing. I have seen staff go far beyond the16of their jobs to17that a patient has as good a death as possible. I remember some of the other faces, but none is quite as18as John's. He, and the professionals who were19him, taught me that it20how we treat those who are dying.

Table Talk

As we got out of the car, our son announced, "Phones stay in the car."

"Why do you always have to tell us that?" complained our fifteen-year-old grandson.

Our son's wife winked at us and then explained, "We have a family1 that no one may bring anything electronic to the table."

We 2 our phones in the car. Even though the restaurant was filled with families, there was little noise. All I heard were a few quiet conversations and the ding of forks on plates. The 3 unnerved me. I looked around. Everyone, even the young kids, was 4 at some kind of screen. 

The silence was broken when the six of us sat down, and started talking. The waitress stood patiently and waited for our orders. When our food came, we continued to chat. 

An elderly couple at the next table were finishing their dinners and conversing quietly. I noticed that they shot us a few glances, and wondered if our constant chatter was annoying them. 

After the dessert, my son signaled the waitress for the check. She hesitated when she brought the black folder to our table. My son opened the black folder — it was5 . "You forgot the check," he told her.

"There isn't one. Someone else6 your bill — and the tip too." she said with a giggle (咯咯笑).

"Why?" asked our son, his wife and myself at once.

"They loved it that no one was connected." she continued. "They loved watching you guys7 . The old lady went on and on about how nice it was to see a family eating and talking instead of looking at ‘electric games'."

For a moment, everyone at our table was at a loss for8 . Then we all started talking at once. My son's voice rose above the others. "Where are they? We want to thank them."

"They left after you ordered dessert," the waitress replied.

We spent the next fifteen minutes discussing this goodness and camp up with a 9 . Next time we see a family eating at a restaurant 10 looking at anything electronic, we'll pay it forward, just like what happened to us.