It’s almost time for me     1     (say) goodbye to Australia. I     2     (enjoy) my time here very much. After being here for a while, my biggest impression is the complicated mix of peoples and cultures     3     make up the nation. Although the main cultural influence     4     1788 has been Westen culture, minority cultures have also played a part in shaping the unique Australian culture, with many of the new     5     (culture) influences contributed by immigrants. It is said that now nearly half of all Australian citizens were either born overseas     6     have parents who were born overseas.

    7     (personal) speaking, what I like most about Australia     8     (be) the people themselves.     9     have a straightforward and free-and-easy attitude towards life, and their friendliness and warmth made me feel at home wherever I went. After experiencing Australia, I have to say that I agree     10     the tourism slogan: “There’s nothing like Australia.”

2 . Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921,the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.

In the 1840s, the main crop, potatoes, were affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.

For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.

The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.

3 . Peru is a country on the Pacific coast of South America. It has three main geographical areas: a narrow coastal belt; the Andes Mountains running parallel to the coast; and high, flat plains in the southeast. In the high plains area is Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world, on which boats can travel. Peru has abundant plants from desert grasses to vast areas of jungle.

Once the centre of the powerful and extremely wealthy Inca Empire, much of South America was governed by Spain from the sixteenth century. Peru gained its independence from Spain in 1821. The capital of Peru is Lima, which is in the north on the coast. The ancient Inca capital, Cuzco, is found high in the Andes. It is a popular tourist destination as it is close to the famous Inca ruins of the city of Machu Picchu. Cuzco is a lively city where both Indian and Spanish culture and art can be seen.

4 . If you are learning English because you're going to travel in England and wish to be_____there, don't try to speak English perfectly，_____ if you do so, no one will understand you. In London ninety­nine in every hundred people speak_____English. You may say that_____they don't speak English well themselves, they can_____understand it when it is well spoken. They_____when the speaker is English. But when the speaker is a_____， the better he speaks, the_____it is to understand him.

No foreigner can_____stress(重读)the syllables(音节)and make the tone(声调) ______and fall in question and______exactly as a______does.______the first thing you have to do is to speak with a strong ______accent, and speak broken, that is, English without any______. Then every English person you______will at once know you are a foreigner, and try to understand you and be ready to______you. He will not______you to be polite and use grammatical phrases. He will be______by his cleverness in making out(弄清) your______and being able to tell what you want to know.

6 . Customs on either side of the Atlantic

We all know that Britain and the US are two countries connected by a common language. But in fact,     1    . as BBC did in a recent story called 8 Situations When Britons Behave Differently From Americans. Below Teens has picked out four for you. Take a look.

When someone knocks into you.

If someone bumps into an American, the victim will most likely look the accidental aggressor in the face and expect an apology. If however,     2    . chances are that the victim will say "sorry" before the other can make his or her own apology.

    3    

Britons don’t all change into evening dress for supper like what you may have seen in popular TV shows like Downton Abbey. But they do tend to make an effort when going out for dinner somewhere nice. Americans, however, will probably wear a casual shirt to a fancy eatery.

When you don't finish your food.

When dining out at a restaurant,     4     They think the food is somehow "tainted" once they’ve poked at it with a knife and fork. In the US, wrapping it up to take home is a standard practice.

When you get into a taxi.

Britons will give the cab driver an address, then assume that’s it for the interaction until it’s time to pay. Even if they’re being taken in a roundabout way,     5     In the US, however, most passengers think nothing of telling the driver what route to take after telling him or her the destination.

9 . The cost of living in countries like the U.S., Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However, if you're willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.

Ecuador

Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the U.S. Dollar for their currency. In this country, it's cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the U.S. You can even buy a property for around $50,000 and hire someone to tend to it while you're away.

Mexico

Although the country is known for its poverty-ridden streets, there are many wealthier areas that provide every facility you might need. You can live off a mere $700 to $800 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, facilities, food, and any sightseeing.

Argentina

Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants, a rich history, and many places to explore. Not to mention, it's not very expensive to live here. A decent sized home can cost around $139,000, which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.

Vietnam

Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million-dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest flat or small home for around $25,000 to $50,000 if you search in the right areas.