Chen Wei, a high school student in Beijing, had his dinner interrupted when he heard someone screaming from another table. A fellow diner at the restaurant, Zhang Tao, was choking on some steak. He was now holding his throat with his face turning red, while his desperate friends were slapping him on the back.

Chen wasted no time. He got up and ran to Zhang’s table at once. With the help of Zhang’s friends, he was able to help Zhang to his feet. Then, standing behind Zhang, Chen did the Heimlich manoeuvre. The food was instantly forced out, and Zhang began to breathe again. Ten minutes later, an ambulance arrived. The doctors checked Zhang and made sure that he was fine. They suggested he eat more slowly and take smaller bites before they left.

Choking victims usually have only about four minutes before they collapse and sometimes die, leaving no time for an ambulance to arrive. To solve this problem, in 1974, an American doctor, Henry Heimlich, created the Heimlich manoeuvre, saving thousands of lives around the world. Doing the Heimlich manoeuvre is quick, practical, and easy. It is so easy, in fact, that almost anyone can learn how.

If you see someone choking, first call the emergency services. Then, make sure that the victim is really choking: A choking person cannot speak. Slapping the victim’s back will often force out the obstruction. If this does not work, you can perform the Heimlich manoeuvre by standing behind him and wrapping your arms around his waist. Make a fist with one hand and place it in the upper part of his stomach. Grabbing your fist with your other hand tightly, push up and into his stomach in one motion. Continue doing this until the obstruction is forced out.

Doing the Heimlich manoeuvre on a small child is not recommended, as you may hurt him. Instead, lay the child face down on your lap with the head lower than the rest of his body, and then give firm slaps to his upper back until he can breathe again.

With choking victims, every minute counts. You cannot just stand by and do nothing. Luckily, Chen had learnt how to give first aid in school. Seeing Zhang choking, he remained calm and reacted immediately. Chen later said about the incident, “How could I justify sitting there and doing nothing? We are all humans and we all have a responsibility to look after one another’s welfare.”

“WELCOME, XIE LEI!”

BUSINESS STUDENT BUILDING BRIDGES

Six months ago, 19-year-old Xie Lei said goodbye to her family and friends and boarded a plane for London. It was the first time that she had left China. “I was very excited but also quite nervous. I didn’t know what to expect,” Xie Lei recalled.

Xie Lei is studying for a business qualification at a university in China and has come to our university on a year-long exchange programme. “I chose the exchange programme because I wanted to learn about global business and improve my English. My ambition is to set up a business in China after graduation,” she explained.

At first, Xie Lei had to adapt to life in a different country. “You have to get used to a whole new1ife,” she said. “I had to learn how to use public transport and how to ask for things I didn’t know the English names for. When I got lost, I had to ask passers-by for help, but people here speak fast and use words l’m not familiar with. I ask them to repeat themselves a lot!”

Although some foreign students live in campus accommodation, Xie Lei chose to live with a host family, who can help with her adaptation to the new culture. “When I miss home, I feel comforted to have a second family,” XieLei said. “When there’s something I don’t know or understand, I can ask them. They are also keen to learn about China. Laura, the daughter of my host family, wants to study in China in the future. We take turns to cook each evening. They really love my stir-fried tomatoes and eggs! Laura says she always feels hungry when she smells it, so I taught her how to cook it, too.”

Another challenge for Xie Lei is the academic requirements. The first time that she had to write an essay, her tutor explained that she must acknowledge what other people had said if she cited their ideas, but that he mainly wanted to know what she thought! Xie Lei was confused because she thought she knew less than other people. Her tutor advised her to read lots of information in order to form a wise opinion of her own.

Xie Lei also found many courses included students’ participation in class as part of the final result. Students need to generate ideas, offer examples, apply concepts, and raise questions, as well as give presentations. At first, Xie Lei had no idea what she should say but what surprised her was that she found herself speaking up in class after just a few weeks. “My presentation on traditional Chinese art was a great success, which boosted my confidence,” she said. “I’ll use these skills back home for presentations. They’ll help me build a strong business in the future.”

Now halfway through her exchange year, Xie Lei feels much more at home in the UK. What seemed strange before now appears quite normal to her. “Engaging in British culture has helped,” she said. “As well as studying hard, I’ve been involved in social activities. British people are fascinated by our culture and eager to learn more about it, so I’m keen to share my culture with them. While I’m learning about business, I’m also acting as a cultural messenger building a bridge between us.”

We will follow Xie Lei’s progress in later editions, but for now, we wish her all the best.

Peter, a 5-year-old boy, showed such great interest in seashells that he would rush to pick them up with his 3-year-old sister, Shirley. They screamed out their joy as Peter collected his treasure into his pockets. For Peter, sea shells lay shining on the peaceful beach, waiting for him, just like stars twinkling (闪烁) in the sky. As waves touched them, they seemed to be flowers blooming (绽放) in gentle wind.

