Last summer, I had to stay in the room during the period of my recovery from cancer after the operation. It was unexpected that life highlighted everything that I might tend to take for granted in the normal course.
On the first morning, my children presented me a coffee pot. I liked to begin the day with a cup of coffee and was eager to try the pot.
When I made coffee, it spilled out over the whole table. Fortunately, nobody was there to see my embarrassed look! I kept trying, but each morning would see me wiping up the coffee. Then I realized that if I poured very slowly there would be no spilling.
This was at first a very painful experience. My normal practice was to rush through breakfast so that I could get on with my day. But at that moment I learned not only to pour slowly but to enjoy the experience: the smell, the taste, and the stillness of a new day.
It helped me to reflect upon whether there were other areas of my life 1 was rushing through. Most of life, it seemed. Strangely, those we consider loved ones may go of radar(雷达)when we would expect them to enquire about our well-being. However, others we seldom keep in touch with came into our lives suddenly, full of concern, well-meaning advice and love.
After the recovery period, I started to leave extra time to do even the most ordinary tasks. When shop owners would apologize for keeping me waiting, I would say, "Not a problem, I'm not in a hurry." Even hanging out washing became pleasurable when a couple of extra minutes of standing still, and listening to the birds singing in the trees around me became part of my routine.
Besides, one of my favorite experiences living in the inner city for many years was sitting on the front doorstep of our home spending time with strangers. We sat on the steps, each of us with a cup of coffee in our hands, listening to each other's stories. It was one of the warmest things about living in a busy city.
【小题1】What was the author's life like before the time of recovery from the illness?| A．Awkward. | B．Relaxing. |
| C．Hurried. | D．Thrilling. |
| A．By pilling coffee over the table. | B．By buying a new pot. |
| C．By chatting with the strangers. | D．By pouring coffee slowly. |
| A．She had more time for reflecting on her past. |
| B．She found joy in ordinary daily activities. |
| C．She became impatient with any shop owner. |
| D．She liked listening to mysteries in busy cities. |
| A．To tell people how to make coffee tasty. |
| B．To advocate enjoying slow-paced life. |
| C．To show the gift from her children. |
| D．To recommend making friends with others. |
