Shaoshan is     1     small city close to Changsha, Hunan. It is famous     2     the hometown of Mao Zedong, the founding father of People’s Republic of China. So far tourism     3     (become) the leading industry in Shaoshan. It receives     4     (million) of visitors every year. Among numerous scenic spots, Mao Zedong Boyhood Residence and Mao Zedong Bronze Status Square are much     5     (busy) than others.

Mao Zedong Boyhood Residence faces north, and the building structure is like a Chinese character “凹”. On the east, it belongs     6     Mao’s family, while the other side of the house is Mao’s neighbor’s. The central room is shared by the two families. On December 26, 1893, Mao     7     (bear) in the house.

Mao Zedong Bronze Status Square gets     8     (it) name because of the Mao Zedong bronze statue in the square. The bronze statue is 10.1 meters in height, which symbolizes the National Day on October 1 as well as the great founder of New China. It took a long time for designers and workers     9     (complete) the whole bronze.     10    (certain), the statue has reproduced the people’s leader Chairman Mao at the founding ceremony of New China.

Stanton is a very busy town nowadays.     1     is good to see that we have a wonderful city bus service. There are lots of things     2     do here. For example, we have a very modern cinema and a large theatre. And of course, we’ve got lots of shops and restaurants in the town.

There is a big chemical factory that a lot of people work here. But it is     3     pity that the river is a little dirty now. People are doing something to solve the problem.

And look,     4     is Paul Carr, our famous artist. As you can see, Stanton is such a nice place     5     people to live and also a good place to visit.

Shenyang is the capital city of Liaoning and it is one of the biggest cities in the northeast of China. With a     1     (wealth) culture and history, Shenyang is a great place to visit, work in, and live in.

Shenyang is the city where the traditional meets the modern. It is famous for     2     (place) of interest, including the Mukden Palace or Shenyang Imperial Palace. The palace     3     (list) as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

Shenyang used to be called “the eldest son” of the     4     (People) Republic of China because of great contributions to the     5     (develop) of our country. Now more and more people would prefer to work here to realize their dreams.

Shenyang is also known for     6     (it) delicious food, such as chicken with ginger, stewed pork ribs and pickled cabbage.

In a word, Shenyang is an exciting city and it is well worth a visit. Whether you are interested in history, culture, business, or just want     7     (lead) a city life, Shenyang has something for everyone.

Visit Istanbul (伊斯坦布尔)

Have you given any thought to your next holiday? Istanbul should be at the t    1     of your list of cities to visit next! Istanbul, Turkey, is the world’s 20th largest city and Europe’s largest city. It’s on a piece of land in the shape of a horn(喇叭), known as the Golden Horn.

Istanbul is one of the world’s most interesting cities. In human history, Istanbul is important because the city l    2     in both Europe and in Asia. It was the easiest road for people to go from Europe to Asia. Like Xi’an, it was one of the m    3     cities on the Silk Road. Since 1461, Asians have taken their silk, tea and spices to Istanbul to sell to Europeans. They had a famous market at the Grand Bazaar, which is the most visited p    4     in the world today.

Imagine waking up in the middle of Istanbul. You’ll find many of the world’s most famous sights. You can walk to the Hagia Sofia, a church that was the world’s largest for over 1,000 years b    5     it was turned into a mosque (清真寺). Across the street is the Blue Mosque. Underground, you’ll find Roman-made “cisterns” (tanks to store water). These are part of the city’s freshwater system. Walk over to the Kumkapi district and have delicious fish that is s    6     in 50 seafood restaurants.

Istanbul is only 9 hours from Shanghai and Beijing. That’s h    7     a long journey! Flights leave daily, so don’t waste time—plan your trip to Istanbul soon!

The Melbourne Star in Australia, is the biggest Ferris wheel in the     1     (南部) hemisphere. It looks like a star.

All the time, I’ve     2     (期待) to be there. So years ago, I went on the Melbourne Star after reaching Australia. I saw Melbourne by viewing it from the sky.     3     (确切) at that moment, I fell in love with the city.

Recently, I went there with my mom in the evening. There was a long line and we waited for more than     4     (四十) minutes to get on. But once we took off, the     5     (了不起) view of Melbourne below our feet surprised us.

On one side, we could see Westgate Bridge, which is often crowded with     6     (交通). In the bright light, the bridge looked like a rainbow     7     (横过) the Yarra River. We were lucky to watch the sunset from a special     8     (地方) .The sun     9     (慢) dropped and the skyline was orange. It almost felt like we were in one of Monet’s paintings.

The ride was about thirty minutes and it was over so quickly. Though the ride     10     (花费) nothing, the view and the feeling I had will stay in my heart for a long time.

In Search of Good English Food

How come it is so difficult to find English food in England? In England, it is     1     (easy) to find Indian and Chinese restaurants than English ones. In London, you can eat dishes almost around the world, but where are the English restaurants?

It is not only in restaurants that foreign dishes are taking the place of     2     (tradition) British food. In every supermarket, spaghetti and pizza are more popular. Why has this happened? What is wrong with the cooks of Britain that they prefer cooking spaghetti to     3     (potato)? Why do the British now like cooking in wine and olive oil? That’s     4     they can get ingredients (食材) from all over the world in just a few hours. Anyway, was’t English food always terrible and tasteless? The answer to this question is “No”, but     5     (understand) this, you have to go back to before World War I.

    6     fact, the British have always imported(口) food from abroad. From ancient times, foreign trade was     7     main influence on British cooking. English kitchens got ingredients from all over the world. All of them     8     (use) in British dishes successfully. Another important influence on British cooking was     9     (certain) the weather. For the British, the good old rain gives     10     (they) rich soil and green grass. That means they are able to produce some of the finest meat, fruit and vegetables, which don’t need many sauces (调料) to cover their taste.

Glad to tell you more about my life in Haiti. My favorite thing is facing the ocean. On a small island like Haiti, you can see the ocean     1     many places.

I think that on an island people seem to meet more friends. People are     2    （friendly）towards each other than those in the city. The towns are small, and everyone     3    （know）each other. It’s nice to ride a bicycle, and people often come together     4    （have）dances or take part in sports.

    5    （unlucky）, sometimes jobs may be limited（有限的）. Many people live in small towns far from the city where most jobs are. I first     6    （leave）Haiti to go to college in New York at 23. I had never experienced cold weather or seen snow before. It was     7    big change. I returned to Haiti, but moved away again for work     8     I was 36. Since then, I’ve been back to visit many     9    （time）. I am always excited to enjoy the fresh fruits, the fresh fish     10    to hear my language spoken all around me.

Love from,

Auntie