1 . Mexico is a great destination that attracts many tourists by its breathtaking landscapes (风景) and architecture of the ancient Mayan civilization. Here let’s take a look at the most beautiful beaches in Mexico.

Tulum Beach

In the south of the Riviera Maya, Tulum Beach is not only an amazing place for those who love the sea and sunshine, but also a great place for visitors who are crazy about understanding the ancient culture of mankind. Around the coast, there are many modern hotels to serve every of your needs.

Playa Norte

Playa Norte has a very clean blue water, so many tourists appreciate it. What makes Playa Norte so unique is the good combination of daytime relaxation and exciting nightlife. If you have the opportunity to set foot on this beautiful beach, you must watch the whole sunset on the sea. That scene is really romantic.

Cancun Beach

Near a busy city, the beach here impresses people by its wilderness. With deep blue water, fine white sand and a warm and mild climate all year round, Cancun Beach is known as a tourist paradise (天堂) in Mexico. In addition to sunbathing here, visitors also have the opportunity to play with lovely dolphins.

Akumal Beach

Akumal is known to be the great diving spot in Mexico. This Beach is home to many rare sea turtles as well as tropical marine (海洋的) species. Akumal beach is calm, so it is quite safe, suitable for relaxing activities. When diving at Akumal, visitors often swim with lovely sea turtles. So, spend a relaxing day on the beautiful beach and then go to a nearby restaurant to enjoy fresh seafood.

3 . Four best beaches in Zanzibar

Nungwi Beach

This beach is located in the north of the island and is famous for its amazing sunsets and lively atmosphere. You will love the soft white sand and the crystal (水晶般的) clear water. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Zanzibar. But, be careful with the tides, because they can rise very fast and catch you.

Paje Beach

Situated in the east of the island, Paje Beach is characterized by strong tides. Here you will find a relaxed atmosphere and a dream beach with crystal clear waters and silky soft sand. On top of that, you can practice water sports such as kitesurfing, because this beach is known as one of the best in the world for this activity. In addition, if you like the nightlife, here you will find a lot of bars and nightclubs to spend a fun night.

Jambiani Beach

Jambiani beach is one of the most remote beaches of Zanzibar and that is why it is one of our favorites. It has a length of 7 km and is located southeast of the island. It has hardly any rocks and the sand is very fine. It is a very quiet and uncrowded beach.

Matemwe Beach

Located on the east coast of Zanzibar, this beach is one of the longest on the island. During low tide, the water goes down 2 kilometers, and the locals take advantage of it to collect sea animals.

The beach is beautiful but yes, in this particular one, it is essential to enter the water with great care and even appropriate footwear, as there are a lot of sea urchins (海胆).

In ancient times, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, in Eastern China was called Jing kou.    1     (locate) at the golden cross of the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, it is a place of     2     (strategy) importance.

The upper reaches of the Yangtze River deposit a lot of silt (淤泥) here,     3    has gradually built up into a small island in the river.

There are three beautiful mountains here—Jinshan Mountain, Beigu Mountain and Jiaoshan Mountain, which are     4     (close) connected with the Yangtze River and are called the Three Mountains of Jingkou.

Jinshan mountain is only 42 meters above sealevel.    5    Jinshan mountain is said to be on the Yangtze River, because the rivers course has moved to the north, JinShan is now some distance away from the Yangtze.

Beigu Mountain, 10 meters     6     (high) than Jinshan Mountain, is just beside the Yangtze River. From here, Jinshan Mountain can     7     (see) in the west and Jiaoshan Mountain in the east. Around the foot of the mountain     8     (flow) the mighty river.

Jiaoshan, the highest of the three,     9    an altitude of 70.7 meters and an area of 38 hectares, is located in the Yangtze River, surrounded by water. Encircled by the green waves, the green mountain looks like a piece of jade     10     (float) on the river.

5 . As one of the city’s most popular free outdoor events, the Cape Town Carnival is a multicultural celebration which focuses on social inclusion and bridging the divide between the diverse communities of the Western Cape and specifically Cape Town. It’s a celebration of the many diverse cultures which makes Cape Town stand out from the most world-famous cities. The carnival is considered a community participation event by the Western Cape Government and draws bigger crowds each year.

