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I started working at Pizza Hut in December 1989, when I was a freshman in high school. All new employees started by washing dishes and busing tables. If they proved their ability, they learned to make pizzas, cut and serve them on wooden paddles and take orders.

 1   I couldn’t keep up, and piles of dishes formed on all sides of me. Every time the pile decreased, the call came back to help clear tables out front, and I returned with more dirty dishes.

My shift (轮班) was supposed to end at 9 p.m., but when I asked to leave, the manager, Jeff, shook his head. “Not until the work is done,” he said. “You leave a clean station.  2  However, I worked until after 10 that night.

I stayed on dish duty for weeks. My heart sank every time I arrived at work and saw my name written next to “dishes” on the position chart. I spent my shifts behind those steel sinks. I hated every minute I spent on dish duty.  3 

One slow mid-week night, when I managed to catch up on dishes and clean out the sinks early, I asked Jeff when I could do something different. “Do you know why you’re still doing dishes?” he asked. “Because you keep complaining about it.”  4  But, he promised, if I continued to leave a clean station and not complain, next week he would put me on the “make table,” where pizzas were put together before being put into the oven. A few days later, when I reported for my after-school shift, I saw my name penciled not in the “dishes” box but in the “make table” box.  5 

A. I was excited.

B. Some write on a chalkboard.

C. I was angry and thought about quitting.

D. Nobody likes to work with a complainer, he said.

E. And I wasn’t afraid to let everyone around me know it.

F. On my first night, the dishes piled up after the dinner rush.

G. The people who make a difference in your life come in all types.

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You don’t really need much to start running. Once you have shoes, socks, something to listen to and something to clock your time, you’re just about set.  1 Whether you choose a standard watch, a high-tech GPS watch or your iPhone doesn’t matter.

1. Choose a shoe

Don’t be influenced by brand names. Instead, try on four or five running shoes, jog around the store and let your feet decide. In a sweeping review of the science on running shoes and injuries, researchers found that the most important feature of a running shoe is — comfort. That’s it.  2 

2. Choose a pair of socks

 3  Blisters from unsuitable socks are painful and could affect you for days. You want a breathable, comfortable sock. Some running socks are made from a special material that draws moisture (湿气) away from your feet.

Look for a sock without thick (or any) seams (缝) and decide if you want a no-show sock or one that covers the back of your ankle.  4  Test them out to see how they perform when you run and sweat before buying more pairs.

3. Choose a playlist

Running should feel like a reward. If you’re a runner who likes the quiet of running, then pick a quiet path and go run. But many people like a combination of upbeat music or books on tape to accompany them on the run.  5  They often read their own audiobooks and leave you laughing so much you forget the pains of running.

A. Choose a shoe that feels good.

B. Consider trying books by comedians.

C. Here’s how to pick the right running equipment.

D. It can prevent bacteria from accumulating on your feet.

E. Try socks on in the store, and pick one or two that you like.

F. While most runners focus on shoes, socks can be important too.

G. When it comes to the timing tool, just pick the one that works for you. 

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Where the Easter-egg tradition comes from

The association between Easter and eggs runs deep. The hatching of a chick is both seasonally and metaphorically (比喻地) appropriate for a springtime holiday of rebirth. But the link’s origins could be a lot more ordinary.

 1 . One possible origin: the strict fasting rules of the time, which banned eating any animal product during Lent (the period of 40 days before Easter).

 2 . So Christians would hard-boil and store their eggs for later, according to Henry Kelly, a professor of medieval (中世纪的) studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Some of those eggs would be given to the poor, and villagers brought them as Easter gifts to their manorial lords (领主). Eggs could also be brought to church as a Good Friday offering.

 3 , at which point the household of Edward I brought 450 eggs to be colored or covered in gold leaf to be distributed, according to The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain by Ronald Hutton.  4 , as colored eggs made flashier gifts between commoners.

As new ideas about middle-class family life formed in Europe and the U.S. in the late 1800s, religious holidays came to include customs for children.  5 . Soon enough they were colored, hidden and hunted by kids all over the place, including at the White House, which held its first Easter Egg Roll in 1878.

A. Easter eggs were a natural fit

B. Hens, however, kept laying anyway

C. And the tradition wasn’t limited to royals

D. There are Easter celebrations around the world

E. Decorating them began in Britain around 1290

F. One of the Easter egg games is the Easter Egg Hunt

G. To look for the beginnings of the Easter egg, start in medieval Europe

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Work Smarter Not Harder

In Dan Pink’s Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself  he closes the book with a long, excellent list of “Work Smarter Not Harder” type advice for people who want to start working for themselves. 

 1  Below are my favorites.

●Make a “to don’t” list. Prepare a list that contains all the things you shouldn’t waste your time on — useless tasks, unnecessary meetings, worthless phone calls, and so on.  2 

●Carry a notebook and pen. Thomas Edison did it. Virginia Woolf did it. And so did Charles Darwin. They carried a notebook with them everywhere and wrote down ideas that popped into their heads.  3  Trust me: This is a fantastic way to explore ideas and to weave creativity into the fabric of your life.

