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.

   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.

Ways to Increase Your Confidence

There are some ways you can use to increase yourself-confidence. You’ll need to practise a lot before some of them start to work. It’s like playing the guitar or soccer. 【小题1】 But as you do them, you build deeper confidence in yourself.

【小题2】

Exercise will improve your confidence and your way of looking at life. Plus, being healthy and looking better can also help you feel more confident.

Create something.

Everyone is a creative person. Rediscovering your creativity is a good way to improve your confidence in yourself. Creating something is a wonderful but not always easy experience. But when you’re done, you not only feel good about yourself. 【小题3】

Use your body.

If you start to walk fast you’ll soon start to feel nervous. If you start to walk slower you’ll soon start to feel more relaxed. To feel more confident, use your body in a more confident way. 【小题4】 Learn how confident people around you or on the TV use their bodies.

Compare yourself to yourself.

This will take away a lot of unnecessary pain in your life. 【小题5】 Compare yourself to yourself. Improve yourself and see how you grow and become a more successful, more confident and happier person.

   Good learners can inspire students or anybody to learn well. Here are some characteristics of good learners.

Good learners are curious. They wonder about all sorts of things，often about knowledge beyond their areas of expertise（专长）. 【小题1】 Finding out about something they didn't know satisfies them for the moment，but their curiosity is addictive.

Good learners don't give up easily. A few things may come easily to learners but most knowledge arrivesafter effort. Good learners are willing to put in time. They try to search out new information. They read，analyze，and evaluate（评估）the information they've found. 【小题2】

Good learners know that a lot of learning isn't fun. The journey to understanding generally isn't all that exciting. 【小题3】 Others need boring attention to detail，and still others need periods of intense mental focus. Your back hurts，your arms and legs get tired，and your coffee gets cold.

【小题4】 There's always more to know. Good learners are never satisfied with how much they know about anything. They are surrounded by questions — the ones they still can't answer, or the ones without very good answers. Those questions follow them like day follows night with the answers bringing daylight.

Good learners share what they' ve learned. Good learners are teachers committed to sharing with others what they' ve learned. 【小题5】 Good learners can also explain what they know in ways that make sense to others. They are connected to the knowledge passed on to them and committed to leaving what they' ve learned with others.

How to Know Yourself Better

Most of us believe that we know ourselves better than anyone in this world. But a lot of people are still strangers to themselves. Why? 【小题1】 For a person, to have a well-lived life, it is important that he know himself well. If you are one of those who are striving to know yourself better, these steps will guide you.

·Take a moment to write down things that you know“very well”about yourself - your interests,likes, dislikes, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses,hopes, fears, dreams, etc. 【小题2】 By creating a list of your personal qualities that you are familiar with, you are keeping yourself in touch with yourself.

·Take personality and psychological tests. This is another way to know yourself better. The Internet has a rich source of free online personality and psychological assessments and tests. 【小题3】

·Know yourself better by understanding people's opinions of you. 【小题4】 Sometimes, you think you know yourself enough, but other people who see you from their point of view can offer you some insights into how you act and get understood by others. Be careful,however, to balance both opinions to come up with an objective view of yourself.

【小题5】 It's a lifetime process. Every day you will be given new insights about yourself. Writing a diary will help you keep track of these new discoveries. Maintaining that hunger to know yourself better will make you more self-aware, opening up  new opportunities to enrich your life.