On paper, Laos seems to have all to attract international tourists. It owns mighty waterfalls, golden temples and nearly two dozen national parks.

But the land-locked country welcomed only 4.2 million visitors in 2016 — a small     1    (achieve)in comparison with its southeastern Asian neighbors. In that same year, there     2    (be)32 million tourists in Thailand, 26. 8 million in Malaysia and over 10 million in Vietnam—all countries boasting their long and     3    (impress)beaches. As for Laos, its main problem is its lack of the three Ss—sun, sand and sea.    4    , things seem to change now.

A high-speed rail link between Laos and China     5    (expect)to open in 2022, with the purpose of attracting more tourists.

The country is making a bold attempt to overcome this natural deficit by becoming the first foreign country to use Chinese technology, equipment and investment     6    (connect)with the giant nation's domestic fast and vast rail network.

If all goes as planned, Laos will be the first stop on one route of the Pan-Asia Railway,     7    aim is to connect China with all of Southeast Asia. With trains     8    (run) at speeds of up to 125 miles per hour,   the inconvenience of carrying both passengers and cargo in the mountainous areas     9     (overcome) greatly.

If so,    10    those who enjoy hiking, now it could be the last chance to experience an undeveloped part of Southeast Asia before it joins its neighbors in boosting its tourism.

The unbearable winter coldness couldn't stop their steps. With    1    (curious) and excitement, villagers at the foot of Mount Qomolangma hurry up to open their parcels at a delivery office. At an altitude of 4119 meters, this is the world's    2    (high) delivery service station.    3    (locate) in the town of Tashi Dzom in Tibet, the delivery office    4    (found) in 2016. Before that, local people had to spend around four hours to collect parcels from the county seat. But the delivery office brings great    5    (convenient) and therefore encourages more people to order online. According to Yang Tao,    6    is a worker at the delivery office, the office handled only 17 parcels in its first month. But thanks    7    the fast-growing industry, the number has grown steadily to    8    average of 200 per month. Not only has the number of parcels increased,    9    also the items being delivered have become richer in variety. Though people in China's eastern regions may take    10    for granted, the delivery office indeed makes a difference to the local people.

The mascot (吉祥物) for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games    1     (show) to the public at Beijing's Shougang Ice Hockey Arena on September 17^th, 2019. The name of the mascot is "Bing Dwen Dwen",     2    is closely associated with the host nation's culture. The name "Bing Dwen Dwen" is a     3     (combine) of several meanings in the Chinese language. "Bing" is the Chinese character for ice, while "Dwen Dwen" is a common nickname in China for children that means being healthy and cute. The mascot is designed     4     (promote) the Olympic spirit and also shows China's warm invitation to friends from all over the world.

The Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games will be the new start for winter sports worldwide with over 300 million Chinese     1     ( take ) up them, said International Olympic Committee ( IOC)President Thomas Bach(国际奥委会主席托马斯·巴赫)on Thursday,     2     he opened the 139th IOC Session in the Chinese capital on the eve of the Opening Ceremony.

The IOC President added that Beijing will     3     ( official) become the first city ever to host both summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games on Friday. Bach also     4     ( believe ) that the Chinese people will enjoy social benefits from hosting the Games.

According to Bach，Beijing is showing solutions for a more sustainable(可持续的）future. “From re - using venues(场馆)from the Olympic Games 2008; to powering all Beijing 2022 venues with renewable energy; to minimizing environmental    5     ( effect ) and reducing carbon emissions, all thesemeasures underline the commitment of Beijing 2022 to contribute to sustainable     6     ( develop) in China,” he said.

Beijing 2022 will also mean a lot for winter sports beyond China，and change the     7     ( globe)landscape of winter sports forever.

For the athletes，Bach underlined how they have the once - in - a - lifetime opportunity     8     ( reach) not only their traditional supporters, but also a completely new fan base during these Olympic Winter Games.

“These Games are not     9     end of the story. With their performance and their appearance, each of these athletes can win over a huge new fan community for the time after the Games. With this they can take their own popularity and the popularity of their winter sport     10     a new height,” said the German.