The price of travel can change a great deal throughout the year so try to be flexible with your travel dates and avoid     1    (crowd) holiday seasons. It can be     2    (cheap) if you book in advance. Before setting off, you’d better find out if you require any special visas or permits     3    (travel) there. Think about currency as well. Will you be able to use your own money easily enough or will you need to take cash     4     you? Think about eating larger lunches and smaller evening meals to help make your spending money go further,     5     lunch is generally less expensive. You should keep sufficient identification with you at all times. It may also help to email a copy of your passport details to yourself. I strongly suggest your names on the suitcases    6    (write) clearly so they can be easily identified.     7     can be useful to store a copy of your schedule in     8     easily seen place in your suitcase so that the airline will know where to find you if your luggage gets     9     (lose). Be sure to pack the essential things in your hand luggage. If your     10    (fly) is delayed, these can be difficult to obtain in an airport.

On Aug 12, I started the second day of my visit to the United States. My mother's old classmate,     1     has lived there for a while, came with me. I soon found that the US is    2     （true） a "nation on wheels”.

I spent most of my day     3    （ride） in the car. 1 could sec the endless land and lots of trucks going past. There are many gas stations along the road. They not only provide drivers    4     food, showers and beds, but also services like truck repair.

It's not just truck drivers on the country's roads, but many bikers can     5     （see） as well. They're called "Harley knights （骑士）"     6       most of their vehicles are Harley Davidson motorcycles. They have their luggage     7    （tie） to the backs of their bikes and ride through the broad lands of the US. The exciting music they listen to while riding their     8    （motorcycle） beats together with their young hearts. These bikers stand for the passionate （热情的）on-the-road spirit of the US. They long to be close to the road and enjoy     9    （they）. At one gas station, we     10    （meet） four "Harley knights" who were about 70 years old. I envy these bikers, as they are living such colorful lives.

Wang Wei and I have long been dreaming     1     taking a great bike trip. She was able to persuade me     2     (buy) an expensive mountain bike, and she soon got our two cousins interested in     3     (cycle) too. After graduating from college, we finally got the chance to take the trip. It was my sister     4     first had the idea to cycle along the entire Mekong River from     5     it begins to where it ends. My sister is     6     stubborn girl. Although she didn’t know the best way, she insisted on organizing the trip     7     (proper). Once she has made up     8     (she) mind, nothing can change it. Finally, I had to give in to her. Several months before our trip, we went to the library and found a large atlas with good maps showing     9     (detail) of world geography. From it we got much more information about the Mekong River. We were both     10     (surprise) to learn that half of the river is in China.