Do you know what you’d like to be when you grow up? It takes most people many years to find the answer.

For Alexandra Nechita, it never really seemed to be a ______. From the day she began ______ at the age of two, she was an artist.

Born in Romania in 1985, Alexandra moved to California when she was a baby. She loved painting so much. Her parents hoped that she could spend more time being ______ and playing with other children. So when her parents ______ away her coloring books, Alexandra began drawing her own pictures and coloring them in.

By the time Alexandra was seven years old, she had begun painting with oil paints. When she took a local art class, her teacher was amazed at the young artist’s unusual ______ of painting. Alexandra’s work was ______ in some ways to cubist (立体派) paintings by artists like Picasso. These artists did not paint in a realistic way. They ______ their imaginations to play an important part in their work. The interesting thing was that little Alexandra had ______ seen the works of these artists. People called her “Little Picasso”. This was a great honor, but Alexandra’s style of painting was all her own.

Alexandra soon became famous. ______ she is still a teen, her career (事业) has continued to progress at an amazing pace (一步). The sale of a single piece can bring ______ more than $100,000. But this is not why Alexandra paints. She gives away lots of money to the society.

How Wars Begin

The Stevenson family was having dinner. The family ate without talking for several minutes, then Tom said, “Daddy, do you know how wars begin?”

Mr. Stevenson thought for a moment, then he said, “Yes, I think so. I’ll give you an example. We’ll take two countries, Britain and America. If Britain fought with America...”

Mrs. Stevenson laughed. “That’s crazy,” she said to her husband. “Britain and America have been friends for over two hundred years. They’ll never fight.”

“Yes, I know that” Mr. Stevenson said. “I was only using them as an example.”

“But they’re not a good example,” Mrs. Stevenson said. “France and Germany are a better example.”

“Britain and America are the best example,” Mr. Stevenson replied. “They are friends now but they were enemies in the past. They fought a war!”

“But that was a long time ago,” Mrs. Stevenson said. “You should use more modern examples.”

“And you should let me answer my son’s question,” Mr. Stevenson said angrily.

“Not when you give him wrong answers,” Mrs. Stevenson said.

“I am not giving him wrong answers!” Mr. Stevenson shouted. “I am giving him perfectly good answers.”

“Don’t shout at me!” Mrs. Stevenson cried. “I’m not one of your stupid friends.”

“My friends aren’t stupid!” Mr. Stevenson stood up and walked angrily out of the room.

“Now I’ll answer your question,” Mrs. Stevenson said to her son.

“It’s all right, Mom,” he said. “You and Dad already have.”

—Short Stories for Comprehension Al

Many of us have feelings of loneliness as we grow up. As a teenager, just eating alone in the restaurant can be unbearable (难以忍受的). Many people even go to the washroom hand in hand with their friends.     31    

In these cases, we might use the word “loner” in a negative (消极的) way. However, it can actually have a positive meaning as well.     32     If we see being alone as something negative, we will resist (抵制) it. But if we understand that it’s an everyday part of life, we’ll be able to “embrace (拥抱) the beauty of our solo (单独的) journey”, as best-selling US author Mandy Hale wrote in her book The Single Woman.

    33     In South Korea, “honjok” has become a growing lifestyle. The term comes from “hon” (alone) and “jok” (tribe). These people eat alone, travel alone, and enjoy being by themselves. “I hope it grows into a self-supporting culture of happiness,” said Jang Jae Young. He runs a South Korean website about his solo lifestyle.

In Japan, people have developed a strong “loner culture” and even a “loner economy”.     34     Ramen restaurants for solo diners are especially popular. Partitions (隔板) separate each seat. Diners fill out a form to place an order, and then press a button to call the waiter. They don’t see the faces of other customers or waiters.

People are becoming more experienced and comfortable with solitude (独处).     35     But it doesn’t hurt to have some “me time” once in a while.

Comics Show Us How We Are Different

What are the cultural differences between China and the West? You might be able to find the answer in Cao Siyu’s comics (漫画).

Cao was born in Beijing, but she left home at 20 and has studied and lived in the US, the UK, and France over years. Having seen so many cultures, Cao wanted to show the differences she has experienced. So she created the cartoon series Tiny Eyes Comics.

“My experience shows that although travel is much easier and faster today, the distance (距离) between cultures hasn’t shortened,” Cao said. She hopes to build bridges and ① break down misunderstandings between different cultures.

For example, one of her cartoons shows water preferences (偏好) in different countries. Three glasses of water are shown. The glass of water from the US has ice; the one from France is full of sparkling (气泡) water; the one from China is steaming (冒热气的).

Cao also uses her cartoons to show different ways of thinking and social customs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, she used her comics to explain why Chinese people prefer to wear masks, ② while Western people don’t. “Her comics have played a big part in showing Chinese culture,” Italian magazine Grazia reported.

Many foreign readers say that Cao’s comics help them understand China, while Chinese immigrants (移民) have felt that they are seen and understood. She said that this feedback (反馈) has been the biggest motivation (动力) for her to keep creating.

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C．

Sparing time, showing care

Jacob was a driver sent to pick me up for a three-hour drive. I needed to go to inland (内陆) Mexico, where I would be working.

As we were driving, he started to tell me his story. He shared that since the COVID-19 he had to change jobs. He was then spending six days a week in a town with more work, away from his family.

He said the name of his hometown, “Nah Bok”. On his only day off, he rode three different buses for five hours there and back so he could have time with his family.

My father worked away when I was young. Sometimes for weeks or months at a time. I remember us kids back then, waiting for our turns to have just a few minutes on the phone with him.

After two hours into our drive, when I saw a sign saying Nah Bok, I asked him if that was where his family lived. He said, “Yes, it is about 5 kilometers down the road.”

I said, “Why don’t we stop and say hello?” He looked at me like I was crazy or joking. I repeated it seriously. He obviously didn’t want to get in any trouble. He was hesitant (犹豫的). He asked if I was sure. I absolutely was. What was 30 minutes out of my day when this man had to spend five hours getting home each time?

As we pulled over, his wife was chatting on the side of the road with her mother. They were excited to see him. All of their children came out and I got to hear a little bit about each of their lives.

Slow down and listen to people’s stories. Take time when you can to give a gift to somebody else, even if it’s just your time.