1 . A survey has been conducted by a travel agency these days. It asked students at senior high schools to name some E    1     cities they like best and give their reasons. The followings are the top four on the list.

Venice in Italy was c    2     because it is one of the most romantic cities. It is special because of its beautiful canals and bridges. Newly married honeymoon couples love to go for a ride in a gondola which is the s    3     of Venice. In the past, Venice was an important port. Marco Polo left from there when he travelled to China in 1271. It was also a great artistic centre during the Renaissance.

The capital of Spain, Madrid is situated in the centre of the country. Madrid is famous for its art galleries. Its famous museum has one of the world’s biggest art c    4     and paintings by Picasso are exhibited at the Reina Sofia. Many people are attracted to Madrid for its exciting nightlife. But the city is well-known with young people because it is home to the Real Madrid soccer team and its star players.

London is the capital and largest city of the United Kingdom. Its many historical landmarks, including the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace, are visited by millions of tourists. But London is also an exciting modern city and a great entertainment centre. A lot of plays, concerts, musicals and operas are c    5    and performed in the theaters of the West End.

The Italian capital, Rome, is one of the worlds’ richest historical cities. The ancient city was the capital of the Roman Empire and tourists are e    6    attracted by ancient monuments. Its most famous landmark is the Colosseum, a Roman amphitheatre built in 75AD. Another attraction is the Pope’s residence, the Vatican, and its beautiful Sistine Chapel, which was painted by Renaissance artist Michelangelo.

The Icehotel is the world's first ice hotel in northern Sweden. The hotel, including the chairs and beds, is constructed from snow and ice blocks,    1    are taken from the nearby Torne River. Artists are invited to create different rooms and    2    （decorate）made by ice. Besides bedrooms, there is a bar with glasses made    3    ice and an ice church that is popular with marrying couples. Each suite is unique and the architecture of the hotel is changed each year, as it is rebuilt from scratch.

Each year the Icehotel receives applications from artists around the world    4    （design）the church, reception, main hall and the imaginative suites. When spring comes,     5    is pitiful to see everything melt away and return to the Torne River.    6    the Icehotel only exists between December and April, it    7    （consider）as one of the Seven Wonders of Sweden recently.

At the Icehotel the beds are bedded with furs and people are given special equipment to use while    8    （sleep） in the hotel. The guests sleep in polar-tested sleeping bags. Since there is no heating in    9    hotel, the bedroom temperatures remain    10    （constant） around-5℃. The ice suites do not have any bathroom facilities but bathrooms for guests can be found in a warm building close by.

3 . Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji fish market has closed after 83 years. It shut at noon on Saturday, bringing an end to     1    (it) long history of trading. The market is moving to     2     new area of Tokyo. The new market     3    (open) next Thursday. City planners in Tokyo decided to close Tsukiji market to build a parking lot     4     the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Market     5    (trade) at Tsukiji were sad on Saturday as they closed for the final time. One fish auctioneer Hisao Ishii said, “I’m almost crying. Today is a sad day of goodbyes.”

Tsukiji fish market was called the “kitchen of Japan”. A British newspaper described     6     it was like. It wrote: “Tsukiji is a symbol of the global food trade, the home of Japanese cuisine, and is one of     7    (Tokyo) most popular tourist attractions.” It said the atmosphere at Tsukij showed, “an older Tokyo that is     8    (slow) disappearing.” About 500 types of seafood     9    (sell) at the market. The most famous product was bluefin tuna. One Bluefin sold for a record $1.7 million in 2013. The chairman of Tsukiji said, “Everyone was pouring their heart     10     soul(精神) into their trade until the very end.”

London is such a wonderful city. It is very large. The River Thames r    1    through the city from west to east. So the city has two p    2    , the South and the North. London is a m    3     city but it’s very classical as well.

The w    4     in London is good. In winter it is not very cold and in summer it is not very hot, because the city is near the s    5    . People say that London is a foggy(多雾的) city and that it often r    6    . It is true. Last year, when I was in London I m    7     one of the thickest fogs in years. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Cars and buses moved along with their l    8     on. The weather got even worse where evening fell. I had a meeting on the o    9     side of the town, but it was too hard to find a car. All the buses and cars s    10    . I had to go there on foot.

The London Eye is a tourist attraction(旅游景点) in London,the UK. There you can get into a capsule(密封舱)to enjoy a great view of the city of London.

I v    1     the London Eye last summer with a friend. My friend didn't know w    2    to go. I just told him we w    3     go somewhere very special. As we arrived at Waterloo Station, he had w    4     out where we were going. He smiled h    5     . When we reached the London Eye, there was a very long waiting line, so in order to s    6    time, he stayed in the line while I went to buy the tickets.

The capsule doesn't completely(完全地) stop when people get on, so you h    7     to get into it quickly. Then the door of the capsule shuts. The view was wonderful. We took many photos of the view and of o    8    . It took about half an hour for the capsule to go around.

If you are interested in g    9     there, I'd like to give you some advice. To enjoy the view, go in the daytime. There are night r    10    , but you won’t see a lot. Sometimes the top of the wheel can be quite cool even though(即使) it's sunny. So ladies, don’t forget to take a scarf.

What's the best way to overlook(俯瞰) a beautiful city? If you find climbing a mountain tiring, there is another way that is more r    1    : take a Ferris wheel (摩天轮)!

