This morning I went out for breakfast and to meet a friend. It was lovely. But what wasn’t so lovely was the lady who took our order.

I know it’s nothing serious. It’s only that I noticed a bit of an “attitude” about her. She spoke in a way that was unhappy, certainly not ________, and kind of rude. Working in hospitality (服务行业) myself, I noticed it.

When it came to my turn to order, I thought to myself, “What can I do here to ________ her day, to put a smile on her face, to appreciate her?” I had nothing.

Surely there must be something I could praise her. Then there it was and I got it immediately.

It was her ________. She had the most unbelievably, well-spoken and clear voice. It was so good, professionally good. That was what I would praise her for.

So after she took my order and gave me the same unfriendly ________, I said, “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you have the most amazing voice. It’s so clear, well-spoken and sounds so professional.”

I told her how she exactly had one of those voices that would be perfect for presenters on the radio.

Her whole face lit up, she smiled and as I turned around and ________, I noticed her whole attitude ________. The customer behind me received a totally different kind of service, a happier one. And all because of what I did, just something so ________!

There was a time when this kind of thing would have embarrassed me. Or I’d have been shy to say a thing. Not now. Now I must!

Why? Because I have the ________, which can completely change someone’s day. With something as simple as a few kind words and being kind, you have this power too.

The tourists on Trip Advisor choose the Top 3 beautiful islands for you.

Classic books never go out of fashion. The Outsider first came out in 1967. But even though the book is old, it is still worth reading. The book is written by U.S. writer S. E. Hinton.

The book tells the story of a 14-year-old boy called Ponyboy Curtis. He struggles with right and wrong in a society where he believes he is an outsider. The story happened in Oklahoma, U. S., in 1965.

In the book, the children are divided into two groups. One includes Curtis and Greasers, which are mostly made up of poor kids. They have longer hair and often smoke at a young age. The other group is called the Socs, which is made up of rich children. They wear expensive clothes and drive high-tech cars. Those two groups do not get along well. The book only shows us two weeks of the boy’s life. But unexpected things happen and change the boy’s life forever.

I was touched by the friendship among the boys. When any of them had a problem, the others would help. Although they are not well-educated, they are kind and brave. For example, when Jonny was hurt and in hospital, his friends visited him almost every day. They brought him food and told him interesting stories. I always dreamed of having kind and strong friendships like this.

This book shows the beautiful personalities in those ordinary people. I advise that teenagers read this book and I hope they can enjoy it.

In the last 25 years, the population of monarch butterflies has reduced by hundreds of millions, according to the Wildlife Service Species report. The black and orange butterflies face insecticides (杀虫剂), loss of milkweed — the plant monarchs lay eggs on and the caterpillars’ only food, and habitat (栖息地) loss.

City people making a difference

The smaller population led Field Museum researchers in Chicago to ask: What makes a successful monarch garden? Hasle, an ecologist at the Field Museum, and Karen Klinger, a geographer, are working to answer that question. Many stops along the monarchs migratory (迁徙) route are taking an all-hands-on-deck way to help out the butterfly, looking for more places where milkweed might grow. “We think, in one way, cities are providing an important place for a lot of insects,” Hasle said. Although the project is still fairly new, there are already some findings. Unlike some other field work derailed by the COVID-19, the monarch project worked well with more people staying home to watch over their gardens.

According to the weekly reports participants (参与者) sent, more successful gardens had more milkweed and blooming plants or much larger fields. But Klinger said one participant with a single plant watched eggs change all the way to a chrysalis. “So,” she said, “you just need one plant.”

In 2020, during the second season of the study, the number of caterpillars dropped, even though there were more participants.

Chicago saw a hot, dry summer in 2020, which may have affected the health of the milkweed plants. In 2021, the reports out of Mexico noted illegal logging (非法砍伐), as well as trees hit by wind and drought. But they also said spring and summer weather conditions were hard for milkweed blossoms and egg development in the southern U.S., which limited reproduction.

Not giving up

Now is the perfect time to start planning to plant some milkweed, Hasle and Klinger said.

“The best thing to do is what you can do,” Hasle said. “One milkweed plant in a pot on your window board is doing something. Probably it gives you something to look forward to during the boring winter in Chicago.”

A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D. C. Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman. In a natural reflex, I reached into my pocket, took out all of my loose change and put it on her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar (乞丐). But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”

I immediately realized what I had done. I judged another person simply for what I thought she had to be. I hated what I saw in myself. This incident reawakened my belief in humility (谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment. And I knew that I should have treated everyone equally (平等地).

The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in the U. S. at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.

In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见). I remember a time, at age 17— I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. I have also seen the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better.

But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the street of Washington, D. C. cured me of my blindness. She made me think of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open. By the way, I helped that lady to the post office. And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for what she has taught me.

Today, young people spend about six hours a day in front of a TV or a computer and less than four minutes playing outdoors. It is not healthy for the mind and the body when time spent using technology replaces outdoor time.

Some health experts call green time “vitamin G”. Kids who don’t get outdoors much are likely to have trouble in school. Doctors believe that is because being outdoors excites the mind more than sitting around indoors. Even those who usually spend a lot of time outdoors notice a difference when they don’t get green time. Madelyne P., 14, says, “I feel more tired when I don’t get outdoors.”

Researchers believe the positive effects of green time come from the physical activity in pastimes such as hiking or boating. Exercise produces brain chemicals that improve learning, mood, and sleep. It also improves learning by increasing connections between nerve cells that are important in learning and memory. Some schools hold classes outside for those reasons. Student Hannah Smith, 18, says she believes the outdoors helps her focus and gets her to learn. Learning in a forest sparked her interest in art and photography, too.

Even doctors are helping give their patients a dose of vitamin G. Miller writes “park prescriptions (处方)” for her patients because, she says, “being outdoors is good for health.” She finds that when she gives patients park prescriptions; they are likely to continue with them.

Getting outdoors can be simple, just like calling together your family for a picnic lunch. All it takes is five minutes or more of green time. Get outside, and get your vitamin G!