Children are always happy on the day     1     summer vacation begins. They think about the plans     2     they have for the summer. Some children go to a day camp     3     is near their home. At the end of the day, they can go home. Other kids choose to go to a camp in the country       4     they are instructed by camp counselors (顾问).

These counselors are often college students     5     are trying to earn a little extra money during their summer vacation. Some kids go to specialized (专业的) camps. There they can improve a particular skill or learn a new hobby     6     they are interested in. This is the reason     7     specialized camps are popular with both parents and kids. There are some kids     8     parents take them on a trip in a car. They often visit state and national parks.

I enjoyed a lovable college time both on campus and at home. At college, I joined a variety of clubs to enrich my life. As the term was drawing to an end, I     1    (plan) to do plenty of things during the vacation. First of all, I wanted to help my mother     2     housework. I also wished to finish the thickest book     3     had been recommended by my teacher. It turned out that everything went smoothly as I expected.

Winter Solstice (冬至)

Winter Solstice, also     1    (know)as Midwinter or Winter Festival, means the     2    (arrive) of winter.

Winter Solstice is the 22nd in the present system of solar terms, but it was in fact the first one to     3    (create) and observed by people in ancient China. They     4    (believe) that from Winter Solstice, the next cycle began. Winter Solstice, therefore, was regarded as the     5    (begin) of a new year,     6     explains why Winter Solstice was not only set as a solar term, but has also been observed as     7     important festival.

The winter season starts in most areas in China from the day on. But because     8     its huge land area, the climate differs greatly from place to place. For example, the night time temperature during this period in northeast China drops to as low as -20℃ , while it is still around 10℃ in some places in South China like Guangzhou.

Eating dumplings on Winter Solstice is a tradition in northern China. Compared with dumplings, sweet dumplings (tangyuan) are even     9    (popular) for locals in southern China. In     10    (they) mind, the round shape of sweet dumplings symbolizes the reunion.

During summer vacation, I went on a three-day camping expedition (远足). We had to carry all of our own clothes and food, as well as tents, cooking pots and first aid kits(急救药箱).

On the first day, our instructor taught us how to read maps. It's not too difficult     1     (understand) maps, but walking with a 13-kg backpack under the burning sun     2    (be) not the most ideal situation. Each of us carried two liters of water to drink as well.

On the second day, we had to find our own way to the next campsite. My group set     3     at 9 am full of confidence, but soon found     4    (we) lost on a farm!     5     (luck), each group had a tracker (跟踪器) that allowed our instructors to see     6     we were. We were quickly found and got back on     7     right path. We finally got to camp at 7 pm. Having walked 25 km over 10 hours, my body was aching. The third day was a bit     8     (easy). We successfully made     9     back to the car park where our coach was waiting.

I learned so much from this expedition—not just map reading skills,     10     also teamwork and how to deal with emergency situations. It pushed me to achieve something I never thought I could do and gave me important life skills.

The summer vacation is coming! What are you going to do for     1     (you) summer vacation?

Tom made     2     plan for his summer vacation. At the     3     (begin), Tom is going to take singing lessons and practice it every day. He wants     4     (be) a singer like Jay Chou when he grows up. Next, Tom is going to take a plane to Shanghai     5     his parents. The boy thinks a family summer vacation will be     6     (relax). Tom hopes to visit Shanghai Disneyland. He wants to play all the games in Disneyland and take     7     (photo). Shanghai, Tom will do his schoolwork     8     study hard for the new term. He is also going to spend more time     9     (read) books every day. He thinks reading is     10     (use) and enjoyable. Tom’s summer vacation will be busy and interesting. What about your plan for the summer vacation? Can you tell me?

It was     1     (Children) Day yesterday. We     2     (go) to the park. Our teacher was     3     us. There     4     (be) many people there. Some young     5     (pioneer) were near the river.     6     (their) sang and     7     (dance). There were some boats     8     the river. There was hill near the river. Some boys     9     (swim) in the river. We sat under the apple tree with our     10     (teach).

World Environment Day is held each year on June 5. It is one of the main ways in which the United Nations (UN)     1     (promote) worldwide awareness of the environment. Being the biggest global day     2     (intend) for positive environmental action, it is     3     (wide) celebrated in different countries and also     4     different ways. Activities include street parades, as well as concerts, tree planting, and clean-up campaigns. In many countries, it is a day     5     people from all walks of life come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for     6     (them) and future generations.

World environment Day     7     (establish) by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It is hosted every year by     8     different city and honored with an international exposition through the week of June 5.

The main colors for this event are natural colors     9     (represent) nature, the earth and its natural resources. These colors are often softer     10     (shade) of green, brown and blue. Images of the earth’s features, such as snowy mountains, clean beaches and unpolluted rivers, are used to improve campaigns supporting the day.

Camping is gaining     1     (popular) as a way for many people in the United States     2     (spend) their vacation. When people camp, they can sleep in a tent or a camper. Some people like to really “rough it” and use no shelter except for a sleeping bag and sleep     3     the stars. Some people drive across the U.S. in     4     is known as a recreational vehicle or RV, which is a trailer. Inside there are beds, a tiny bathroom and a kitchen.

There are campgrounds all over the United States. Many of these campgrounds     5     (equip) with water and electricity so that people can wash dishes and     6     (they) and plug in a radio or their computers. Most campsites also have a fire ring,     7     is a hole in the ground where people can make a fire for roasting food     8     (safe). There usually is also a picnic table for people to eat their meals. Many of these campgrounds provide     9     (share) bathrooms complete with showers. Usually, it is     10     (legal) to camp in a place not designated as an official campsite, meaning you can’t just pitch a tent in a forest.