●  4  Become a learning machine. Ask questions. Take smart people to lunch. Read. Read some more. Listen to audiobooks. Take classes. Added benefit: This makes life more interesting. Yet another benefit: Studies have shown that people who make constant learning part of their lives end up living longer.

●Guard your calendar. Make sure your time is focused on your one or two top priorities (优先解决的事物). Ask yourself: “Is this how I want to be spending my time right now?” Remember: You are your calendar.  5 

●Respond to calls and e-mails quickly. Even if your response is, “I’ll get back to you,” try to get back to people within 24 hours. They’ll appreciate the politeness.

A. Learn.

B. Be quick, but don’t hurry.

C. So treat your calendar with respect.

D. Try to begin your day the same way. 

E. Page through the notebook occasionally. 

F. Then place it next to your “to do” list and stick to it.

G. Frankly, the list is so good I think everyone would benefit from it.

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Learn How to Have a Learning Vacation

Going on a vacation to learn a skill you have long wanted to pick up sounds like a good getaway, but be cautious, said John Spence, the president of a travel company in Calif. “If you don’t pick the right skill for you, or go in with unrealistic expectations, your precious time off won’t be enjoyable,” he said.

Here, he shares his advice on planning a learning vacation that you won’t regret taking:

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION (热情).  1 . They include cooking, photography, art history, farming or a sport such as diving or horseback riding. To get the most out of the trip, choose something you’re passionate about.

 2  ? With whatever skill you intend to learn, figure out whether you want an immersion (沉浸) or only to occupy a part of your trip. It’s possible to learn cooking basics, for example, by taking a weeklong course at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland. Another option is to attend several half-day classes at the school and have more free time to explore the destination itself. “ 3 , so make sure that it’s what you really want,” Mr. Spence said.

CONSIDER YOUR BUDGET. No matter the skill, you can learn it by taking a vacation in a wide range of price ranges.  4 . If you want to learn scuba diving (水肺式潜泳), for example, heading to the Maldives will cost several thousand dollars per person, while a scuba diving trip to the Florida Keys is a more wallet-friendly choice.

DON’T FORGET THE CHILDREN.  5 , provided that they are fun. “Yes, you want your kids to learn, but you don’t want them to be bored by overloading them with too much information,” Mr. Spence said.

A. A LITTLE, OR A LOT

B. Don’t be influenced by others’ interests

C. WHAT SKILL DO YOU WANT TO LEARN

D. Learning vacations can be great family trips, too

E. The options for what you can learn on your vacation are limitless

F. Having a clear idea of your budget will help you home in on the right trip

G. Spending your entire break devoted to learning something new can be stressful

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Astronauts drink their own pee (尿) — after it’s been cleaned.  1  Many experts, though, argue that recycling pee and other waste is an excellent and safe solution when there isn’t enough fresh water to go around.

 2  All of the water that astronauts use to drink, brush their teeth, or make coffee comes out of one limited container that has to be resupplied from Earth. To help conserve water, the waste from sinks, toilets, and even the pee from lab animals on board flows into a recycling system. First, the water goes through a series of filters (过滤器) to get rid of large particles (微粒) and impurities. Then, chemical reactions remove poisonous chemicals and kill any bacteria or viruses.  3 

Chris Hadfield, who lived on the space station for five months, says, “Before you feel uncomfortable with the thought of drinking your leftover wash water and your leftover pee, keep in mind that the water that we end up with is purer than most of the water that you drink on a daily basis at home.”

Astronauts, however, tend to be more adventurous than the average person. On Earth, cities in very dry parts of the world have attempted to introduce wastewater purification systems.  4  Citizens recoiled (退缩) in disgust. Despite scientific evidence that the water is clean, many people just can’t get over the fact that it once flowed through a toilet. In the 1990s, activists in San Diego and Los Angeles campaigned against “toilet to tap” water.  5  In a survey of 2,000 Americans, 26 percent agreed with the statement: “It is impossible for recycled water to be treated to a high enough quality that I would want to use it.”

A. And you wouldn’t be alone.

B. And the disapproval remained strong.

C. What comes out is clean enough to drink.

D. On the International Space Station, water is a precious resource.

E. Lots of people feel sick at the thought of drinking recycled wastewater.

F. Though some of these programs have succeeded, others failed miserably.

G. Would you pick up a glass of water that’s been through a wastewater cleaning system?

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Four things I have learned as a language assistant in Italy

1. How to be self-sufficient (自立的)

Living in a foreign country is definitely difficult, but doing things such as going shopping and opening a bank account abroad can make you more confident in relying on yourself.  1 

2. A new viewpoint on my home country

 2  Working in Italy, I’ve realised how differently they do things here, and in some ways it’s given me a deeper appreciation of my home country. For example, in Italy, spending time with friends and family is just as important as going to work and concentrating on a career. I think I should take a leaf out of the Italians’ book.  3 

3. A better idea of what to do in life

My experience in Italy has inspired my love for travel and writing articles for various student and travel magazines has made me rediscover my passion for writing.  4 

4. A love of art, history and culture

Italy is a country so rich in history that it’s easy to become a lover of the stories of how this wonderful country came to be.  5  As a country steeped in religion, Italy has religious art almost everywhere. I already enjoyed art and history before I came to Italy, but coming here has definitely made me love them more deeply.

