4 . I'm Victor Bobra from Belarus. When I was three years old, a nuclear explosion (核爆炸) blew up in Chernobyl, Ukraine. At the time, I was living on the border with Ukraine.When the explosion happened, my dad, was looking after the trucks at the station. When he heard about the disaster, he took us to Brest on the truck. After that, my family moved to Minsk.

Many years have passed since the explosion. Different places were affected differently. If you live in an area like Minsk, it's not as polluted as other areas. Kids there were born normally. Maybe they were underweight or something, but this was because of the problems of the economic situation. If kids were born around the Brest area, they were, born almost perfectly, because it's the cleanest area in Belarus. But if kids were born around the area to the east of Belarus,most of the kids were born deformed (畸形的).

I don't know much about how it has affected my health. But what happened was that everybody had a medical check-up after the disaster. The doctors found that I had got some protein inside me: So they thought there was something wrong with me, and suggested I should be treated.

My mum set up 'a charity, Chernobyl Children Lifeline, which raised some money for me. I've stayed here for treatment since then. The reason I can't go to Belarus is because of the radiation (辐射). If I go back, I might get radiation and get ill. Certainly there isn't any medical care, because the country is very poor. At the moment I can't even see my parents for a holiday. My parents probably miss me. I think the fault (过失) that Chernobyl blew up is the government's.

7 . Why second best is best for my kids?

“All I want for him is to be happy all his life,” I said softly when my son Jack was born. I probably followed it up with, “I want only the best for him”.

I want my kids to be happy more than anything, and I’ve realized wanting the best for them and treating them with “only the best” policy are not pathways to happiness. They are pathways to rude kids and parental misery(悲惨).

I've accepted the “second best” belief of parenting. Actually, I may have invented it — or given it a name, at least. It is a belief easy to get into but I see “only the best” parents all the time. Some of them are my good friends. The problem is, I never get to talk to them because they’re too busy going to school on open days or racing from gymnastics to guitar lessons to get together for coffee with me.

I say, “Why don’t you send your daughter to the gymnastics centre in the town?” and my friend Jen will say, “I would, but the one at Cleveland is so much better. The head coach was a world champion.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell my friend she treats her child like royalty, but I don’t. It’s none of my business (although it is) and I worry that will influence our friendship. Anyhow, I’m not the one driving a 40 km round trip for a nine-year-old’s gymnastics class.

Being satisfied with second best for your kids is quite different from expecting second best from them. It’s important they try their hardest, use their best manners, do what they believe is right. What I doubt is parents sacrificing( 牺 牲 ) their happiness for their kids’ happiness and the ones who are paying for things their child doesn’t need and they can’t afford. It’s a belief that everyone else is doing something and if they don’t, their kid will be left behind.

The happiest families I know are the ones with the most relaxed parents. And mostly, they’re happy with second-best children, because that’s what’s best for them.

9 . Not long ago, British entrepreneur(企业家) Richard Branson announced that he had bought an island off the coast of Australia for all his 30,000 staff and their families to use. For employees of his company, this must be one of the most attractive perks(额外待遇) of the job!

Most company perks are more practical than this, but they do appear to be an increasingly important consideration when choosing a job. Typical of these perks are reductions in the price of lunch or company goods, childcare services and investments(投资) in the company. Particularly popular with employees is membership of a health club and private health care. However, the appeal of perks such as cars, laptops or mobiles is declining. Material possessions are not the most important consideration these days.

Survey show that pay isn't the be-all and end-all once a person is settled in a job. Job satisfaction and personal achievement were named of managers recently. Christine Garner at the Industrial Society, believes that giving staff a choice of benefits showed that a firm was "forward thinking". "Parents may want to take extra holidays to be with their children. Older people may want to more medical benefits and younger staff may prefer additional money."

Richard Prior, spokesperson for the publishing house Redwood, thinks it's the little things that count and they are most appreciated by staff. Last year he announced that all staff could take the day off on their birthday, as well as leave early on Fridays in the summer. He also gives staff a choice of benefits. These include the chance to work at home sometimes, extra leave after a child is born, and a day's holiday without notice in advance.

Recent research has found the twice as many UK professional would rather work fewer hours than win financial rewards(报酬). Being able to choose when they work and what perks are most proper allows employees to balance work and home life. It's fast becoming the number one perk.

10 . Barbara was driving her six-year-old son, Ben, to his piano lesson. They were late, and Barbara was beginning to think she should have called it off. Barbara, a nurse at the local hospital, was very tired at that moment. The coldest season and the terrible weather just brought them more difficulties.

“Mum!” Ben cried suddenly. “Look!” Just ahead, a car had lost control on the icy road and crashed（猛撞）into a telephone pole. Barbara stopped her car quickly and opened the door. She said to Ben, “Dear, promise me you'll stay in the car!” “I will, Mum,” Ben said as his mum ran. She was a nurse-she might be able to help the unlucky people. It was terrible. Two girls aged about 18 were in the car. One was dead and the other was still breathing. Barbara quickly cleaned the wounds in the driver's head. Ben called for help on his mum's phone. Soon an ambulance came. “Good job, Barbara, you've saved her life,” one doctor said as he examined the driver's wounds. Barbara walked back to her car with a feeling of sadness, especially for the family of the girl who had died. Later, Barbara was able to meet the family of the driver. They expressed their thanks to Barbara for the help she had provided.