History is important to study because it is essential for all of us in understanding ourselves and the world around us. And in my opinion, studying history benefits beyond history itself, because it helps develop and improve our skills through studying history.

We can improve our reading skills by reading texts from different periods. Language has changed and developed over time and so has the way people write and express themselves. We can also improve our writing skills through learning not to just repeat what someone else said, but to analyze information from multiple sources and come up with our own conclusions. It’s two birds with one stone—better writing and critical thinking!

There are so many sources of information out in the world. Finding a decisive truth for many topics just doesn’t exist. What was a victory for one group was a great loss for another—we get to create our own opinions of these events.

History gives us the opportunity to learn from others’ past mistakes. It helps us understand many reasons why people may behave the way they do. As a result, it helps us become smarter as decision-makers.

In the study of history we will need to conduct research. This gives us the opportunity to look at two kinds of sources—primary (written at the time) and secondary sources (written about a time period, after the fact). This practice can teach us how to decipher between reliable and unreliable sources.

There are numbers and data to be learned from history. In terms of patterns: patterns in population, disappearances during times of war, and even in environmental factors. These patterns that are found help clarify why things happened as they did.

It’s incredibly important to learn to question the quality of the information and “history” we are learning. Keep these two questions in mind as we read through information: How do I know what I’m reading are facts and accurate information? Could they be the writer’s opinions?

In our life, we should often be ready for change that will help us unlock (释放) our self-improvement power. However, we don’t always understand it. We think of unlocking our self-improvement power only when everything gets worst.

When do we realize that we need to change diets? When none of our shirts and jeans would fit us. When do we stop eating candies and chocolates? When all of our teeth have fallen off. We see the warning signs when things get difficult.

Most of us will learn about unlocking our self-improvement power only when the whole world falls apart. We think and feel this way because it is not easy to change. However, change becomes more painful when we pay no attention to it.

Change will happen, like it or hate it. At one point or another, we are all going to finally unlock our self-improvement power, not because the world says so, but because we realize it’s good for ourselves.

Happy people don’t just accept change; they welcome it. Unlocking our self-improvement power means unlocking ourselves out of the box of thought that is just the way we are. It is such a poor excuse for people who fear change.

Jane always tells everyone that she is afraid of being around groups of people. Over the years, that is what Jane has believed. Every time a great crowd come, she steps back and locks herself up in a room. Jane not only believes in her story, but lives it!

If we look at things in a different way, we might have greater fun. Doing exercise three times a week would lead to a healthier life. Reading books every day would build up knowledge. And only when we are enjoying the whole process (过程) of unlocking out self-improvement power, we will realize that we can take things light and become happy.

Every day, Vickey traveled by bus between her office and home. She noticed something special about the bus driver. Whenever the passengers(乘客）got on the bus, he would smile at them. However, Vickey also noticed a passenger who never smiled back at the driver. It seemed that he never had any clean clothes. He often made big noises when he coughed. Every time he got on the bus, he made the other passengers give up the seat to him in a loud voice. But the driver still smiled at the passenger. Instead, the “noisy” man never smile. This got Vickey more interested. Once, she asked the driver, “Sir, may I ask you a question? Why don’t you throw that noisy man out of the bus?” The driver looked at Vickey and said, “He’s my guest.’’

“Then take back your smile at least. Don’t be so nice to him!”

“Let me tell you about my dog, ” the driver said patiently. “Each time the moon shines, my dog barks(狗叫）at it crazily. ”

Hearing this, Vickey was confused(困惑的) and said, “Sorry, but I’m not sure what you’re trying to tell me.”

The driver said, “It keeps barking, but the moon still shines.”