A large advertisement appeared on the financial page of a New York newspaper calling for a person with unusual ability and experience. Charles T. Cubellis answered the advertisement, sending his reply to a box number. A few days later, he was invited by letter to call for an interview.

Before he called, he spent hours in Wall Street finding out everything possible about the person who had founded the business. During the interview, he remarked: “I should be very proud to be associated with an organization with a record like yours. I understand you started twenty-eight years ago with nothing but a desk room and one assistant. Is that true?”

Almost every successful person likes to recall his early struggles. Alice, the boss was no exception. She talked with smile about how she had started with $ 450 in cash and an original idea. She told how she had fought against discouragement, working on Sundays and holidays, twelve to sixteen hours a day; how she had finally won and until now, the most important executives on Wall Street were coming to her for information and guidance. She was proud of such a record. She had a right to be, and she had a wonderful time telling about it. Finally, Alice questioned Mr Cubellis about his experience, then called in her assistant and said! “I think this is the person we are looking for.”

Mr Cubellis had taken the trouble to find out about the past of his future employer. He showed an interest in the other person and his problems. He encouraged the other person to do most of the talking and made a favorable impression.

Most people trying to win others in their own way of thinking do too much talking them-selves. Let the other people talk themselves out. They know more about their business and problems than you do.

One day, Jack threw some papers on my desk. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Next time you want to change anything, ask me first.” he said, and left. I had made just one small change. But it was not that I hadn’t been warned. My colleagues had said he was responsible for the resignations (辞职) of the two previous secretaries. As the weeks went by, I came to look down on Jack.

After that another of his episodes (片段) had left me in tears. I stormed into his office. “What?” he said suddenly. “Jack, the way you’ve been treating me is wrong. I’ve never had anyone speak to me that way. As a professional, it’s wrong for me to allow it to continue,” I said. Jack smiled nervously, “Susan, I make you a promise that I will be a friend. I will treat you as you deserve to be treated, with respect and kindness.”

Jack avoided me the rest of the week, and never questioned my work again. I brought cookies to the office one day and left some on his desk. Another day I left a note, “Hope your day is going great.” Over the next few weeks, there were no more Jack episodes. One year later, I discovered I had breast cancer, and was scared. The statistics were not great for my long-term survival.

One day, however, Jack visited me in the hospital and silently handed me a bundle with several bulbs inside. “Tulips (郁金香),” he said. I smiled, not understanding. “If you plant them when you get home, they’ll come up next spring. I think you will be there to see them when they come up. Next spring you will see the colours I picked out for you.” Tears clouded my eyes and he left. I have seen those red and white striped (有条纹的) tulips push through the soil every spring for over ten years now. This past September the doctor declared me cured. At a moment when I was praying for just the right words, a man with very few words said all the right things. After all, that’s what friends do.

Photographer David J. Slater was following a group of monkeys through the forest when he had a bright idea. What would happen if he left them alone with his camera?

【小题1】 The clever monkeys hit buttons (按钮) with their long, black fingers. They smiled and showed their teeth as they looked at the camera.

The monkeys played with the camera until — snap, snap, snap! Naruto, a 6-year-old with bright-orange eyes, took some selfies (自拍).

Years later, a newspaper paid Slater to post the photos online. Then another website posted them — and another. Within hours, Naruto’s selfies were seen everywhere. 【小题2】

People became interested in Naruto’s species, the crested black macaque (黑冠猴). These monkeys are often killed for their meat. 【小题3】 Humans have been cutting down the trees the monkeys live in to make way for farms and roads.

Soon a group of people fighting for animal rights had an idea: Naruto took the photos. Doesn’t that mean Naruto owns them — and the right to sell them?

The group decided to take Slater to court (法庭). 【小题4】 They wanted that money to be used to protect Naruto’s species.

In September, the group made a deal with Slater. He will give away 25 percent of the money from Naruto’s selfies. That money will be used to protect crested macaques.

Naruto didn’t know what would happen when he snapped his silly selfies. 【小题5】 The attention might just save their lives.