Ferris wheels sit in the middle of some great cities around the world. These tall, wide wheels move round and round w    2     carrying people. You can have such a wonderful time c    3     with friends while enjoying a fantastic view under your feet.

The first Ferris wheel was b    4     in 1893 by US engineer George Ferris Jr. in Chicago, US. The giant wheel shocked people. At that time, it was the l    5     and tallest single piece of steelwork that had ever been made. Ferris wheels q    6     became tourist attractions.

Now, with many countries racing to build the tallest, greatest or coolest Ferris wheel, the big round wheels are becoming p    7     in amusement parks and carnivals (嘉年华). Here is one of the top Ferris wheels around the world. Would you like to try it?

With the h    8     of 443 feet (about 135m), the London Eye is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe. It has enough space for 800 people on one turn and each car can carry as m    9     as 25 people. By taking it, visitors can get a 360-degree view of London Tower, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. One complete ride t    10     30 minutes. The London Eye is at the center of the New Year’s celebrations, as bright, sparkling fireworks rain down from the wheel.

When you hear about Hainan, China’s southernmost province, what comes to your mind first? This year marks the 30th anniversary (周年纪念) of the establishment（建立） of Hainan province. It is a great c    1    for us to learn more about the island province.

A big i    2     meeting of the Boao Forum (论坛) for Asia will soon take place in Hainan. Since 2001, every April, people from different countries come to Boao to d    3     economic issues (经济议题). The forum is important for the future development of Asian cities. It has also made Hainan famous a    4     the world.

In Hainan, you can also visit China’s southernmost city, Sansha. Sansha was set up in 2012. It i    5     the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha island groups. The city allows China to better p    6     fishermen and develop oil and gas resources in the South China Sea. Sansha is also becoming a p    7     place for traveling. People can take helicopters (直升机), planes or ships to visit the city.

However, for some people, Hainan is no longer just a tourist attraction (旅游胜地). It has become their s    8     home. Every year, from October to April, people from different places around China leave their home for Hainan to enjoy the warm weather and fresh air. These people are jokingly referred to as “migratory birds” (候鸟族). Most of them are elderly people from northern China, e    9     Northeast China.

As you can see, Hainan has more than just golden b    10     and blue seas. The island is waiting for you to explore it.

When you hear the word EPCOT, maybe you think of the building in the Disney park       1     (immediate)—even if you have never been there. But what does the word EPCOT actually mean?

Let’s study the history of the park     2     (see) how it got the name. It was Walt Disney himself that came up     3     EPCOT. So what does it stand for? Well, Walt thought it up in 1966, when his plans for a theme park in Florida were very     4     (difference) from what’s there today. Disneyland, in California, had been up and running for more than ten     5    (year). Walt’s idea was to build an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow(未来的实验原型社区). That’s what EPCOT really     6     (stand) for. And he originally(最初) planned for it to be, not a theme park, but     7     actual community.

After Walt Disney’s     8     (die) in 1966, other people of the Walt Disney Company     9     were not sure how to move forward with the city stuck to his ideas and themes for the park. They also built the park by     10     (take) his forward—thinking advice on creativity and technology. Of course, they kept its name!

As everyone knows, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province is the center of world porcelain production（瓷器生产）.The    1    [ˈləʊkl] porcelain is quite popular around the world. Last week my school held a two-day research activity, the aim of which was to build students' awareness(意识）of traditional Chinese     2     [ˈkʌltʃə(r)].

On our way to Jingdezhen, our guide     3    (introduction)us to the basics of porcelain production. Our first stop was the Museum of Chinese Ceramics, which has a unique collection of porcelain made from     4    such as clay and stone.

The guide told us of the great achievements in ceramics from ancient times until today. I paid special     5    to what he said, and I learned that ceramics was invented in the Neolithic（新石器时代）period. At that time, clay was    6     (use) to make pottery (陶器）,which carried water and food. Today, we still use porcelain but our pottery is far more beautiful than the    7    (produce) of those times.

In the afternoon, we visited a factory to learn about the    8    [ˈprəʊses] of making ceramics. We found that any small mistake can    9    to the failure.

On the second day, we were given some clay and the chance to design a piece of pottery. Although our efforts were not as beautiful as the articles in the museum, they were our own work.

The two-day activity was very    10    (enjoy) and meaningful. I learned a lot about porcelain and made an item on my own. It meant a lot to me.

After nearly 5 years of construction(建设), the Beijing Daxing international Airport opened    1     September 25. It is regarded as one of the seven wonders in the modern world.

It has the world’s largest flight terminal(航站楼)in a single building. The building has an     2     /’eəriə/ of 7,000 square meters — the size of 98 soccer fields.

Apart from its size, the airport has got people’s    3     / ə’tenʃn / because it uses the new technologies that makes it     4     (smart) and more efficient. For example, the airport uses a robot-operated parking system. Robots can help passengers park their cars in an     5    /’empti/ space in the parking lot. Robots also work here and there inside the building, helping people get round. They answer your questions when you need. They can show you the     6     to the places you want to go to.

Another interesting thing is that there are different kinds of gardens in the airport,     7     as Tea garden, Silk garden, Chinese garden…, in which people can sit and relax themselves while    8     for their flights.

People all over the world think     9    (high) of the airport. They are also amazed at the great development that China has    10    (make) in recent years.