It was the longest heat wave anyone could remember, and Sebastian couldn’t wait to cool off at the beach with his dad. Before heading out of town, they stopped at the library down the street to return a few books.

Sebastian noticed a group of workers working on the library roof. “What are they doing?” he asked.

“Fixing the roof.” Dad shook his head as they pulled out of their parking space and drove away. “Hot day for that. I worked as a roofer for a few years. Hardest job I ever had.”

It was then that an idea popped into Sebastian’s head: I bet they could use some water. But the idea vanished just as quickly as the scenery passing by his window, and his thoughts turned to swimming.

The waves were perfect for bodyboarding, and a sea breeze cooled the air. But all too soon they were headed home, back to the heat.

Sebastian was half listening to the radio when the DJ gave the weather report. “The record-breaking heat will continue throughout the afternoon. With the humidity, temperatures will feel like 102 ℉,” she said. “If you have to be outside, remember to drink water, avoid tiring activity, and stay in the shade.”

When they drove by the library, the roofers were still working. “Do you think they have enough water?” Sebastian asked.

“I’m sure they brought plenty on a day like this,” Dad said. But he didn’t sound very confident.

Shortly after arriving home, Sebastian walked to the end of his driveway, where he could get a view of the library. But the roofers were still there, and the sun was still burning. It made him think again about taking some water to the roofers.

“I don’t see any coolers or jugs anywhere,” he told Dad. “I really think they need some water.”

A look of concern came over Dad’s face. “I think you’re right. It’s only going to get hotter.”

Mike was a big fan of football. When he was ten years old, he was admitted to join his first football team. As soon as he got home that day, he put on his uniform and admired himself in front of the mirror.

“I’m a real football player!” He said to himself and pretended to practise football.

“What are you doing, silly boy?” asked his older sister.

“I’m practising football,” said Mike.

“When people practise football, they usually use a ball,” his sister laughed.

Mike then found a football in the basement and hurried back to his room, posing with the ball in front of the mirror, again.

The next day, Mike met his teammates on the playground. The coach taught them how to kick and run after the ball. He taught them how to throw the ball in from the sidelines, using two hands while keeping both feet on the ground. Finally, they had a practice game.

It turned out that playing football was a lot harder than it looked. Every time Mike was about to kick the ball, someone else kicked it away from him. When Mike threw the ball in from the sideline, he forgot to keep both feet on the ground. The only thing that Mike was good at was cheering. Whoever scored, he would jump up and cheer for them.

On the weekend, Mike’s team was invited to take part in its first real competition with the Sun. Mike’s family all came to watch. Mike chased the ball up and down, with excitement. It came as no surprise that their team lost the match. Even so, he kept cheering for anyone who scored.

After the game, his sister came over and reminded Mike that he needed to be a real football player, not just a cheerleader. Meanwhile, his coach told Mike that if he tried to do more practice and cooperate with his teammates, he could be a better football player, too.

Motivated by their words, Mike started to take the training more seriously.

Finally, the day for the match between his team and the Sun came.

A poor boy tried to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door. Wandering on the street on a cold windy day, he was not a successful seller. What's worse, he found that he only had one dime (一角硬币) left. His empty stomach reminded him constantly that for days he hadn't eaten anything. He had no choice but to beg for a meal at the next house. Hesitantly he knocked at the door, thinking about what to say when it opened. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. “What can I do for you?” she asked. The boy paused for a while, “Excuse me, ... a drink of water?” The boy dared not to look directly into her eyes. She looked at the bony (瘦骨嶙峋的) boy and thought he might need something to drink so she brought him a glass of milk. His head rising and small hands taking the cup, he drank it up slowly, and then asked. “How much do I owe you?” “Nothing,” she replied with a warm smile. “My mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness.” Deeply moved, he thanked her sincerely. As Howard Kelly left, he not only felt stronger physically, but the kindness also increased his faith in the whole human race, which actually he was about to quit before that point.

Years later, the young woman became critically ill. However, the local doctors were unable to give the effective medical treatment. Finally, they sent her to a hospital in the big city, where specialists can be called in to cure her rare disease. Among those famous specialists, Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown (长袍) he went in to see her.

The bill was sent to her room.