If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? —Shelley

After five days’ hard work, do you want to have a new experience: micro-tourism, or mini-vacations?

Micro-tourism refers to short-distance ________ in which people drive two or three hours to a nearby place and spend two or three days. Instead of ________ a big plan and a lot of money, micro-tourism allows people to be more relaxed and is less ________.

According to China Daily, ________ micro-tourism began catching on seven or eight years ago in China, it has been popular since three years ago in Beijing. Because long and distant trips are less convenient, more and more Chinese people choose to take short trips ________.

Mark Hou from Beijing is one of them. Before, the 28-year-old young man always ________ taking long trips abroad or leaving Beijing to see places of interest in other Chinese provinces. ________, the hard long trips made him change his mind and he had to adapt to (适应) a new travel style.

After a long and tiring week at work, Hou likes to invite three or four friends and drive to the ________ on weekends in Beijing. Sometimes they will have a hot spring gathering. Other times, they just ________ tents, a camera, some food and water, and walk around the mountains or parks.

“In the peach blossom (开花) season, we go to the mountains ________ many peach trees. Walking in the mountains, we not only get the ________ air and have exercise, but also enjoy the beauty of flowers,” Hou explained.

To adapt to the new trend, many cities also create more ________ for tourists. For example, in 2020, Shanghai sold a number of micro-tourism products for ________ and one-day tours. They ________ exploring cultural heritage sites (文化遗址) in the city, experiencing country life and going hiking.

Travel doesn’t mean you need to go far away to find a ________ place for your heart. That’s also the purpose of the micro-tourism.

SCENE 1

[The first spirit takes Scrooge into the past. Scrooge sees himself as a young man. He is talking to a beautiful girl.]

Scrooge: Our parents have always wanted us to marry.

Girl: I want to have children and raise a family. Why must we wait?

Scrooge: I do not have enough money yet. Marriage is expensive.

Girl: But two can live almost as cheaply as one.

Scrooge: Nonsense. You will need food and clothing. You have no money of your own. Anyway, I have no time to spare. I must work every day until late to make money.

SCENE 2

[The first spirit turns to Scrooge.]

First Spirit: She married and had a family. She lives a happy life now. She was never rich, but her husband earned enough to provide a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear. That was enough.

SCENE 3

[The second spirit takes Scrooge to Bob Cratchit’s house. Bob, his wife, Peter and the two young children are standing by the side of a small bed on which Tiny Tim is lying.]

Bob: He is so ill. I do not think he will live.

Mrs. Cratchit: If only we had some money for a doctor.

Peter: Perhaps if you asked Mr. Scrooge to lend you some money for a doctor, he would agree.

Bob: I don’t think he would. He would know I’d never be able to pay it back.

Mrs. Cratchit: He has so much money. ________ Doesn’t he care about other people?

SCENE 4

[Scrooge turns to the second spirit.]

Scrooge: Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will die.

Second Spirit: I see an empty seat and a stick without an owner.

Scrooge: Oh, no, kind Spirit! Say he will not die. He must not die.

— Taken from A Christmas Carol