For those looking to escape the concrete jungle, maybe it’s time to dive into the bamboo forests of southern Sichuan.

A natural forest that people in Sichuan province tend     1    (visit) is the Southern Sichuan Bamboo Sea in Yibin. The 120-square-kilometer Bamboo Sea is the     2     (large) bamboo park in China and its average temperature seldom drops below zero degrees Celsius in winter     3     many parts of the country are covered with snow and ice.

Known as one of the country’s 10 most beautiful forests, it     4    (be) a popular tourist attraction since the Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon     5    (shoot), there in 2001.

Two years later, the bamboo forest received world-wide     6    (recognize) as a bamboo reserve in December 2003,     7    (become) the fourth tourism destination in China to be granted Green Globe 21 certification.

The Bamboo Sea covers Changning and Jiang’an, two counties     8     the authority of Yibin. Amazed at its vast expanse, Huang Tingjian,     9     poet from the Song Dynasty, described it as “bamboo waves”. As Huang was an     10    (influence) man of letters, his description gave rise to the forest’s popular nickname—the Bamboo Sea.

About 5,000 years ago, to escape the cold weather, the ancestors of the Liangzhu people settled around the Taihu region     1     they built a city, making     2     both the center of their culture and spiritual belief.

The Liangzhu ancient city was composed of the palace zone, the inner city and the outer city, and there     3     (exist) the City Wall serving as a boundary between the inner and the outer. It had nine gates, with one for pedestrians and the     4     (remain) eight water gates for travelers from the canal.

A complex multi-functional water management system was constructed on the northwest outskirts of the ancient city. Taking advantage of the natural terrain (地势), the system connected numerous valleys,     5     (adjust) river levels, dredging floods and providing security for the ancient city, its water transportation and daily water needs.

Jade (玉)     6     (refer) to as a significant material embodiment (具体化) of the Liangzhu Culture. There were different patterns and styles of jade, with abundant meanings     7     (symbolic) attached to them, such as distinguishing identities and showing social statuses.

In 1936, the remains of the Liangzhu ancient City were found     8     chance and the City was gradually brought to light. Now the unearthed ruins have gained the global     9     (recognize) and workers on the Liangzhu site are committed to combining modern technology with novel cultural creativity     10     (reconstruct) the ancient Liangzhu Culture.

5 . Four of the Washington Monuments in the U.S.

Baltimore, Maryland

This monument was designed in 1815 by American architect Robert Mills, who would later go on to design Washington, D.C.’s monument. Construction began diat same year and was completed by 1829. The monument, an extremely large landmark column, stands 178 feet and 8inches high with 227 steps inside that lead to the structure’s balcony. Climb to the top and you’ll get an impressive view of Charm City.

New York, New York

A monument to George Washington can be found in New York City’s Union Square Park.That sculpture, which shows a seated Washington with his right arm outraised, is the oldest sculpture in the collection of New York City parks. Moneyed citizens of New York started trying to get a sculpture to the first president built in 1851, commissioning (委托) sculptor Henry Kirke Brown, who also did a sculpture of Abraham Lincoln for Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The statue was set up in the park in 1856.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia’s Washington Monument, which shows Washington on a horse at the top of a sculpted fountain, was completed in 1897. The monument reflects how local people wanted Washington’s legacy to be understood at the time: On the top level sits Washington riding a horse,while the next level includes figures during his time, including a Native American man.The bottom level shows plants and animals from the country that Washington helped create.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This monument, built in 1885, stands near Marquette University. It features a standing Washington, aged 43, dressed as a Continental Army officer holding a sword. Like Philadelphia’s monument, the figures below Washington are symbolic. In this case, a woman and a child look up at him, symbolizing “history or education”.

A vast region with beautiful scenery, lush plants, a lot of rivers and lakes dotted around, Hulun Buir Grassland is like a huge, green picture scroll,     1     gives you boundless views. The name Hulun Buir, which means “the land of lakes and rivers”,     2     (date) back to a legend long long ago. It is the best-preserved grassland in China     3     recognized as “The Grass Kingdom”.

With the most plentiful and excellent pastures in China, Hulun Buir Grassland also has the name The Purest Grassland     4     there is hardly any pollution there. Its animal products, like meat, milk, leather, and wool     5     (favor) by people both at home and abroad. It’s a famous tourist destination now.

With the irrigation of thousands of rivers, the grassland presents     6     (it) as a green carpet underneath the blue sky and white clouds. You can ride on camels and horses, watch wrestling and horse racing, and enjoy a bonfire party—the unique lifestyle of nomads can be     7     (full) appreciated.

The region’s location makes it warm and pleasant in the summer, while cold and     8     (snow)in the winter. During the summer, the meadows are covered with     9     blanket of multicolored wildflowers. Even in ancient times, the beautiful scenery of this place gained     10     (popular)with poets and writers and was described in their literary works.

