Everyone needs a break, and vacations are not meant for serious study. 【小题1】 The Spring Festival is coming up so this is the perfect time to discuss some great English language literature to take on a long train journey.

Before getting into the recommendation, you need to determine your English reading comprehension level. If you’re at the beginner level, there are two options: reading a children’s book or reading a book that you’ve read in Chinese translation. 【小题2】 If you’re at the intermediate level, popular books like pop fiction, mysteries and thrillers are good options. For advanced readers, classic works of literature or modern prize winners (Nobel, Pulitzer) are good options.

【小题3】 When I pick up a book I like, even though the first few chapters are really hard to get through, I would try to get accustomed to the language the author uses. Generally, after the first few chapters, things get a lot easier, especially if I get involved in the story.

Another great way to keep yourself motivated is to find a friend who’s interested in reading the same book. You can make goals that you both want to achieve. 【小题4】

Some quick recommendations: Harry Potter, start with the first book and go on from there; the Narnia series; anything by US writer Michael Crichton; and if you like horror, US writer Stephen King is always unusual and fun. 【小题5】 Happy reading!

I used to have the same problem! _____________________________________________________________

Wish you success!

Yours,

Peter

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.

   A few changes about how a teacher runs a classroom can make a huge effect on how concentrated students will be in that classroom. It’s an issue every teacher has to face. 【小题1】 Here are just a few of my methods.

●Rearrange (重新布置) Seats.

I did the seat rearrangement because class conversation had become dull, and students just seemed to be there but not actually there. 【小题2】 I had all of my students pick new seats at the tables. The rules were simple. They could not sit with more than one other person they’d already sat with, and it had to be at a different table.

● Take over a Lesson.

Once in a while, it can be fun to let the students take over a lesson in a unit. Let them become the teachers, and the teacher becomes the student. You can provide the topics they need to cover. 【小题3】

● Have Open Projects.

Open projects have been very successful in my class. 【小题4】 I used to dictate (指定) every part of my project tasks. Students would ask to do things a little differently. And I’d give in, surprised that their ideas were better than mine.

● 【小题5】

Sometimes teachers forget to bring the fun to the classroom. We try so hard to cover the courses for our students until they break down. Sometimes it’s good to just set things aside for a day or two and have some fun.

   Here’s everything you need to know about writing cover letters (说明信) to stand out from the competition and catch employers’ attention.

Writing a great letter can feel like a daunting task to a lot of job seekers. In fact, usually, when I start to talk with clients about this topic, the first thing people ask is, “Do I really have to write a cover letter?” When I say yes, the next question people normally ask is, “Why?”

If you’re going to spend your time working on a challenging task, it’s wise to know exactly why you’re doing it. It is true that some employers never read cover letters. Instead, they look directly at a candidate’s resume (简历). However, plenty of employers find a lot of value in a cover letter. They see it as a way of getting to know more about you, your personality and your ability to communicate outside of the structural limitations of a resume. Some employers will only read your resume if they are impressed with your cover letter.

Other employers will not read a resume if it is not accompanied by a cover letter. They feel that it is a part of a complete job application package. If you have only sent a resume, these employers believe that you have only done half of the job in the application process. They view that as a negative reflection on the way you would do the job at their company. You don’t know the employer’s preference each time you submit (提交) a resume, so you must submit a cover letter with your resume every time you apply for a job.

People sometimes ask whether writing cover letters is necessary when they respond to job ads that say “Submit your resume to…”. The answer is yes, absolutely. Even if the letter is not specifically requested in the ad, it is assumed that you will submit one along with your resume.