Once you decide to study in the US, you should know which city is right     1     you. Let’s look into one of     2     (exciting) and famous cities — Seattle.

Seattle is a large coastal city with about 3.2 million people. Because of     3     (it) evergreen forests, Seattle is a good place to have outdoor activities such as camping,     4     (climb), hiking and so on.

There’s always something to do in Seattle. You’ll be     5     (interest) in film festivals, fan clubs and concerts. Hundreds of films around the world are shown during the Seattle International Film Festival.     6     wonderful!

While you     7     (study) in Seattle, it is important to have a university experience. Seattle is the home to lots of famous     8     (university) which will surely meet your needs.

If you want to learn     9     (much) information about Seattle, search on the Internet. But do remember to take     10     umbrella — it does rain from time to time.

【推荐3】

People say the real culture of Beijing lies in the culture of hutong and siheyuan.     1     true it is! They give an understanding of the old lifestyle of ordinary Beijingers. If you want to truly know the real life of Beijingers, a half-day hutong tour     2     (be) a good choice.

Starting during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), hutongs are narrow (狭窄的) streets which     3     (form) by lines of siheyuan, and they are at the center of old neighborhood life in Beijing.

The word “hutong” comes from Mongolian and means “water well”. People in ancient times dug a well and lived around it, so “water well” became the name of the living area and then the name of the narrow streets. From the name of a hutong, you can guess its origin (起源). However, the meaning of hutong has cultural aspects (方面).

If the Forbidden City is     4     symbol of the Chinese royal (皇家的) family, then hutongs are the epitome (缩影) of the life of ordinary Beijing people. They are like museums of folk custom, showing the culture of Beijingers. Every hutong has its story     5     (tell). Neighbors in Beijing hutongs sit down over a cup of tea, catching up with each other’s play, shopping, and conversation.

Many famous operas and dramas are based on the theme of “hutong life”. A visit to hutongs by day plus a drama by the Beijing People’s Art Theatre in the evening will help you     6     (well) understand this basic part of life in Beijing. So don’t miss it.