A. Art is also a large part of Italian culture.

B. I will enjoy the time I have with my family more.

C. It’s rare in Italy to have native language teachers in schools.

D. But there are many positives that I will take from Italian life.

E. I am also enjoying teaching, and my love for teaching has also been strengthened.

F. Even using Italian to buy a few tomatoes has brought me a real sense of achievement.

G. It’s natural when you’re in a foreign country to compare it to the one you come from.

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Several ways I get motivated to do housework

●Set my timer! I have developed a habit of setting my timer when I’m doing my Monday once-over or my daily tidying routines.  1  When my timer goes off and I look around, it just proves that housework does not need to be an all-day unpleasant experience.

●Start with the easiest task to get some motivation. Mine is usually folding the blanket on the sofa, straightening the pillows and picking up the toys in the living room. 

●  2  If I can clear off the dining room table, then I’ll clean off that counter top. And so on. And so forth.

●Talk on the phone.  3  Talking on the phone makes chores go so much faster and suddenly the bathroom has also been cleaned! 

●Promise myself a reward. It’s usually a cup of high-quality coffee.  4  By the time I’ve finished my routine, I usually feel so good that I don’t even enjoy my reward.

●Use TV commercials. If I’m having a truly terrible and tiring day, I do what I call the commercial method.  5  Then during commercials, I force myself to get up and to do a little 5-minute something.

A. Last time it was a cookie.

B. Deal with one tiny zone at a time.

C. Listen to my favorite music while working.

D. I love to see if I can beat my previous records.

E. I allow myself to lay around and watch TV all day.

F. I put on my earphone and call my sister to catch up.

G. I’m never on the phone with my sister for just 15 minutes.

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Talk shows are television programs in which a host sits down with entertainers, newsmakers, and other people, to talk.  1 

This type of program, sometimes known as a chat show, was one of the earliest formats (形式) created for television. Early hosts, such as Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Steve Allen, and Garry Moore, combined interviews with short humorous pieces of acting, musical performances, and improvised (即兴创作) audience participation.  2  The audience would be entertained by the anecdotes of the stars or the improvised funny remarks of the host.

By the late 1960s, the format became more focused on the interviews themselves. Hosts such as Dick Cavett, David Frost, Mike Douglas, and Tom Snyder all became household names through their personal interview styles. Guests on these programs were encouraged to do more than simply promote an upcoming film or musical album. Cavett and Snyder were especially skillful at the “talking heads (发言者头部特写)”format.  3 

By the 1980s, the talk show format had once again changed from academic interviews to aggressive arguments, with hosts such as Jerry Springer, Phil Donahue, Maury Povich, and Oprah Winfrey often booking controversial guests. Several of the controversial shows did not last for long.  4 

Modern talk shows are usually run at night hosted by such names as David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, and Craig Ferguson. They are often a combination of musical performances, audience interaction, and short celebrity (名人) interviews. Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres or Rachael Ray often host talk shows, since they can be produced quickly.  5 

A. Therefore, they won’t affect the talents’ other work.

B. There are a wide variety of talk shows on television.

C. Local television stations also produce their own versions.

D. They drew their guests into lengthy academic discussions.

E. Others focus on a discussion between the host and the guest.

F. The key was to invite popular stars for live interviews with an intelligent host.

G. Others changed their formats back to the traditionally friendly guest / host relationship.

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How to Bring a Friendship Back

Whether from lifestyle adjustment, conflict, or the development of different interests, everyone sees a friendship fade from time to time. Maybe you’ve come around and want to see an old disagreement solved.  1  Fortunately, there are clear and constructive steps you can take to indicate your interest in reconnecting and begin the process of bringing a friendship back.

Take the first step.

 2  If you want to reconnect, make yourself available and invite your friend to meet with you. A phone call or an email is quick, easy, and respectful way to convey your interest in speaking or spending time together.

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The depth of your previous friendship, and the degree to which you’ve grown apart are important factors (因素) when considering how you should approach an old friend. For example, if you simply haven’t seen or spoken with someone in a while, reach out casually. A message on an online media platform that you both use may work.

Don’t worry about how long it’s been.

Don’t feel as though your friendship has ended or become less important. Friendships often change when people get married, move, or have kids. If you’re missing an old friend, there’s a good chance your friend misses you as well.  4 

Be persistent (坚持不懈的), but not over-eager.

If your friend doesn’t respond, you can try to convey your hopes to reconnect again.  5  Allow time in between contact. If they simply don’t respond, accept the fact that they may not be ready or willing to reconnect at present.

A. Don’t rush though.

B. Reach out in the right way.

C. Don’t wait for your friend to reach out.

D. It is always appropriate to try to reconnect.

E. The more personal approach will indicate your interest in reconnecting.

F. Maybe you simply want to reduce the distance between you and an old friend.

G. Take care not to make them feel as though they are under pressure to respond.

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