As we all know, books are very important to us. They can provide us with many useful things. 【小题1】 However, how can you become a good reader? Do you know what effective ways to read are? I suggest you should follow these tips.

【小题2】 Libraries are wonderful places to find a variety of books. What’s more, you can fix your attention on the book in this quiet, comfortable place because you won’t be disturbed. You can also relax yourself in this comfortable place.

Pick out reading materials that most interest you. Finding materials that interest you is the first important step in improving your reading. 【小题3】 If you have trouble understanding what the author’s trying to say, you may not enjoy the book. If you are interested in a book, you will enjoy reading it again and again.

Know what your purpose is. If you want to learn the language, you should learn the sentence structures, the useful words and expressions that you may need to use later. 【小题4】 The more words you are exposed to, the more your vocabulary will grow. This will help you write a good composition. 【小题5】

   Cowboys, policemen, princesses and superheroes are all characters kids choose to be on any given day. Putting on a play can be a fun activity that lets them act out their favorite characters as well as use their artistic ability to create the stage.

Best of all, they will be able to use their favorite line “ look at me” as the audience sits down to enjoy the production.

Help your kids decide on a play they would like to act out. Use the Internet or the library to find scripts (剧本) for older reading kids. For younger kids, they can act out a favorite story or a fairy tale. Of course, you could always help them write their own scripts.

Decide how many characters are needed. Invite neighbors and friends to be in your play or let your kids play more than one character. Make sure you teach them to change the way they look, move and speak so the audience can tell the difference.

Search for costumes and props (道具) supplies. Find clothes from your closet or attic (阁楼) , or go to a garage sale. Help everyone make a mask or put on makeup to represent their characters.

Get creative. Make tickets, invitations, movie posters and props for your kids’ play. You can even decorate a curtain and hang it in front of the stage. Set up chairs for the audience.

Choose your music. Pick something that goes with the theme of the play. Ask someone to play the piano or have the kids make up songs and help them make homemade instruments.

Rehearse the play. The more the play is practiced, the better it will be. Try starting early in the summer and practicing once a week. Set out a snack after rehearsal and make it light-hearted and fun. Then perform the play at the end of the summer vacation.

Invite the audience to sit down and enjoy the play.

   Most people use the weekends to relax. 【小题1】 Because you’re on duty, you have to focus on your work seven days a week.

While you don’t have to be at your desk every minute of every day, weekends make you free to create your lifestyle so that you can get the most out of your busy schedule. Here are a few ways to make you more efficient both at work and in life during the weekends.

Don’t work 24/7. Though it’s important to think about your business on the weekend, you shouldn’t be working in the way you are during the week. 【小题2】 Instead, work on projects you enjoy or use the time to think about your business in a broader way. Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish this week, month or year?” Judge how your day-to-day activities are taking you closer to your long-term goals.

Check your e-mail once or twice a day. 【小题3】 Read all your messages, arrange activities, and then put your phone away. If you know you will be checking e-mail at a specific（特定的）time, you’ll be less likely to check it throughout the day.

【小题4】 You could go somewhere quiet to relax, or spend time with friends and family members. Since all your previous five days have been spent on your work, you deserve your own time to relax, and to strengthen your relationship with others. However, make sure you’re prepared to start your work on Monday while enjoying yourself. Don’t oversleep. Though some people enjoy sleeping until noon on the weekend, it’s not beneficial to your health. 【小题5】 So try not to sleep more than two or three extra hours on the weekend.

   It has always been my dream to attend college. My parents were glad I chose this path. 【小题1】 Upset and stressed，I decided to look for ways to pay by myself.

My search for money began on the Internet. I went to every free scholarship search engine and spent a lot of time each day online looking for scholarships I was qualified for. 【小题2】 This gave me a way to prioritize（按优先顺序列出）my schedule. I finished applications due（到期的）in October in September，November's deadlines in October，and so on.

After organizing everything，it was time to fill out the applications. Some were easy and took little time while others were long and tedious. Despite the amounts，which ranged from $100 to $40，000，I took each scholarship seriously because together they would fund my goal.

【小题3】 Almost every one required an essay about my extracurricular activities，commitment to education and career aspirations. To perfect my writing，I turned to friends，relatives and teachers for advice.

Now I have won 80 percent of the scholarships I applied for. After many hours of staying up late to finish them，I managed to receive over $ 100，000. Now，I can attend college completely free. I feel that a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. This fall，I am attending Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. 【小题4】

The scholarship search truly made me a better person. I learned the importance of setting a goal and accomplishing it. 【小题5】 I'm delighted that I had the opportunity to learn more about my drive to succeed — I can push ahead no matter what obstacles are in my way.