Last summer, Katie Steller pulled off' the freeway on her way to work. She stopped at a traffic light, where a man was sitting with a sign asking for help. Rolled down her window.

“Hey!” she shouted. “I'm driving around giving free haircuts. Do you want one right now?” “Actually,” the man said, “I was really hoping to get a haircut.”

“I'll be right back,” Steller said. She drove off, went to the salon she owns, and recruited one of her stylists to help her load a red chair into her car. Then the two of them drove back, and trimmed the man's curly graying hair. He told them about growing up in Mississippi, about moving to be closer to his adult children, and now he still talks to his mom every day. After Steller was done, the man looked in a mirror, “I look good!” he said.

To date, Steller has given 30 or so such haircuts to people around the city. These people are all living on the margins, and she is keenly aware of the power of her cleanup job.

“It's more than a haircut,” she says, “I want it to be a gateway, to show value and respect, but also to get to know people and build relationships.” Steller knows that a haircut can change a life. “Part of what broke my heart was just how lonely people looke,” she says. “I thought maybe I'd go around and ask if people want free haircuts. I can't fix their problems, but maybe I can help them feel less alone for a moment.”

Steller listens to people's stories of loss, addiction, and struggle to get back on their feet. The attention apparently works. When she was cutting a woman's hair one day, someone drove by and yelled, “You look amazing!” The woman in the chair smiled. “I'm not invisible,” she exclaimed, “thought I was invisible. Look, people see me!”

And it all began with a belief in simple acts of kindness, such as a free haircut. “The way you show up in the world matters,” says Steller. “You have no idea what people are going to do with the kindness that you give them.”

【推荐3】Gerald Swindle was waiting to check out in a store when he noticed the elderly woman checking out in front of him was talking endlessly about herself to her cashier(收银员), who just stayed attentive all the time.

Gerald Swindle was a bit annoyed with how long their conversation was going. But as Gerald waited for his turn, his attitude began to change. Not only did he conclude that their conversation was very important, but found himself captivated by what the elderly woman said once he stopped to listen.

“You were patient with this lady,” Gerald later said in a video recalling what had happened. “You did nothing but followed her conversation, listening to every word she said, and never rushing her.”

He added, “You showed me what people ought to be. Sometimes it might be the only person they talk to this week. Sometimes I need that, so I appreciate it.”

“I never expected this to come about because it was just a regular day for me. I was just doing my job,” Emily, the cashier, said.

But since posted online, the video has become popular with nearly 2 million views! The comment section was quickly filled with others sharing how inspired they felt by Emily’s kindness.

Best of all, that elderly woman has since come back to the store several times, and the two of them are becoming quite close. “What I’ve learned is so amazing—you can have an effect on people just by being yourself working at the store,” Emily said.

【推荐2】The annual marathon in my town occurred as scheduled. My job was to follow behind the runners in an ambulance in case any of them needed medical attention. As the athletes began to pace themselves, the front runners started to disappear. It was then that my eyes were drawn to the woman in blue running shorts and a baggy white T-shirt.

I knew we were already watching our “last runner”. Her feet were turned in, yet her left knee was turned out. Her legs were so crippled ( 跛足的 ) and bent that it seemed impossible for her to walk, let alone run a marathon.

The driver and I watched in silence as she slowly moved forward. We would move forward a little bit, then stop and wait for her to gain some distance. Then we’d slowly move forward a little bit more. As I watched her struggle to put one foot in front of the other, I found myself breathing for her and urging her forward. I wanted her to stop, and at the same time, I prayed that she wouldn’t.

Finally, she was the only runner left in sight. I sat on the edge of my seat and watched with respect and amazement as she pushed forward with sheer determination through the last miles. When the finish line came into sight, the cheering crowds had long gone home. Yet, standing straight and proud waited a man. He was holding one end of a ribbon tied to a post. She slowly crossed through, leaving both ends of the ribbon fluttering (飘动) behind her.

I don’t know this woman’s name, but that day she became a part of my life — a part I often depend on.

For her, it wasn’t about beating the other runners or winning a prize. It was about finishing what she had set out to do. When I think things are too difficult or I get those “I-just-can’t-do-it,” I think of the last runner. Then I realize how easy the task before me really is.

【推荐3】The excitement of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is truly ongoing. It’s the world’s biggest international soccer tournament(比赛)and also the most-watched sporting event in the world. There are 32 teams competing for championship. The tournament of 2022 looks to be particularly unique. What makes it different from the ones before?

For starters, it’s the first time the tournament has been held in the Middle East after Qatar beat other host competitors − the US, South Korea, Japan and Australia back in 2010. It’s also the first time in history the tournament has happened during the Northern Hemisphere(北半球)winter months, from Nov 20 to Dec 18.

That’s because Qatar is a desert country, and in summer the temperature can be as high as 42 ℃. That’s too hot to play outdoor sports. But it will still be pretty warm in winter. The temperature in the stadium is expected to be around 20 ℃ to 30 ℃. Air conditioning will help to keep it cooler.

Qatar is also the smallest nation by area hosting the cup. They play the first match of the tournament, facing Ecuador. It’s Qatar’s first-ever FIFV World Cup game. This makes them the first to perform their debut(首秀)game since Italy in 1934!

There are some new challenges for many players too. Apart from the hot weather, for European teams like England, France, Germany and Spain, it’s only just over a year since their last big international tournament, the UEFA Champions League.

According to FIFA’s rankings, the favorites to win the tournament this year are Brazil, followed by Argentina and France. Do you know who has had the last laugh?

【推荐1】A year ago, Marian Wilson was just-a university student looking for a quiet and peaceful place to study, but it seems she wasn’t the only one. Her once quiet study room became a busy eating and meeting place. Now she has turned it into a book cafe. Helen Sheldon talked to Marian just before the opening of the cafe. Her study room has been one of the most popular meeting places for university students. It all started a year ago when she was preparing for graduation, she was looking for a place to study and write her final project. She couldn’t stand the dark unfriendly feeling of the library. She preferred a comfortable, sunny study room so she rented the top floor of an old house near the university and spent her afternoons reading books and working on her project. Then word spread and her friends started turning up. It was a great place to relax, talk and compare ideas. They even started leaving their books behind and leaving some money for the things they used, like coffee and pens etc. She also doesn’t want a stressful nine-to-five job. She’s trying to find a lifestyle that suits her.

She knows she’ll enjoy it. It’s going to be a challenge but, hopefully, she’ll also have time to write. Actually, She wants to be a writer but she knows it’s difficult to make a living doing that. There’s a need for relaxing places like this for people - especially students - to eat, talk and have fun without spending too much money. If the feeling of the place is right, people are going to come to the cafe. Anyway, it’s more than just a business decision. It’s also a decision about the lifestyle she wants to have and about trying to create something new and different. It opens tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. so she can come by for something to eat, drink or just to have a chat.