I am glad to receive your letter.

Looking forward to your reply.

Yours,

Li Jin

3 . Five years ago, a truly unforgettable event took place. My wife and I were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary (纪念日) that year. To our delight, it was a splendid event, lovingly hosted by our sons just for us. Our dear, old friends gave us a wonderful surprise with their thoughtful gifts and heartfelt congratulations. Our gift to each other was a driving trip out west. We drove from Ontario into Alberta, then southward into Glacier National Park in Montana, and continued to Yellowstone National Park.

It was a cold spring day, and the Beartooth Highway had opened for the season just days before. Alongside the road, there was still a great amount of snow there. The scenery was so impressive that we made lots of stops to record memories with my camera. At the highest point of the highway, I stopped at a lookout to catch the amazing views, with my wife in the centre of my camera lens.

There were not many cars on the road. Sometimes, cars with energetic young tourists passed by. And then we heard a motorcycle in the distance. The driver of the motorcycle, who wore dirty clothes, parked behind our cars. Approaching us, he spoke only a simple command, “Give me your camera and get over there with your wife.” I must admit I felt nervous that we might be robbed where we just created some beautiful memories. Surprisingly, he just took a picture of us, handed back my camera and rode off before we could offer our thanks. Unexpectedly, the photo he took is now one of the most valuable and prized of our trip.

In that unexpected encounter, I absorbed a lesson in the most unlikely of places. We should never judge a man by his appearance. To the motorcyclist who may one day read this story and remember us: we wish to extend our deepest appreciation and a heartfelt “Thank you” for the kindness you showed us that day.

4 . Want to explore new cultures, meet new people and engage in meaningful pursuits? You can do all the three with Global Development Association (GDA). No matter what life stage you’re at, wherever you go, and whatever project you undertake with us, you’ll create positive changes in a poor and remote community.

We welcome volunteers from all walks of life and backgrounds. While the majority of our volunteers are between the ages of 17 and 24, we’re currently in need of volunteer managers aged 25to 75, who play a very important role in the safe and effective operation of our programs. Our positions include project managers, mountain leaders, and communication officers.

Your chosen role could vary from enhancing a community’s access to clean drinking water to preserving valuable local cultures. Or perhaps you might design adventure challenges to train our young volunteers.

Not only will you be aiding the personal growth of our young volunteers, but you’ll also be picking up new skills and expanding your cultural insights. You’ll likely meet individuals who could become lifelong friends.

This summer we have both 4-week and 7-week programmes:

GDA ensures that volunteers work with community members and local project partners where our help is needed. All our projects aim to promote the development of poor and remote communities.

There is no other chance like a GDA programme. Join us as a volunteer manager to develop your own skills while bringing benefits to the communities.

Find out more about joining a GDA programme:

Website: www.glodeve.org

Email: humanresources@glodeve.org

6 . A walking tour in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park covers about 41 square miles with dozens of mountain peaks. More than 250 species of birds will delight your senses and more than 900 types of wildflowers will keep you marveling(感到惊奇) at their beauty.

Your Colorado walking tour officially begins. To ensure that you arrive on time we strongly suggest that you arrive one day before the departure date.

Day 1 The trip begins at 1:00 p. m. Travel by bus to Rocky Mountain National Park. Check in our accommodations, enjoy a fresh lunch and head into the park for our first hike.

Day 2 During today’s hike we will cover 3. 8 miles. We’ll stop to enjoy both “The Pool” and Fern Falls on our way to Fern Lake. You’ll enjoy every minute of today’s hike and then spend a relaxing evening in the town of Estes Park.

Day 3 Glacier Gorge, the main section of the Park, has some of the most beautiful attractions in the Park. Today we’ll push our boots up the trail to Black Lake, about 4.7 miles. With views of Longs Peak, we’ll hike past a major waterfall and several smaller lakes before arriving at Black Lake.

Day 4 Today we’ll head to Wild Basin, southeast of the main park area, for a hike to Ouzel Lake. Wild Basin traverses(穿过) through Aspen forest past rushing streams, to a high mountain lake where we will enjoy a picnic lunch.

Day 5 The Flat Top Mountain area will delight your senses with thick forests and abundant wildflowers. Our feet will carry us for about 8. 8 miles.

Day 6 Catch the Estes Park Shuttle to Denver International Airport or continue on your own to other adventures!

9 . When I was a child, my mother didn’t force me to eat everything in my dish. She said I had to ____ every food three times. Her ____ was the first time to try it, the second time to get over the fact that you had just tried it, and the third to ____ that you don’t like it. After that, if I still ____ the taste, she would ____ make me eat it again. Her reasonable approach worked almost every time- except with bananas, which I still don’ t eat now. As I grew older, I brought that simple ____ into my life. I had been ____ the diving board at the pool, but I had ____ to make the first jump off the board. When I breathed in water, my mother jumped in to ____ me. Before she could even reach me, I was up and out of the pool, heading back to that diving board. I jumped off ____. More coughing followed, but I was determined to get over this fear. When I got out of the pool the second time, my mom tried to cover me with a towel. Instead, I threw off the towel and ____ trying. The third time there was no ____ and no water in my nose. In fact there were ____ from the others at the pool. At that point, I fell in love with the pool. In my mid-thirties, I left a successful job that didn’t satisfy me in order to achieve my dream of being a writer. Having been ____ twice, I tried for a third time. I have been happily living the life of a writer ever since. We are all afraid of something unknown. But how can we be sure that something won’t be ____ unless we give it a try?