SectionA Word Bank
In this section you will listen to a short passage about smile. The following words and phrases may be of some help.
| reaction n. [C; U (to)] (a case or a way of) reacting; response [常与to连用]〔对刺激等的〕反应；回应 a piece of cake infml sth. very easy to do 〖非正式〗容易（或轻松愉快）的事情 McDonalds n. trademark of a very famous fast food restaurant 麦当劳餐厅 horrible a. terrible 可怕的，令人恐惧的 homeless a. having no home 无家可归的 acceptance n. [C; U (to)] the act of accepting or being accepted [常与to连用]接受；收受；承认；认可 mentally ad. connected with or happening in the mind智力上；心理上，精神上 retarded★adj. (especially of a child) slower in development or less able than others〔尤指儿童〕（智力）发育迟缓的，弱智的 tray n. a flat piece of plastic, metal, or wood, with raised edges, used for carrying things such as plates, food etc（浅）盘，碟（子），托盘 warm up make warm 使暖和，使温暖 graduate vi. [(from)] obtain a degree, esp. a first degree, at a university [常与from连用]（从……）大学毕业；获得（学士）学位 unconditional a. not limited by any conditions 无条件的，无限制的 |
Smile
I am a mother of three and have recently completed my college degree. The last project the professor assigned us to do was called “Smile.” The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and then write down their reaction. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone I meet and say “hello”. So I thought that it would be a piece of cake for me.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, the youngest son and I went out to the local McDonalds on a cold March morning. Just when we were standing in line, waiting to be served, I smelled a horrible “dirty body” smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the shorter gentleman close to me, he was smiling. His beautiful sky blue eyes were searching for acceptance. He said, “Good day” as he counted the few coins he had. The second man was mentally retarded. The young lady at the counter asked the shorter man what they wanted. He said, “Just coffee for the two of us.”Obviously, it was all they could afford. To sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something — they just wanted to be warm.
Then I was suddenly filled with sympathy. All eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked to the table where the two men were sitting. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand. He looked up at me and said,“Thank you.” I leaned over and said, “Just help yourselves.” I started to cry when I walked away to join my husband and son. As I sat down, my husband smiled at me and held my hand for a moment.
I returned to college, with this story in hand. I turned in “my project” and the professor was touched and read it to the whole class. The whole class was touched. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn — UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
