阅读理解

　　It was the end of my exhausting first day as waitress in a busy New York restaurant．My cap had gone away, my apron was stained and my feet ached．The loaded trays I carried felt heavier and heavier．Weary and discouraged, I didn’t seem able to do anything right．As I made out a complicated check for a family with several children who had changed their ice-cream order a dozen times, I was ready to quit．

　　Then the father smiled at me as he handed me my tip．“Well done, ”he said．“You’ve looked after us really well．”

　　Suddenly my tiredness vanished．I smiled back, and later, when the manager asked me how I’d liked my first day, I said, “Fine!” Those few words of praise had changed everything．

　　Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit; we cannot flower and grow without it．And yet, while most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are somehow reluctant to give our fellows the warm sunshine of praise．

　　Why －when one word can bring such pleasure? A friend of mine who travels widely always tries to learn a little of the language of any place she visits．She’s not much of a linguist, but she does know how to say one word －“beautiful”－in several languages．She can use it to a mother holding her baby, or to a lonely salesman fishing out pictures of his family．The ability has earned her friends all over the world．

　　It’s strange how chary(谨慎小心的)we are about praising．Perhaps it’s because few of us know how to accept compliments gracefully．Instead, we are embarrassed and shrug off the words we are really so glad to hear．Because of this defensive reaction, direct compliments are surprisingly difficult to give．That is why some of the most valued pats on the back are those which come to us indirectly, in a letter or passed on by a friend．When one thinks of the speed with which spiteful(恶意的)remarks are conveyed(传达), it seems a pity that there isn’t more effort to relay pleasing and flattering comments．

　　It’s especially rewarding to give praise in areas in which effort generally goes unnoticed or unmentioned．An artist gets complimented for a glorious picture, a cook for a perfect meal．But do you ever tell your laundry(洗衣店)manager how pleased you are when the shirts are done just right? Do you ever praise your paper boy for getting the paper to you on time 365 days a year?

　　To give praise costs the giver nothing but a moment’s thought and a moment’s effort－perhaps a quick phone call to pass on a compliment, or five minutes spent writing an appreciative letter．It is such a small investment－and yet consider the results it may produce．“I can live for two months on a good compliment, ”said Mark Twain．

　　So, let’s be alert to the small excellences around us－and comment on them．We will not only bring joy into other people’s lives, but also, very often, add happiness into our own．