A hobby is an investment of time. It also can be an investment of money and commitment. Many people choose to develop more than one type of hobby. It can be necessary to select the hobby that is right for you. 【小题1】

Hobbies are usually an activity of some sort that brings out a certain skill that you have. When you have a talent like painting or woodworking，it can be easy to determine which hobby suits your skill. 【小题2】 Skills can be developed and challenged as you go along. It is not a necessary requirement. A hobby is fitting because you love it，not because you're a professional at it.

Some people particularly enjoy taking part in hobbies that they can do in a group with others. It can be a lot more fun to become a member of a hobby group than to sit alone in your basement. 【小题3】 It's important to share interests and networks with other hobby enthusiasts that do what you do.

Hobbies are generally an activity that you undertake（着手做）because of the joy it brings you. Of course many people have discovered the joy that also comes with a hobby that earns you a living. 【小题4】 Just make sure you make the choice that fits your lifestyle and personal preference.

【小题5】 But most of the skilled hobbies like art，building or writing have a series of lessons or tutorials that you can take to further your skills. In some cases it's really a good idea to take lessons，especially if you are clueless as to where or how to begin. Step by step books for most hobbies can often be found in bookstores as well.

   After the age of 25， the number of friendships we maintain begins to fall. 【小题1】

Learn to identify opportunities.

“We let chances to make friends pass us by every day，” says Kate Leaver in her book The Friendship Cure.  【小题2】“Instead of forcing a little small talk with your kind neighbours，” she says， “ask them in for a cuppa and get to know them. ” 

 【小题3】

Joining a group， club or class is an effective way to meet people. “Teaming up for a shared activity，project or goal is an experience that can promote bonding and closer connections，” says therapist Miriam Kirmayer. Pursue a challenge or skill you are interested in， because then you will have a good time and feel more at ease in starting a conversation.

Allow yourself to be vulnerable（脆弱的）.

 【小题4】 What if your offers are rejected? Leaver and Kirmayer say that a degree of vulnerability is needed in trying to start friendships. Keeping to yourself isn’t going to help you. Sharing recommendations or letting others in on plans， says Kirmayer， is a simple way to share， which will help build closeness and trust.

Don't put too much pressure on it.

As we age， our friendships change. According to a 2016 study， we hit our peak number of friendships at the age of 25. 【小题5】 clinical psychologist Linda Blair advises not putting too much pressure on any new connections and not expecting too much from one person.

   Penguins are the number-one attraction for many visitors to Antarctica. If you go on a ship that is allowed to make shore landings, you may see them. But to get a close look at penguins, you have to be smart.

First of all, keep in mind that Antarctica’s visitor rules require that you remain at least five meters away from the penguins in order not to disturb them. You could easily become responsible for the death of a little penguin or the destruction of an egg if your too-close presence should disturb a penguin parent.

If a penguin is trying to move away from you, you must stop what you’re doing and back off even if you’re farther than five meters away. However, the rules don’t prevent a curious penguin from approaching within five meters of you — as long as the bird makes the move, not you.

Little penguins, in particular, are quite curious. I’ve seen several lucky tourists who were astonished to find that little penguins came right up to them. If a penguin comes extremely close to you, remember that you are not allowed to touch or hold it.

Here are more tips for getting close to penguins.

Ignore the smell: where penguins live is filled with guano（海鸟粪）and the smell takes some getting used to.

Be quiet because loud noises make penguins nervous. Fast or sudden movements signal meat — eating animals to penguins, and they react accordingly, so slow down when you walk around them.

Since it may take half an hour or more before the penguins get used to you, you need to be patient. Put away your camera — too often people are so focused on getting the pictures that they forget to look with their own eyes, but most of your most memorable experiences in Antarctica will be marked in your mind, not on a roll of films.

Five Facts About Goal Setting

As we all know，goal setting plays an important role in realizing our dreams. However，we don't know exactly how to deal with it. The following tips on goal setting can help make it easier to set and reach goals：【小题1】

When it comes to making a change，the people who succeed are those who set realistic and specific（具体的）goals. "I'm going to recycle all my plastic bottles，soda cans，and magazines" is a much more realizable goal than "I'm going to do more for the environment". And that makes it easier to stick with.

It takes time for a change to become a stable habit.

It will probably take a couple of months before any changes become a regular part of your life. 【小题2】That's because your brain needs time to get used to the idea that this new thing you're doing is a part of your regular routine.

Repeating a goal makes it stick in your mind.

Say your goal out loud each morning to remind yourself of what you want and what you're working for. 【小题3】Every time you remind yourself of your goal，you're training your brain to make it happen.

Pleasing other people doesn't work.

【小题4】You have to do it because you want it，not because a girlfriend，boyfriend，coach，parent，or someone else wants you to.It will be harder to stay on track and motivated if you're doing something out of duty to another person.

Roadblocks don't mean failure.

Mistakes are actually parts of the learning process as you retrain your brain into a new way of thinking. 【小题5】But that's OK—it's normal to mess up or give up a few times when you are trying to make a change. So remember that everyone slips up（疏忽）and don't beat yourself up about it. Just remind yourself to get back on track.

   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.