4 . I have always loved the Arthurian legend (传奇), as there is something quite special about King Arthur, and of course Merlin, my favourite character from the stories.

Death of an Empire is the second volume in MK Hume’s “Merlin” series which details Merlin’s life from birth. Merlin travels across the Roman Empire in search of his father, a voyage of discovery to understand just who he was. Eventually Merlin gets involved in the fight against the Hun’s invasion (入侵) of Europe at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plain.

Serving under the General Flavius Aetius, Merlin builds a reputation by saving the lives of thousands of soldiers. When he finally reaches Rome, he saves many more. But a far deadlier conflict between Emperor Valentinian and Senator Petronius Maximus is around the corner and Merlin must use all his strength to carry out his work.

If I had to choose just one word to describe this novel, there would be no other choice than “immersive (身临其境的)”. There has clearly been a serious amount of research carried out by the author. Combined with the descriptive prose and imaginative story, the book really does attract you from almost the very start. The story really does feel like you are a part of it as Merlin travels across the Roman Empire.

The author does a great job of mixing the rich history with established Arthurian legend. The battle scene is handled very effectively. The author employs a very effective form to show the main fight and this not only adds a degree of tension and a good level of excitement but almost makes you feel like you are right there hearing about what happened.

Death of an Empire is a very fine novel, a wonderfully rich tale and a rewarding story.

5 . Exploring Wildlife Conservation in Kenya

Day 1: Nairobi, Kenya

Arrive at the airport in Nairobi, where our staff will be on hand to drive you to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Accommodation: Tamarind Tree Hotel

Day 2: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

A charter flight (包机) brings us to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a 62,000-acre grassland on the north of Mount Kenya. Considered a model in the conservation field, this healthy wildlife habitat is home to a number of rare species, including the giraffe, the Grevy’s zebra, and African wild dogs. Lewa and the neighboring Borana Conservancy also harbor roughly 15 percent of Kenya’s entire rhino population.

Accommodation: Elewana Lewa Safari Camp

Day 3: Amboseli National Park

Fly by private charter to Amboseli National Park, where vast grasslands are irrigated by underground runoff streams from Mount Kilimanjaro. These landscapes provide a habitat for hundreds of elephants, making the park one of the best places in Africa to spot these large creatures. The travel begins on the drive to Tortilis Camp, set within view of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Accommodation: Tortilis Camp

Day 4: Masai Mara National Reserve

At first light, head out to track the animals that crossed the area during the night. This area has one of the highest concentrations of large predators (捕食性动物) in all of Africa. Then watch large groups of hippos in the Mara River and crocodiles sunbathing on the shore.

Accommodation: Kichwa Tembo Camp

7 . Sam is not happy today. He doesn’t do well in his English test this time. Now he is sitting alone in his room.

Seeing this, his grandmother comes and talks to him to make him feel good. She sits down next to Sam and gives him a pencil. Sam looks at his grandmother and doesn’t take it. “Things like this are only for students who do well. I don’t do well!” Sam says.

Sam’s grandmother says, “It’s not a present for you. I want you to learn something from it. The pencil is just like you. It gets a painful sharpening(痛苦的削磨), just like how you get the pain of not doing well in your test.”

“But it will help you be a good student. See, all the good things coming from the pencil are from itself. And you too will find something good in yourself. Finally just as the pencil will make its mark (痕迹) on the paper, you will also leave your mark on anything you choose to do. Just ‘sharpen’ yourself and do well next time!”

Sam feels good right away. He plans to make a change as his grandmother says.

9 . It was a cold, sunny December day when I set out for a run in Moab, Utah, with my dog, Taz.

About an hour into my ________ along a remote canyon (峡谷) trail, I hit a patch of black ice (透明薄冰) and then ________ 60 feet into the canyon. I wasn’t paralyzed, but I was in great ________. Taz had managed to ________ his way back to me, so there must be a way out of the canyon, but I couldn’t ________ or even crawl.

I shouted for help and was intent on ________ myself to the bottom of the canyon. Every inch was an effort. It ________ me five hours to go a quarter of a mile. ________, it got so dark that I had to stay where I was for the night, next to a puddle (水坑) of water. At night the temperature dropped below ________. Taz stayed with me, ________ some warmth.The next morning, I couldn’t move at all. I tried to stay ________. The second night in the canyon seemed even ________ and colder. The puddle turned to ice, and I had to ________ it to get water.

On the third day, I felt myself growing weaker. I was coming to terms with the fact that I might ________. In a last ________ , I called Taz over and told him to go and get help. Taz took off through the canyon and I lay there thinking about my family and friends. There was more that I wanted from life.

Taz returned, ________ . Then I heard an engine in the distance. I cried with joy. It ________ that Taz had found a search and ________ team. I was airlifted to the hospital, where doctors found I had lost almost half the ________ in my body. If the rescue team had arrived later, I wouldn’t have ________ it. I was grateful to my faithful friend -Taz.