【推荐1】Footrace (竞走) is a popular activity in the US. It is not only a ______ sport, but also ______ as a way to exercise. Though ______ runners may spend months training to compete, other runners and walkers might not train at all. They might run in an effort to ______ their own time, or ______ to enjoy the fun and exercise. People of all ______, from those less than three years old to those in their 80s, ______ this sport. The races are held on city streets, on college campuses, ______ parks, and in suburban areas, and commonly 5 to 10 kilometers in ______.

The ______ footrace in the world is the 12-kilometer Bay to Breakers race held in San Francisco every spring. This race ______ on the east side of the city near San Francisco Bay and ends on the ______ side at the Pacific Ocean. Last year there were 80,000 people ______ in this race. In the ______ were the serious runners who compete to win, and who might finish in as little as 34 minutes. ______ them were the thousands who take several hours to finish. In the back of the race were those who wear various clothing just for ______. ______, there was a group of firefighters who were all ______ in a long line, carrying a fire-hose (消防水龙带). One year, there was a wedding ______, in which the bride dressed in a long white dress and the groom wore a tuxedo (晚礼服). They ______ flowers to by-standers, and were actually married at some point along the route.

【推荐2】Remains of ancient civilization are places which were designed and built as a lasting tribute (致敬) to some individuals or events. By visiting these _______ monuments, you are sure to be amazed by how _______the ancient civilization that existed centuries before you was. Some of the facilities which could be dated back hundreds of years ago are still in use today. Besides, you will also _______ at the mysterious stories behind it. The Great Wall, _______, is probably the best-known monument of China, which consists of a network of walls and towers through which the attack warnings could be received within minutes._______ then had enough time to prepare. Estimates (估算) of the total length of the monument _______, depending on which sections are included and how they are measured. One of the _______ mysteries is that, although some of the wall is _______ in special radar images taken by satellites, astronauts have confirmed that the existing wall is not several thousand years old, nor is it, as many people had _______ visible to the human eye form outer space.

Even older than the Great Wall of China is the Great Pyramid (金字塔) of Giza. Over a 20-year period, thousands of workers made the vision become ________ with numerous blocks, each weighing more than two tons. It’s still a(n) ________ to modern people how ancient men handled________ of these giant stones in a time when cars or boats never existed some 4500 years ago. The pyramid served not only as a tomb for King Khufu, but also a place of ________ activity. The number of the God’s servants at that time showed the importance of such activities. After Khufu died, his body was carefully treated with various medicines and materials and was wrapped in order to be ________ for long. According to ancient Egyptian belief, the pyramid, where the mummy was placed, provided a place for the king to pass into the afterlife. Then his servants performed rituals (仪式) to bring ________ to the dead king’s soul, removing all the unrest and pain from his next life.

【推荐3】Travelers to new cities are often told to start their trip with a bus tour. The thinking is that they can then _________ to the places that interested them. Nonsense! What you see from the _________ of a moving bus is unreal and completely removed from the authentic sights, sounds and _________ outside.

Be adventurous! The best way to experience any place is _________ and with absolutely no travel _________. Simply go wherever your feet and your _________ lead you. You eventually will get to the same sites that are on the bus tour-the museums, the monuments city hall-but will have _________ much more. You will have felt the contemporary life of the city.

“But what if I get lost?” People might ask. No one gets _________ lost in a major city. Eventually, you can find your way back to a well-known location. If it frightens you to be “lost”, just find a taxi and go back to where you _________. However, the nicest things can happen if you get lost. You stop at a sidewalk cafe to sit and __________. You ask instructions of the local people at the __________ table. And even if they don’t speak your language, your trip becomes more __________ because of the experience.

So next time you see a poster advertising an introductory bus tour, __________ your money. __________, wander on your own. I promise (承诺) you a time you’ll __________ with great pleasure.

【推荐1】Antarctica is the continent which is the most southern area of land on the Earth and is mostly ________ with ice. This is one of the driest and ________ places in the world. But people from all over the world come to ________ there. Near the South Pole, three thousand people live together in a place ________ Amundsen-Scott Station.

The Station ________ libraries, cinemas, shops, sports rooms, canteens and laboratories. There is electricity, and they have telephone—the system ________ they use to have a conversation with someone in ________ place. And they have ________—electronic machines that store information and use programs to help them find, organize, or change the information.

But the people here ________ travel by car, or train or bus, because there aren’t any roads or railways near the Station. They ________ by slip, helicopter, plane, or snow tractor, or ________ dogs.

There aren’t ________ trees or flowers there, but there are hundreds of different birds and other ________.

Most of the people here are ________. They study plant and animal life and how ice ________. The ice can ________ us about changes in climate, Ray Kingman is an expert at Amundsen-Scott Station, telling us ________ the phone, “This is my second year here. It’s a very interesting and beautiful place, but life is very ________ in winter. In summer we can go ________ in hot pools of water. We welcome newcomers here for further ________ of the continent!”

【推荐2】Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second ______. He learned the value and beauty of ______ there from a very young age.

When he was 16, Molai began to notice something ______ happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the ______ it caused had driven away a number of birds.   ______ , the number of snakes had declined as well. He ______ that it was because there weren’t enough trees to protect them from the ______. The solution, of course, was to plant trees so the animals could seek   ______ during the daytime. He turned to the ______ department for help but was told that nothing would grow there. However, Molai went looking on his own and ______ a nearby island where he began to plant trees.

______ young plants in the dry season was ______for a lone boy. Molai built at the ______ of each sapling (幼树) a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to______rainwater. The water would then drip (滴落) on the plants below.

Molai ______ to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1,360 acres of naturally-grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.