Ever since I was seven years old, my body clock has been set to "nocturnal （夜间活动的） ". If I try to go to sleep earlier, I just lie awake, not sleepy at all. If I try to get up any earlier, it’s not a matter of being "a bit tired" ; I am hardly able to do anything. I feel groggy and find it hard to concentrate.

This caused lots of problems at school: I would wander around unconsciously, not taking anything in refused to go to school and my mum was blamed （责怪） for not being stricter about bedtime, but in reality there was nothing she could do. My mum would get annoyed but she knew that there was no point trying to sleep because she had the same problem.

Finally I was allowed to have classes in the afternoon with a tutor （家庭教师）. This enabled me to get a place at university, but the problems came up again. At first I forced myself to get up for 9 am lectures, but after five mornings I was crying from tiredness. I managed to pass my exams. It was a moment of success for me, proving I had imagination and determination after all these years of being misunderstood and called lazy.

But still I wondered why I couldn’t change my body clock. I have tried everything to change my sleeping habits — forcing myself by going to bed 15 minutes earlier every night, sitting in front of a light box in the morning, using blue candles and cutting out caffeine — but nothing has worked. I even tried sleeping pills, which put me to sleep earlier but didn’t help with the morning experience.

I was sad to discover there was no cure, but I wouldn’t give up.

   When I was about 12, I had an enemy. A girl liked to point out my _____ Week by week her _____ grew: I was very thin; I wasn’t a good student; I talked too much; I was too _____ , always feeling superior to others, and so on. I tried to hear all these as long as I could. _____ , I became very angry. I ran to my father with _____ in my eyes.

He listened to me _____ , and then he asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever _____ what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s _____. Go and _____ a list of everything she said and mark the points that are ______. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”

I did ______ he told me. To my great ______, I discovered that about half the things were true. I couldn’t ______ some of them, but a good number I could — and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I had a fairly ______ picture of myself.

I brought the list back to Daddy. He ______ to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know the truth about yourself ______ than anyone else. But you have to learn to ______, not just close your ears in ______, feeling hurt when something said about you is true, and you’ll find it of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your affairs. Don’t ______ your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”

Daddy’s advice has always ______ me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.

I have learned with great interest from Student Times that your company wants to hire an English interpreter. I would like to apply to this post and feel that both my education and experience fits me for it very well.

I have recent graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University with degree in English. I have a good command of both speaking and written English and can use words freely. Last year I entered or won an English speaking competition at your university. I have worked out as a foreign language tour guide, and I am familiar with speaking to foreign visitor.

I enclose a copy of my CV and am looking forward to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Li Ying.

Yours，

Li Hua