A      
   When I was laid off (解雇) from Intel Corporation two years ago, I felt very sad. I’d been with the company since 1996 and had poured a lot into my work. I was afraid that I would not find a better job.
    Several years before, I had taken a comedy class to conquer (克服) my fear of public speaking. Like many other performers, I seemed shy in front of people, but after a show, people said, "Hey, you’re amazing on stage."
     So I thought it was a chance for me to take up comedy now. It would pay very little. Luckily, I had saved a lot during all my years at Intel.
    I made up jokes while taking the subway, walking around, and talking on the phone. I made efforts to practice, improved myself on the Internet, and performed whenever I had a chance. My new career took off. I’m a frequent flyer, and I get upgraded (升级) to first class on every flight.
    Recently, I made $12,500 one night. I’m making more than double what I made at Intel. I’ll probably earn about $275,000 this year, not counting the advertisements I was involved in for a computer company. I also have a role in a movie next summer. I’ve become pretty well-known.
    In this business, there is no greater excitement than thinking of a joke that makes you laugh out loud, practicing it for a small audience, and then performing it in a theater of 2,000 people. Getting laid off is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

When I was young, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never shouted at us for playing in his yard. I remembered him as a neighbor who was nicer than anyone else in the neighborhood.

When Dr. Gibbs was happy, he was planting trees. And his life’s goal was to make it a forest.

Dr. Gibbs had some interesting theories about planting. He talked about trees that weren’t watered would grow deep roots in search of water. So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak (橡树) and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with the rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Dr. Gibbs died a couple of years. Every now and again, I walk by his house and look at the trees that he planted twenty-five years ago. They’re very strong now.

I planted a couple of trees a few years later. I watered them regularly and took good care of them. Whenever a cold wind blows, they shake their leaves and branches.

The funny thing about those trees of Dr. Gibbs was that difficulty seemed to help them in ways comfort and ease never could.

B

Arlena Labon is celebrating her 108th birthday this week. She’s never had children, but she has been a mom for about 50 foster(收养的) kids over the years, and her unique outlook(见解) on life may have helped her reach the age of 108.

     “She is the most remarkable woman.” LaBon’s sister’s daughter Claudia Martin told the reporter this Wednesday, adding that they had another cousin who lived to 114, so longevity (长寿) runs in their genes.

     Arlena told the newspaper that she doesn’t have any healthy eating secrets, but she does have a caring attitude that has served her well over the years. That may be the reason. As a foster parent, LaBon wanted the kids in her home to have a good life and a strong education. “I gave them what I didn’t get before,” she said.

Arlena Labon grow up in North Carolina, where her family raised cotton and tobacco, and she attended “the little red schoolhouse in Snow Hill”, according to a 2014 interview. She left school at 16 and went to Norfolk, Virginia, where she found cleaning, cooking, and restaurant jobs. “I was tired of farming,” she said.

     When she married, LaBon and her husband settled in Ohio. Over her many years, the value of her life has been one of kindness and generosity (慷慨). “Just love each other; treat each other good,” she often says to her children.

     The newspaper posted lots of comments about LaBon. “What an angel(天使)! I wish

more people would think this way,” wrote one person. Another commented. “What a great difference you’ve made in the lives of those kids! Happy Birthday, sweet lady!”

Thomas Hart Benton was born on April 15, 1889 in Neosho, Missouri. He grew up going to boarding schools and spent much of his early years during his father’s four terms as a US Congressman. Benton’s first art job was as a cartoonist for the Joplin American in Missouri.

In 1907, when he was eighteen, Benton began his serious art training at Washington DC’s Corcoran Gallery School. Later on in 1907 Benton studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, but left out of dissatisfaction with the school’s teaching techniques. In 1908, Benton went to Paris and studied at the Academie Julian for three years. It was here that he learned of modem European art styles such as Post-Impressionism (后印象派). Benton’s early works followed these European styles. More of his early work would be available except that it was destroyed in a fire in 1917 in Neosho, Missouri.

In 1918, Benton became a draftsman for the US Navy and worked out of the Norfolk, Virginia Naval Yard. This draftsman experience also led him away from the European influences he had gained in Paris. Benton began working more in the form of realism in his work. In 1923, following his naval duty, Benton moved to New York City and taught art at the Art Students League for twelve years.

In 1935, Benton moved back to his home state of Missouri and taught at the Kansas City Art Institute. He also directed the institute. Benton would stay here the rest of his life. His most famous student was Jackson Pollock, the Abstract Expressionist. On January 19, 1975, he died at the age of eighty-five in his studio.

For Juan Manuel Pineda, it was a long way to succeed.

    His story began in El Salvador, where he was born with something wrong with his mouth. He had great difficulty in speaking. At age 2, his family's home burned down. Pineda was injured, and his legs needed to be cut. His mother died when he was 8, and he spent years on the streets before he was taken in by an orphanage(孤儿院).

Finally, at the orphanage, Pineda began to receive support and encouragement. He taught himself to play the guitar. He began to perform with other musicians. Then the group went to Chicago, where Pineda, then 18, caught the attention of many people, who wondered what they could do to help him.

