Speakout B1 Student's Book

Lou Ridsdale loves gardening. In a small space next to her home in Ballarat, Australia, she grows vegetables. One day, she heard about a man in Los Angeles who grew food to share with the community. He belonged to an organisation called Food is Free. Ridsdale saw that she had more vegetables than she needed and decided to give these away, like the man in Los Angeles.

After that, she set up the food stall outside her house. She put up a sign saying people could help themselves. Soon restaurants were bringing food for those in need. People usually bring fruit and vegetables but sometimes hot food, seeds and even clothes. There is no money involved, no food is sold for money. No one is judged on what they bring or take - they just come, as long as they leave with a smile. She makes sure they always do.

Apart from feeding people, Ridsdale understands that education is the other important part of the programme. Once the programme was established, she began to go into schools to talk about food. She believes that young people need to learn about healthy eating. This will help to make their lives healthier and better. She hopes to see her idea catch on all over Australia.

Zeal Akarawai is a financial consultant from Lagos, Nigeria. He works hard and earns a good salary, but what makes him special is what he does with his money. After visiting a hospital one day, he saw patients who couldn't afford to pay their medical bills. He decided to help by paying strangers' bills.

Zeal doesn't belong to any organisation. He simply goes to hospitals and offers to pay for people who are in need. He is kind and caring, and he believes that everyone deserves good healthcare. When he pays a bill, he doesn't want to receive anything in return. He just asks the patients to tell people what happened - that an unknown person paid their bill. He hopes to see more people helping each other.

James Anderson lives in Burnley, in the north of England. He is a plumber, and he started to do free plumbing for older people and people with disabilities. In winter, when heating systems break down, older people really need to borrow money to pay for repairs, and many of them don't have a lot of income.

James decided to start a company that does free plumbing. He noticed that many older people don't like to ask for help because they feel embarrassed. He wants to make it easier for them. Many people don't have a lot of income and don't like asking for help. James agreed to work for free because he believes in kindness. He hopes his kindness will catch on.

Most of us spend part of our day surrounded by strangers, perhaps when travelling to work, sitting in a park or a cafe or visiting the supermarket. We are together with other people, but nobody talks. However, research shows that starting up a conversation with a stranger can make you feel happier and enjoy your day more.

When Allison Owen-Jones sat a man sitting alone on a bench in the park, she wanted to talk to him, but she felt uncomfortable because she wasn't sure he would want to chat. Then she had an idea: 'Happy to chat benches!' She made a sign to put on park benches which said, 'Happy to chat bench. Sit here if you don't mind someone stopping to say hello.' The idea was a success. Now 'Happy to chat benches' can be found in several countries including Canada, the USA, Australia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

So, the next time you see someone sitting alone, give them a smile and say hello. You never know - they might be happy to talk.