Filled with     1     (curious), the artist packed his bags and left. When he asked the villagers on the banks of the river where he could find the legendary artist, they smiled and pointed down the river. The next morning he hired a boat and set out     2     (find) the well-known painter. As the small boat moved gently along the river he was left speechless by the mountains being silently reflected in the water. He passed milky white waterfalls and mountains in many shades of blue. And when he saw the mists rising from the river and the soft clouds     3     (surround) the mountain tops, he was reduced to tears. The artist was finally humbled by the greatest artist on earth, Mother Nature.

3 . Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museums, cycling culture and so on. It is the capital city of the Netherlands and often referred to as the “Venice of the North” because of its expansive system of bridges and canals. Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.

Must-See Attractions

Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre, which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers, and coffee shops. You’ll also want to check out Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter in the South District, which is great for shopping at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark. The top museums to visit there are the Rijksmusuem, the Ann Frank House, and the Van Gogh Museum.

If You Have Time

There are several other unique districts in Amsterdam, and you should try to explore as many of them as time allows. The Canal Ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was originally built to attract wealthy home owners and is a center for celebrity spotting and nightlife today. The Plantage area has most of the city’s museums and the botanical gardens.

Money Saving Tips

●Unless you really want to see the tulips(郁金香) blooming, avoid booking between mid-March and mid-May. This is when hotel and flight prices rise.

●Look for accommodations in Amsterdam’s South District, where rates are generally cheaper than in the city center.

●Buy train tickets at the machine instead of the counter to save a bit of money.

●Instead of hiring a tour guide, hop on a canal boat. They’re inexpensive and will give you a unique point of view of the city.

Check out our homepage to view price comparisons for flights, hotels, and rental cars before you book.

6 . By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.

At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms(海洋微生物) called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean’s appearance.

Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.

Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT’s Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model that projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 3℃, it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener. “Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing. ” she said, “but the type of phytoplankton is changing.”

And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean, Dutkiewicz said, “it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive.” Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.

Whatever colour changes the ocean experiences in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. “It’ll be a while before we can statistically show that the changes are happening because of climate change,” Dutkiewicz said, “but the change in the colour of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have changed our planet.”

7 . Golden Gate Park is in San Francisco, California. It is one of the largest urban     1     (park) in the United States. Over one million colorful flowers, trees and other plants grow in the park. But originally most of the park     2     (cover) in sand. After a lot of work, it was finally built in 1870. Today, there are many people     3     (visit) the park every day. They play basketball, soccer, golf and many other sports there. The park is closed in many places to traffic so people can walk, cycle, or skate     4     (free).

8 . Hangzhou is one of China’s most popular cities. It is full of cultural heritage(遗产) and famous     1       its natural scenery. Italian traveller Marco Polo described Hangzhou as the       2       (fine) and most splendid city in the world. The beauty of West Lake has inspired countless poets and painters, and you can’t leave without       3     (try) the Longjing Shrimp, one of Hangzhou’s signature dishes. The dynamic city is home to many of China’s tech companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Located in Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park Peyto Lake is one of the most wonderful lakes in the world. What makes it truly beautiful is its unique greenish-blue color, and placement in the Canadian Rockies. Named after trail guide Bill Peyto, this lake is located at a height of 1,860m.

Entry Details: $9.80 adult, $8.30 senior, $4.90 youth, and $19.60 family

Best Time to Visit: July, August, and September

Located in the Patagonian province in Argentina, the lake is truly beautiful. Surrounded by glaciers and snow-covered mountains, the lake presents visual delights like none other. With a maximum depth of 500 meters, it’s the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina. The lake is famous for fishing.

Entry Details: $15~$20, changes as per season, but entry for tourists above 70 years of age is always free.

Best Time to Visit: December to March, and late November

Being the world’s oldest and deepest lake, Baikal is about 395 meters long, 49 meters wide and 1,637 meters deep. It holds more water than the Five Great Lakes of America combined, and is thus the largest freshwater lake globally. Located in the south Russian region of Siberia, a trip to view this lake is a trip of a lifetime!

Entry Details: No Entrance fee here

Best Time to Visit: March to April

Considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe, Lake Como has attracted tourists since Roman times. Located in Lombardy, Como is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. Surrounded by villas and palaces, this lake has attracted some of the wealthiest. Today, many celebrities(名人) have houses here. Here you can enjoy water sports, take a flight over the lake, or try skiing during the winters-every tourist has something he’s going to like!

Entry Details: Free

Best Time to Visit: July and September