The other day I was shopping at a local store and came across a lady from India squatting (蹲) on the floor looking for a certain product on the bottom shelf. She stood up quickly when she saw me as if to get out of my way. Feeling sorry, she explained that she was a cashier at a nearby store and was on her lunch break, trying to get a few needed things before her time was up.
I comforted her. “I am in no hurry. Go ahead and do what you need to do. I have plenty of time.” While she searched for something, she said that sometimes customers were rude to her at the store and she was really thankful for my kindness. I told her that I had noticed cashiers being treated rudely by some people and that those people needed to be more understanding.
She thanked me for being so nice and friendly. I told her, “The world would be a better place if we all acted kindly toward each other. Those who are rude may have bad karma (报应) coming after them finally for treating people badly.” She nodded and was surprised that I knew what karma was.
She asked me what karma meant. I gave her a simple answer. She looked puzzled, then broke out in a big smile and covered her mouth with her hand, laughing as she walked away.
It felt so good that I may have helped someone feel better for even a few seconds. In a brief exchange I showed her there are good and kind people in the world and may have added to her belief in humanity (人性). Maybe she thought about that later in the day, perhaps when someone was treating her unkindly.
【小题1】Why did the lady squat on the floor?| A．To find a certain product. |
| B．To get out of the way. |
| C．To have a lunch break. |
| D．To explain that she was a cashier |
| A．Rude, | B．Friendly. |
| C．Humorous. | D．Brave. |
| A．She was treated rudely. | B．The writer knew what karma was. |
| C．She was misunderstood. | D．The writer comforted her. |
| A．No pains, no gains. |
| B．It's easier said than done. |
| C．Failure is the mother of success. |
| D．Kindness is the sunshine of social life. |