One day, Peter was wandering through a market with Shirley with some shells in his pocket. Suddenly Peter found his younger sister was lagging (落后) behind. He stopped and looked back, finding Shirley standing in front of a toy shop and staring at something with great interest. The boy went back to her and asked, “What do you want?” Shirley pointed at the doll, wearing a smile on her innocent face. Peter held his younger sister’s tiny hand, walking into the shop. He tiptoed (踮起脚尖) to reach for the doll, and like fulfilling an elder brother’s duty, gave the precious doll to Shirley. Holding tightly the doll, the sister was very happy.

The shopkeeper was watching everything and enjoyed seeing the mature (成熟的) behavior of the boy. Now the boy came to the counter and asked the shopkeeper, “How much does this doll cost, Sir?” The shopkeeper was a cool man, who had suffered from something in his life. So he asked the boy with love, “Well, what can you pay?” Peter reached into his clothes for money that was intended for these two little kids’ breakfast. Having counted the money, Peter put it with care on the counter, asking again, “Sir, is it enough for my little sister’s doll?” The amusing scene just in front of the shopkeeper eventually brought a smile to his face. Shaking his head slightly, he replied, “My boy, I am afraid it seems not to be enough.”

For Sara’s family, decorating the yard was always a celebration for the New year. This year it was Sara’s father’s turn to hang colorful lights all round their roof according to family tradition.

On New Year’s Eve, light enveloped the whole house. Everything seemed to be going fine until misfortune happened: Sara’s father passed away suddenly. Sara was very sad. However, seeing the hanging lights, she was in a state of feeling happy, gaining a tiny thread of relief.

The lights reminded her of her beloved father. Taking them down meant the final connection with her father would disappear, which she wasn’t ready to accept. So she kept them. One day in March, Sara received a typed note in the mail. “Take your New Year’s lights down!” The letter read, which made Sara angry. She couldn’t hold back her anger, and shared it with her story online. Messages of support flooded into Sara’s inbox quickly. Besides, one day, Sara was driving back home and surprised to find that New Year’s decorations reappeared on houses in her neighborhood —her neighbors had made a collective (共同的) decision to hang their lights back up in honor of her father!

She never learned the sender’s identity. But for her, that hurtful deed was far less important than so many acts of kindness. A few weeks later, Sara eventually took down the decorations. “It was hard. But due to all the support and love, it was not as hard as I thought.”

Sara’s New Year Lights

Mercy for a thief

A frantic call came into Jimmy Gilleece’s bar this past March. A newly married woman who had spent the afternoon at the dive beach bar, couldn’t find her wallet. She didn’t care about her ID, credit cards, or $150 in cash—but her wedding ring was tucked inside.

Gilleece, the barkeeper, spent several hours watching surveillance footage(监控录像). He noticed a young man in a hoodie approach the bench that the woman had just sat on. He put something in his pocket, and walked off. Gilleece posted a clip on the bar’s Facebook page. Within hours, Gilleece got a text from 17-year-old Rivers Prather, who’d heard about the post from his sister. Prather told Gilleece he’d done it because he hadn’t eaten in two days. He said he saw the ring but thought it was fake, so he took the money and threw the wallet off the public docks into the ocean.

Gilleece, unsure whether he believed Prather, told the teen to meet him at the docks. There, after talking with the teen, Gilleece knew Prather wasn’t getting along with his family and had been living in the woods for a week. Gilleece thought Prather was more of a kid than a criminal. He thought he had to help him somehow. But the police were already on the case, and because of the missing ring, Prather could probably be sent to the jail.

The next day, Gilleece had two local divers search the waters where Prather had thrown the wallet. A policewoman was waiting for them there. More than an hour passed, with no sign of the ring. Prather looked nervously at the water. And then a diver popped up. In his hand was the wallet, and inside was the ring. Prather jumped up excitedly. Even the policewoman was happy. When Gilleece called the wallet’s owner, she burst out crying.

“Most people would have given the clip to police, and he chose to help me,” Prather told CBS News. “I say thank you to him every day.”

lost     real     jump     decide     relationship       miss throw     approach     nervous     tears   hold   happy
A newly married woman ________ her wedding ring
Gilleece found that a young man _________ where the woman had just sat. He posted a clip on the bar’ s F acebook page.		Prather admitted that he took the money and threw the wallet with the ring into the ocean, because he thought it was not_________.
After Gilleece and Prather had a talk, Gillece_________ to help him.		Prather told Gileece he had a bad _________ with his family.
The next day, Gilleece had two local divers search the waters for the wallet which _________ by Prather.		Prather was a bit_________ as there was no sign of the ring for more than one hour.
A diver popped up with his hand_________ the wallet, and inside was the ring.		Prather was so happy, _________ up excitedly.
When Gilleece called the wallet’s owner, she burst into __________.