Dubai was a 6,000-person fishing village half a century ago. Since 1966, when oil was discovered there, the population of Dubai has grown    1    2.6 million. Over the years, it has become a well-known tourist destination.

What attracts tourists to Dubai are tax-free shopping, dry weather, excellent    2     (accommodate), delicious food and beaches that go on for miles. In fact, some people come here only     3     (experience) the shopping. There are lots of shopping centers,     4     (provide) every famous brand you can name. Those outdoor markets sell everything from spices to gold at fair prices.

Choosing what places to visit in Dubai is difficult, because even the hotels there are also amazing    5     (attract). The Burj A1 Arab is considered one of the world’s best hotels,     6     is located on its own island, about 1,000 feet offshore from Dubai. Built in the shape of    7     ship, this hotel is still     8     (tall) than the Eiffel Tower and nearly as tall as the Empire State Building. Certainly, there are also other great places of interest to visit.

Indeed, traveling around this country will    9     (true) give you an amazing experience because of its interesting things offered to all types    10    tourists.

Being the biggest and the oldest in America, the Chinatown in San Francisco is a very popular tourist attraction,     1     can be visited at any time of the year. The place used to be the     2    (settle) of Chinese immigrants. With time     3    (go) by, it turned into a centre for Chinese culture.

In the 1906 earthquake, most of Chinatown     4    (destroy), but the city and residents rebuilt it, taking care to include lots of Chinese architecture, such     5     the legendary Dragon Gate, the Tin How Temple and Bank of Canton. On Portsmouth Square, visitors can experience     6    (tradition) Chinese culture in real life. You can find all kinds of souvenirs, goods, clothing and Chinese herbal medicine there. What’s more, you can taste and buy     7    (variety) of Chinese tea. The Chinese food there is     8    (especial) appealing with traditional dishes from all over China.

Chinatowns play     9     important part in the diverse culture of the USA. They allow visitors who have never been to China     10    (experience) traditional Chinese culture first hand.

My time in China was a(n)     1    (forget) experience. Every day was a new adventure. I made life-long friends and had many     2     (last) memories. My study abroad program organized trips for us to learn about each city and to visit cultural     3     (sight). While I was in Beijing, I climbed the Great Wall of China, and visited Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium. I also had the opportunity of     4    (stick) in a Beijing thunderstorm, bargaining in the market, and riding the high-speed train. While I was in Tianjin, I     5    (study) at Nankai University. I was taking the Chinese language and culture courses.

    6    I enjoyed most is that whatever I learned in class. I would use it outside to communicate with people. Having the opportunity     7    (speak) Mandarin every day really improved my learning. In the afternoon I would have culture classes     8    I would learn about Chinese calligraphy, Beijing opera, Chinese martial arts, Chinese cooking and many other subjects. The mix of learning about the language and culture made each day of class     9     (enjoyable) exciting.

I believe that the key       10       studying abroad successfully is the attitude you carry. Going to China, I was open-minded and had a very positive attitude.

About a year ago, I was watching the Olympics, and I found that the runners were so cool. Then, I made a     1     (decide): I would become a runner.

My parents were     2     (surprise) when I told them about my goal. I could understand them because I had never been interested in running before. All of my friends thought I was joking when     3     (hear) about my plan. They believed that I would quit after a week. Fortunately, I proved     4     (they) all wrong. I actually did two things to achieve my goal.

First, I     5     (go) online. I found a famous website that helps you plan workouts. You start by walking, and then you start running. After that, I joined a local running group. We ran in the park     6     (two) a week. We did it on Monday and Thursday. Three months later, I achieved my goal: I ran in my first race. I didn’t win, but I ran     7     whole way. Naturally, I felt proud of myself. Seeing     8     I did, my parents felt happy and encouraged me     9     (stick) to my goal.

Since then, I’ve been running in several races. I have also started training for a longer run. My next goal is to run in a 10K race. My friends have stopped laughing     10     me, and a few of them have even asked me to help them start running!

As    1     teenager, I often heard people say, “High school is the best years of life!” I So I looked forward     2     beginning a new life as a freshman.

    3     (actual), there were really too many unforgettable moments in those years. Whether/they were bad moments or amazing ones, all of them left a deep     4     (impress) on me.

During those years. I liked to volunteer and took an active part in debate. I     5     (behave) responsibly and never quit before     6     (challenge) And it was at that time that I met my best friend Ann, a unique (独特的)   and lovely girl. Just like me, she was also active, helpful and curious     7     (explore) everything on campus. She would help me whenever I was in trouble and would give me     8     (confident) whenever I lost heart. She was the best friend in my youth.

Other than voluntary work, I also liked sporting events,     9     are the most exciting parts of the high school life. On sports days, all the students would show up to cheer for     10     (they) sports teams. The shouts, the cheers, the sighs and all the noise you can think of were all brought into one place. What a happy sight!

I really miss my high school life.