Shriners Hospitals offered him free medical care. A group called the Mulliganeers agreed to pay for Pineda's flights to and from El Salvador.

    When he was in the hospital, Pineda began writing music, and wondered if he might be able to record his own album. Soon with the help of a musician, “The Sound of Gratitude(感激)”, was born. On October 15th, Pineda went to a Chicago club to play his new songs to strangers, and to the friends who had helped him come so far.

Pineda was amazed that he had come into such a good luck, after having so many years of hardship. “We have a saying in El Salvador, ‘Suffer first, then enjoy.’ I guess that's what's happening,” he said.

A

While Andrew was getting ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he had finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Andrew felt nervous and anxious as he thought about the upcoming showdown. What if Mr Larchmont refused to grant his request? Andrew had worked so hard in the last 18 months and landed some great accounts for his company. Of course, he deserved a wage increase.

The thought of walking into Larchmont’s office left Andrew weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he was finally courageous enough to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the ever-frugal（一向节俭的）Harvey Larchmont agreed to give Andrew a raise!

Andrew arrived home that evening—despite breaking all city and state speed limits—to a beautiful table set with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina, had prepared a delicate meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office had tipped her off!

Next to his plate Andrew found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: “Congratulations, my love! I knew you’d get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!” He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Tina was.

After dinner, Andrew was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert when he observed that a second card had slipped out of Tina’s pocket onto the floor. He bent forward to pick it up. It read: “Don’t worry about not getting the raise! You do deserve one! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you just how much I love you even though you did not get the increase.”

Suddenly tears swelled in Andrew’s eyes. Total acceptance! Tina’s support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.

The fear of rejection is often softened and we can undergo almost any setback or rejection when we know someone loves us regardless of our success or failure.

A

    There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school(寄宿制学校). Before being sent away this boy was the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. He was a champion.  But the boy changed after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like killing himself. All of this was because he felt worthless and that no one loved him.  His parents started worrying about the boy. But even they did not know what was wrong with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him. They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. After some time his dad said, "Do you know son, why I am here today?"

     The boy answered back, "to check my grades?"

"No, no" his dad replied, "I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don' t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE. "

    These words caused the boy' s eyes to fill with tears. He hugged his dad. They didn't say anything to each other for a long time. Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He meant the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad!

    Thanks a lot dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE.

         Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories，destroying fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged that their owners had to leave them，and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed，several were badly hurt and taken to hospital，and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.

         A farmer，Mr. Tan，said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.

         “I was eating with my wife and children，”he said，“When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him，safe but very frightened.”

Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.

         “There was no time to take anything，”she said，“A few minutes later，the roof came down.”

Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded area and the welfare department（福利机构）brought them food，clothes and shelter.

       There was once an old wise man living on the top of a mountain. Wherever the villagers had a problem, they would climb up the mountain and ask the old man for advice.

       One day a young man arrived. “Wise man,” he asked, “what makes a man truly great?”

       The old man said, “Do you sincerely want to know?”

      “Yes, yes!” the young man replied.

       “Well,” the wise old man said to him, “let me tell you in the form of a story.”

        There was once a Greek man who suffered from a deadly disease. Knowing that he would die soon, he was the first to join the army when his country was in a battle with the enemy. Hoping to die in the battle, he would fight in the front line, risking himself without any worry for his life. Finally they won the battle and he was still alive. His general(将军) was so impressed with his bravery which contributed much to the victory.

       The general decided to promote him and award him with medals of bravery and honour. On the day of presentation(授予仪式)，he was looking very down and sad. Curiously, the general asked him why he was so sad on a day he should be so proud. The soldier told him of his deadly disease.. “How could I let such a brave soldier die?” the general thought. So the general hired the best physician and finally cured the soldier. But from that day on, the once valiant soldier was no longer seen at the front. He would always avoid danger and try his best to protect his life.

       “Young man,” the wise man said. “if you want to be truly great, you must not be afraid of dying, and you must be daring.”

  Beijing, April 2----Starting from this year, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau will begin to promote a home medical service. With this service a medical team which is made up of a doctor, a nurse and a medical health worker will be sent to some communities in the city. They will set up a medical filing recorder for every resident in community and publicize their contact information to them. If people in the community feel sick, they can consult their community doctor first. If community doctors cannot treat their illness, they will then be transferred to large hospitals. Liang Wan, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, made the statement last Friday .

   In addition ,the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau will set up some funds to train home medical service workers for families whose members suffer either from high blood pressure, diabetes, cerebral apoplexy , or coronary heart disease . The home medical service workers will remind patients to take pills on time and lead the patients to follow some health tips in their daily life. They will also learn some practical knowledge to save patients in case of an emergency .

   The work will first begin in the medical service room in the 25 community centers and spread to all communities in Beijing. The disease prevention and control centers at various counties and districts in Beijing will be responsible for teaching community doctors and giving home medical service lectures, or advice . These workers will not be able to work until they pass related examination and obtain the work certificates. It is expected that by the end of this year, there will be 10000 home medical service workers in Beijing .