Today, nobody talks to anybody anymore. Everybody is _______ at their phone. But sometimes, there are unexpected moments of _______. I happened upon one just the other night. I was going home, taking the _______ as usual and was glad to get a seat. I _______ my phone and started reading. Then I noticed that nobody was sitting in the three seats across from me.

I _______ figured out why. Next to the _______ seats was an old woman. She smelled as though she hadn’t _______ for a few days. The next thing I knew was that a man stood up from his seat and sent some _______ into her hand, then sat back down. She nodded and gave a _______ smile. Another man standing near the door started ________ to her. “Grandmother,” he called her, “Are you okay?” We all looked at her for her response. More ________.

“It could be you. It could be me. It could be one of our relatives,” he said to the rest of us. “So true,” said the ________ with him. He also dug into his ________ and took out some cash to give to her. Others were ________ to do so, too.

Just before they got off, the couple made an unexpected ________ . “We just got married in City Hall.” There was a short round of ________ from this group of strangers. “Congratulations!” someone ________ out. It occurred to me that the first thing they were doing was giving, a perfect start to a ________.

I put something in the old woman’s hand before I ________ the subway. It was cold outside. But I felt ________. I hoped that she would find a home — somehow — for a warm night’s sleep.

How to Say Short-Term Goodbyes

Knowing when and how to say goodbye is often difficult, even in informal situations. But learning to say goodbye appropriately is a skill that will help you maintain（维持）your relationships. 【小题1】 Read on to learn how to recognize chances when you leave.

Recognize when to leave. When you’re at any kind of party or gathering, or even in a one-on-one conversation, it can be difficult to get away. Learning to recognize good chances to leave will make a short-term goodbye much easier. Notice if the crowd seems to be decreasing. 【小题2】

【小题3】 Overstaying your welcome is rude, but it can often be difficult to distinguish. People don’t like telling you that they’d like you to leave, so try to watch for signals. If the host of a party starts cleaning up, or withdraws from the conversation, gather your friends or belongings and make your exit.

Make plans to see each other again. Even saying “See you at school tomorrow” keeps the goodbye light and focused forward. If you haven’t already made plans, use it as a chance to make them. 【小题4】 Set up a coffee date or meeting for lunch later in the week if it makes the goodbye easier, but don’t promise anything you don’t want to do.

Tell the truth. It can be tempting to come up with a “good excuse” when you’re ready to leave. You don’t need to. 【小题5】 It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.