China is a great country with more than 5,000 years of history. There are many places of interest. They attract (吸引) millions of tourists from all over the world every year.

Many mountains, such as Mount Tai, Mount Emei, Mount Hua are very famous. People like to go to Mount Tai to ________ the sun rise.

There are many rivers in China. The Yangtze River is the longest one and the second ________ one is the Yellow River. They are the ________ of Chinese culture because Chinese ancestors (祖先) were born in the areas. Besides the rivers in China, there are also a great number of ________. One of the most famous lakes is the West Lake. Have you heard of the story about Xu Xian and White Snake? It is said that the story ________ on the West Lake. The West Lake is the best place that I have ever visited. It lies in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The scenery is so attractive that visitors often lose ________ in it. The West Lake has become famous ________ not only its special scenery but some beautiful poems. The great poets Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo ________ plenty of poems. Beside the surrounding (周边) area of the West Lake is the home of the famous Dragon Well Tea. The tea is good ________ people’s health.

Have you ever been to the West Lake? If not, look for a ________ to go to the fantastic place!

Do you remember when your grandma told you the story of Snow White? Ah, the happy days of childhood! But did you know that Snow White comes from Germany? It’s just one story from the 209 in Grimm’s Fairy Tales (《格林童话》). The Grimm brothers started to collect (收集) fairy tales in l806. Their first book came out in 1812. Why are German fairy tales so interesting? Maybe it’s because they come from a great place famous for its stories—the Black Forest.

The Black Forest is in south west Germany. It’s the largest forest in the country—and one of the most beautiful. It’s famous for its trees and lovely views. There are valleys and waterfalls (瀑布) there. It’s a good place to start a story.

Don’t forget to bring something back if you visit. People there are good at making clocks, musical instruments and watches.

I am not a good-looking boy and I’m not good at studying, either. Some people don’t even want to talk to me. So I usually feel lonely. Sometimes I think that if I wanted to leave home, nobody would care. How can I stop feeling like this?

Peter

Without knowing more about you, it is hard for me to give you some good advice. But first, I am sure that you are wrong that nobody would care if you left home. What about your parents? And other family members? It seems that you are very sad. You’d better go to see a doctor or talk to your parents. They will be able to help you. Second, I’m sure there’s someone in your class who feels lonely, too. You never know how other people feel inside. Try to make friends with them. Or you may join a club to meet new people and to keep yourself busy. You need to find happiness in yourself. Write a list of all the good things about yourself, learn to like yourself, and then others will see your confidence and like you, too.

Editor

It was yard sale time again, and everyone in the Jones family was getting ready.

Billy, the youngest, was clearing out his old toys. He put several old robots and games in his yard sale box. He also found some clothes that didn’t fit.

Suzy, the middle child, decided to part with some stuffed animals (毛绒玩具) from her collection. She also found some old books.

Regina, the eldest, had music CDs and some clothes to sell. She had the most clothes to sell among the children.

Dad had many things he could part with: some tools, some records he didn’t listen to, some computer parts and a few old jackets and suits.

Mom had a few things to sell. She chose some handbags, some shoes and some clothes. She also found some old dishes.

Together, the five of them set up their tables and the sale began at 7:30 a.m. People came early and the buying and selling was fierce.They hardly had time to take a rest. Many people brought young children, so Billy did well. He sold out his toys quickly. Girls liked Suzy’s stuffed animals, and a few teenagers bought most of Regina’s music CDs. Mom and Dad had the most things, so it took them longer to sell them, but they also made more money.

In the end, Billy made $22, Suzy made $18 and Regina made $43. Mom and Dad made a bit more. Dad made $143 and Mom made $97. It was quite a good day.

National (国家的) parks give a safe home for plants and animals. They help keep the air and water clean. They also give us the best trips. Today, there are nearly 7,000 national parks around the world. A famous magazine has listed (列举) 12 of the most beautiful ones in the world that will surprise you with their amazing geographic wonders (奇迹) and colorful plants and animals.

The Grand Canyon (大峡谷) National Park of the US is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. It is famous for its size and depth. It is 446 kilometers long, up to 29 kilometers wide and 1.6 kilometers deep. Every year, about 5 million people visit here. Taking a trip in the South Rim offers visitors the park’s full views, while the North Rim shows beautiful wild flowers.

If you love animals, you’ll like the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The “Big Five” live here. They are the lion, African elephant, African leopard, black rhinocero and African buffalo. The name “Big Five” came from the five animals that were the hardest to catch. Now they are what people most want to see in the wild. If you visit the park, you should never miss the migration (迁徙) of over 1.5 million wildebeests (角马) every year. This is the most famous site of the park.