8 . The world’s longest cave system is an enormous network of 420 miles of twists and turns, with limestone (石灰岩) falling from the ceilings in drops.

Mammoth Cave National Park preserves this unique and historical natural wonder. As large as the limestone cave system is, park officials, estimate there may be another 600 miles of cave passageways that have yet to be explored. The incredible rock formations have resulted in the park being recognized as a World Heritage Site, thanks to its extraordinary size and scientific importance –– making it one of only 13 natural US sites with that title.

The caves were created naturally by the process of limestone wearing away. Rain and rivers slowly break down and shape soft limestone, which creates the vast underground network. Not only are they an amazing destination to visit, but the system also provides drinking water for roughly 40% of the US population, and they’re of historical significance too.

The caves act as a time capsule that preserves over 5,000 years of human history — and the caves’ first explorers were Native Americans, who mined the upper levels of Mammoth Cave. Thanks to the cave system’s atmosphere and natural protection from any kind of human disturbance, the archaeological (考古的) sites have been left in great shape.

Mammoth Cave was established as a national park thanks to strong local support. Back in the 1920s, Secretary of the Interior Hubert Work created the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission in 1925 to survey proposed park sites, including the caves. After years of work acquiring the land for the park, as well as building roads, trails (小径), and public facilities, Mammoth Cave National Park was established on July 1, 1941. The park now receives around 2 million visitors a year, with roughly a quarter taking a tour of the caves –– everything from a cultural tour to the more adventurous climbing tours on offer. The cave supports more than 130 wildlife species, such as the eyeless cavefish, which has adapted to the lightless environment by no longer growing eyes, and the cave crayfish.

The city of Zibo has never seen so many visitors.

As the sun begins to set, the aroma of sizzling meat falls the air and draws in more     1     (hunger) customers. On each street, queues stretch outside restaurants for more than a hundred meters. Some restaurants even run out of key ingredients as early as 7p.m.     2     the night. All hotels are also operating at full capacity.

The city was barely known by outsiders     3     it went viral on Chinese social media platforms recently. Most visitors are young people, who share their experience of traveling to Zibo to experience the city’s barbecue culture on social platforms,     4     (attract) even more visitors.

Zibo- style barbecue’s classic three-piece set contains roast lamb, green onions, and nan bread, which,     5     (combine), make a mouth-watering combo (组合). The fame of Zibo barbecue used to be limited to just Shandong Province.     6     (previous), barbecue in Northeast China was much more popular across the country.

Behind Zibo’s sudden fame     7     (be) the efforts and services of the local government, as well as a good reputation of local businesses,     8     receive favorable reviews from visitors who share their experiences online.

To promote Zibo-style barbecue, Zibo has launched two dozen “special barbecue trains,” where local tourism officials would serve tourists     9     (they). At the city’s train station, shuttle buses transport tourists to various barbecue stalls directly. Netizens joke that the high-speed trains     10     (pack) with visiting tourists and that the air onboard is filled with cumin.

10 . Longing for the most amazing places on the planet? You can do no wrong with these lakes across the globe.

Five Flower Lake

Set in the striking karst landscape of the Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan province, China, Five Flower Lake is extraordinarily clear, with visibility to a depth of 40 metres. Five Flower is one of a series of blue-, green-and sky-colored lakes blocked by rock falls, but it differs from the others as its waters change color, looking sometimes yellow, sometimes green, but usually diamond blue. In winter, Five Flower never freezes; in summer, it never dries up. Local wildlife living in the surrounding mountain forests include the rare giant panda and the golden snub-nose monkey.

Crater Lake

The deep-blue waters of Crater Lake in Oregon, US, fill the outlet of an ancient volcano that collapsed 7,700 years ago. Its strangest occupant is the “Old Man of the Lake”, a nine-metre-tall tree stump(树桩), which has stood upright in the water for more than a century. No rivers or streams enter the lake. Water loss in summer is compensated by winter snow and rain, the entire body of water being replaced every 250 years.

Lake Ohrid

Ancient Lake Ohrid has been around for about five million years and crosses the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania. It has unique plants and wildlife, including the Ohrid “plashica”, a fish native to the lake, whose scales(鳞片) are used to make Ohrid pearls.

Lake Maggiore

Surrounded on three sides by the Lipontine Alps and touching the plain of Lombardy to the south, Lake Maggiore is Italy’s longest lake. Considered part of the country’s lake district, it is shared with Switzerland. Characterized by a Mediterranean-style climate, temperatures here are mild all year. This has given rise to some of northern Italy’s most wonderful gardens, which appear to float like flower-decked boats on the water.