He met her at a party. However, she never paid any attention to him. After the party, he invited her for coffee. In order not to be rude, she went along.

In a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything. Suddenly, he asked the writer, "Could you put some salt in my coffee?" The waiter and she looked at him in surprise. "Why salt with coffee?" she asked. "I used to live near the sea. Whenever I drink salty coffee, it reminds me of my hometown and my parents," he answered.

    She was touched. A man who is homesick(想家的) must love his home. So she talked with him a lot and slowly found she was just the man she was looking for.

    Later they married and lived happily together and every time she made coffee for him, she put in some salt. After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter, which said, my dearest, please forgive my life-long lie. Remember the first time we met? I was so nervous that I asked for salt instead of sugar Dear, I don't exactly like salty coffee. But having you with me was my greatest happiness.

     I was 15 when I walked into McCarley's bookstore in Ashland. As I was looking at all the books on the   1   , the shop owner asked if I'd like a job. I needed to start   2  money for college, so I said yes. I worked after school and during the summer for the lowest pay, and the job helped pay for my first year of college. I would do many other jobs and I   3   made maps for the US Forest Service. But selling books was one of the most satisfying.

    One day a woman asked me for books on cancer. She seemed   4  . I showed her almost everything we had at that time in the  5and found other books we could order. She left the store less  6 . I've always remembered the  7 I felt in having helped her.

    Years later, as a TV reporter in Los Angeles, I   8   a child who was born with his fingers connected(jointed together). His family could not   9   a corrective operation, and the boy lived in shame, hiding his hand in his pocket.

Luckily, I  10   persuading(说服) my boss to let me do the story. After my story was broadcast, a doctor and a nurse called,    11  to perform the operation for free.

    I visited the boy in the recovery room soon after the operation. The first thing he did was to hold up his repaired 12and say, “thank you.” I felt a sense of   13  .

    In the past, while I was at McCarley's bookstore, I always felt that I was working for the   14 , not the store. Today it's the same. NBC News pays me,   15  I feel as if I work for the TV viewers, helping them make sense of the world, not the TV station.

    Amsterdam is the bike capital of the world. Biking is a fun and easy way of getting around Amsterdam.

    Students go to school by bicycle. People ride their bicycles to work. Travelers ride bicycles freely around the city. Even police work on bicycles. You can see these every day in Amsterdam.

    There are many roads and traffic signs（标记）for bicycles. There are also many places for bicycle parking.

    If you travel in Amsterdam, you don't need to take a bus or taxi, just a bicycle. You can ride the bicycle along the roads and the streets enjoying the scenery（风景）. The city has a lot of bicycle shops to choose from. If you do not want to buy a bicycle, you can go to rent（租赁）a bicycle. They are in almost every part of the city. Going for a ride is enjoyable. It's a good idea to find an experienced guide. Because he would take you to some of the city's most beautiful places. Riding bicycles in Amsterdam is of great fun and relaxing; just remember to follow the traffic rules.

    If you're invited to your British or American friend's home for a meal at home, you should learn some table manners about their countries.

    Their dinner parties usually start between 7 and 8 p. m. and end at about 11 p.m. Ask your hosts what time you should arrive. It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as a gift.

    Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks（小吃）. If you want to be more polite, say how much you like the room, or the pictures on the wall. But remember-it's not polite to ask how much things cost.

    In many families, the husband sits at one side of the table and the wife sits at the other end. They eat with their guests. You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert（甜点心）, followed by coffee. It's polite to finish everything on your plate and to take more if you want it.

    Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short "thank you" letter. British and American people like to say "thank you, thank you" all the time!

    Edinburgh is the world's "festival city". The city holds 12 festivals throughout the year, half of which are celebrated during the months of July and August. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the Scottish capital during the summer. Here are some of the events they can enjoy.