Yoghurt

It was a rough week. The price of oil skyrocketed as the temperature dropped sharply in Maine. We were looking at a high of eight degrees that week, and I had missed three days of work so my paycheck was going to be lower than normal. I was stressed, to say the least. I shopped strategically, looking for every possible way to cut pennies so I could buy groceries and keep the house warm.

My eight-year-old son didn't understand when I told him we were struggling that week. He wanted a special kind of yoghurt, but I didn't have the extra three dollars to buy it for him. It was the kind of yoghurt with a cartoon kid riding a skateboard on the front of the box, and a mere two spoonfuls in each cup. It was the kind of product that wastes a parent's money and makes me hate advertising.

I felt guilty as a parent when those big eyes looked at me with confusion, as if to say, “It's just yoghurt. What's the big deal?” So I found a way. I put something back as single mothers often do. He got his yoghurt.

On the way driving back from the grocery store, I noticed a homeless man holding a sign by the side of the road. My heart hurt, and I tried not to look at him. I watched people stay away from him on the street and walk by without even meeting his eyes. My son didn't seem to care much, either. I looked at the man closely then — bare hands grasping a piece of cardboard, snot frozen to his face, a worn-out jacket. And there I was struggling because I had to buy oil and groceries. But I decided to help. I pulled over to the man and handed him a five-dollar bill.

Seeing this, my son became confused and surprised.

On that day, my son performed an act that most adults wouldn’t have done.

2 . The world is a big place, and there are many, many different places you can visit.     1    

First of all, traveling allows us to escape our daily routines and expand perspectives, because seeing new places and gaining new experiences can broaden our perspectives.

Traveling is also the most valuable form of learning.     2     It helps us absorb information about other cultures. That is to say, traveling extends our knowledge of the world and lets us know the cultural diversity（多样性）.By doing so, we realize that there is not one way to live, nor is one way correct.     3    

What's more, traveling can have a direct effect on people's sense of happiness, and decrease their stress and anxiety. These improvements don't just disappear the moment travelers return to their daily lives.     4     As a result of travel, people change the way they communicate with others and learn to be more patient with others. Above all, people who frequently travel tend to be healthier and live a longer life.

    5     We can escape our daily stress, expand our worldview, learn about others and ourselves, and improve our health. Many of the benefits people acquire from traveling improve the quality of their overall well-being. It is vital for people to visit different places, meet new people and discover a new way of living. Travelling helps us fully appreciate the beauty of the world and the diversity in it.