The interview is an important event in the job-hunting process, because the 20 or 30 minutes you spend with the interviewer may decide whether or not you get the particular job you want. Therefore, it is important to remerber that your purpose during the interview may differ from that of the potential employer. You want to make yourself stand out as a whole person who has personal strengths and should be considered the right person for the job. It is encouraging to know that the interviewer's task is not to embarrass you, but to hire the right person for the job.

    Remember, job hunting is very competitive. Anything you can do to improve your interview techniques will be to your advantage. The following suggestions may help you land the most important job.

    Your goal in this interview is to make sure your good points get across. The interviewer won't know them unless you point them out , so try to do this in a factual and sincere manner.

    Don't say anything bad about your former employers. If you have been fired from a job and the interviewer asks about it, be honest.

    Show the interviewer that your are interested in the company by asking questions. Ask about responsibilities, working conditions, promotions opportunities and benefits of the job you are interviewing for.

    If at some point you decide the interview is not going well, do not let your discouragement show. You have nothing to lose by continuing a show of confidence, and you may have much to gain. It may be real, or it may be a test to see how you react to adverse conditions.

    Some interviewers may bring up salary early in the interview. At this time, you may indicate that you are more interested in a job where you can prove yourself that a specific salary. This politely passes the question back to the interviewer. If possble, you should negotiate for salary after you have been offered a job and have completed the paperwork.

    In a cold winter, a couple had to move out from the luxury villa because of bankruptcy. The husband worked day and night to support the family but with no care of his wife. So she thought, “he doesn't love me anymore, he just cares his business… not me”.

    One day, she began to take a bath, he stopped her at the door, “Let me take it first, OK?” “Why not let me shower first?” she asked. “I was tired, sweetie, you take it later, OK?” She was totally depressed.

    On a morose(闷闷不乐的）day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer, a few words blurred her eyes...It was his diary:

    Today, I was quite sad, she asked me why I was always taking the bath first, and I said to her, I was exhausted. She was unhappy, in her mind, I treated her not as well as usual, but how can I do? I wasn't as rich as before! We moved to the small apartment, there was only a shower in such a freezing winter. But I found that if one person took the shower first, the room could get a little warm, so every time I rushed to the bathroom first. I was thinking that, when she took the shower, the room would get warmer, at least1℃, 2℃ or 3℃.

    Now I can't give her comfortable life, bring her the luxury restaurant, buy expensive dresses for her, but at least, I can give her 1℃ love.

    Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family's last vacation. It was my six-year-old son's winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a week-long trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York, so I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.

    The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?

    Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.

    I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing （揭露） the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.

    I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money's worth. I'm also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.

    The most important lessons in life that we need to learn are the results of our poor decisions. Although time and experience are the best teachers, we also suffer from experiences such as our sacrifices, suffering and the hardships. Good judgment develops only when we truly learn from our mistakes. However, many people keep repeating the same mistakes before learning their lessons because as they say, they are just humans who are subject to making mistakes.

Our weaknesses in life can be turned into our strengths if we immediately acknowledge and recognize the fact that we mess up and learn from them. Our good or bad experiences help us learn better judgment in life. Yet, too many people are in denial and place the blame on others without realizing that the minute they take responsibility for their action is when the learning process begins. Apart from learning from our own experience, we can also learn valuable lessons from the experience of others. It allows us to observe our behavior from another angle. When we recognize our mistakes and prevent them from happening again, we are, therefore, learning.

    Quickly identifying our mistakes and changing behavior accordingly requires less time and energy than denying mistakes. However, acknowledgement of mistakes requires belief in the idea that the perfection is not possible.

    It is easier to analyze our mistakes especially when we talk to others, which can help people to sort out comments or criticisms after a mistake is made. Despite our tendency to avoid mistakes, timely acknowledgement is one of the best ways to prevent them from repeating.

    Cultures are based on social and linguistic(语言的) communities.

    In South Africa, we exist amongst diverse groups which are culturally different. This makes us multicultural. Toit, one sociologist in the U.S., explains that multiculturalism is more than the expression of cultural variety, and it also concerns communication. He adds that for multiculturalism to “succeed”, meaningful communication is a requisite.

    In multicultural countries, it is necessary that the education system encourages learners to become interculturally competent (胜任的). The process of becoming intercultural is a “personal transformation” from being cultural to being intercultural. This does not mean that a highly intercultural person's identity is culture-free. Rather, it is not rigidly bound by membership to anyone particular culture. Furthermore for learners to become interculturally competent, it is necessary that all involvers in the education system become aware of their own cultural background.

    Toit conducted a survey, the objective of which was to determine the problems experienced by learners in a multicultural learning environment. Two hundred questionnaires were administered. 55% believed that different values and beliefs were a major cause of the communication problems. Closer examination of the interactions showed that learners were in fact mostly associating with members of their own cultural groups. Toit points out that in an intercultural communication, people would be challenged by the sudden difference in culture, and this may force an evaluation or re-evaluation of their beliefs and values. 45% of the learners believed that there was lack of trust among their peers. The general lack of trust between two complete strangers leads to an uncomfortable situation. They said that when learners are asked to work in groups, they are unwilling to do so. They added that one of the many issues that contribute to such negative opinions was the language barrier.

Start of Summer, the 7th term of the year, begins on May 6 and ends on May 20 this year. It signals the transition of seasons. Here are four things to learn about it.

Greeting Start ofSummer

The term Start of Summer originated at the end of the Warring States Period. Since it is a crucial time for the harvest of summer crops, ancient Chinese emperors in different dynasties attached great importance to the Start of Summer.

CheckingOne'sWeight

The custom of weighing people at the Start of Summer originated from the Three Kingdoms Period and prevails in South China today. It was believed this practice would bring health and good luck to the people weighed. It is said those who were weighed would stay healthy in the hot summer and those who weren't would suffer illness.

EatingEggs

In ancient China, people believed a round egg symbolized a happy life and eating eggs on the day of Start of Summer was a prayer for good health. They put leftover tea into boiled water together with eggs. Later people improved cooking methods and added spices to the eggs to make them taste delicious. Today tea egg has become a traditional snack in China.

Taking Care of theHeart

According to Chinese traditional medicine, Start of Summer is a key time to moisten the heart. When the weather grows hotter, dampness and heat can affect human health. Food rich in vitamins and cool in nature is highly recommended. Vegetables, such as cucumber, tomato, and watercress and fruits like watermelon, pear and strawberry are top recommendations.