The event serves a platform for local performance groups, designers, musicians and artists to showcase their talents to the world. Every year, it may create over 1, 000 part-time jobs. The long-term vision, however, is to create more programmes focusing on skills development, thus permanently employing people. Since 2010 when the carnival was held on Long Street, it has become the festival of the year, and has grown from 17, 000 spectators to as many as 55, 000. This year, the carnival will be held on the Fan Walk in Green Point.

And its theme is Mother City, Mother Nature, exploring two of Cape Town’s greatest assets, its natural beauty and its people. The festival will showcase what makes the Mother City one of the most unique cities in the world. Over 2, 000 shining costumed performers and musicians will take to Cape Town’s Fan Walk, entertaining viewers with floats (花车) and dynamic dance routines. The parade (游行) will be followed by a grand street party, showcasing some of South Africa’s hottest musical talent.

Fans and tourists are encouraged to join in the street festivities anytime from 16: 00, when it will turn into a pedestrian walkway with 2km of food stands and festive hospitality (好客) areas. Later in the evening Cape Town will up the pace with the most appealing and festive open air party, the Cape Town Carnival Street Party! This Culture Comer: A Glimpse of Cape Town, was contributed by Marilyn Steward. I’m Rich Claymount. Stay tuned and see you next time.

6 . Holidays in the Italian Lakes allow you to relax and forget about the worries of every day.

Lake Garda

The largest lake in Italy, Lake Garda, is our favourite family-friendly destination. It offers a variety of enjoyable activities both on and off its shores, which can enhance the relationships between parents and their kids and are therefore deeply loved by almost every child. The impressive Dolomite Mountains surround LakeGarda, and the northern shore enjoys a mild breeze making it perfect for water activities like sailing and windsurfing. Various architectural wonders, such as the natural history museum and ancient castles are just waiting to be explored.

Lake Como

From Leonardo da Vinci to Mark Twain, this wonderful lake has been an ideal place to produce poetic and artistic masterpieces for years. Today, Lake Como is a destination for celebrities, presenting a charming and luxurious image. You will discover even more adventure the further north you go. With the complete ferry(渡船) network, it is so easy to travel around the lakeside towns.

Lake Maggiore

In the southern Alps, near to the border with Switzerland, Lake Maggiore enjoys a cool Mediterranean climate. Rich in historical and cultural treasures, the lake has a romantic air and charming appeal. Lake Maggiore is in the perfect position for a day trip to the city of Milan or to the picturesque Lake Orta.

Lake Iseo

Even though Lake Iseo is just a short drive from Lake Garda, it feels like a faraway land in a fairy tale. It is much quieter and gentler, and more relaxed than the bigger lakes with less tourists and is somewhat still unspoilt, retaining much of its natural beauty. This lake is great for walking, cycling and hiking with many trails around the edge.

8 . Whether you like history or simply learning something new, these four museums are worth paying a visit to.

Located in New York, the Tenement Museum showcases the stories of the immigrants and migrants (移民) who came to America between the 1860s and the 1980s. See how they pursued the “American dream.” Their determination and endless desire to carve out a better life not only reflects the depths of the human spirit, but also how America came to be the country it is today.

Located in Washington, D.C., the National Museum of the American Indian contains one of the world’s largest collections of native artifacts (手工艺品), photographs and documents. Featuring both ongoing and temporary exhibits, the museum documents many ways American Indians integrated into American history and culture.

The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson features eight galleries filled with interactive exhibits that tell the stories of black Mississippians and their fight for equality from 1945 to 1976. You’ll hear the stories of Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Vernon Dahmer, and you’ll also hear about many men, women and children who fought to be recognized as equals. Artifacts include a “colored” entrance sign, the gun used to shoot Evers, a burned cross, and a button from the 1966 March Against Fear.

In New Orleans’ No. 1 attraction, the National WWII Museum, visitors can see why World War II was fought, explore key moments such as D-Day and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and put themselves in the shoes of those who had to make difficult decisions during the war. You even can take a 4D journey through the war in “Beyond All Boundaries.”

Built around 605 in China’s Sui Dynasty (581-618), Zhaozhou Bridge is the oldest     1     (exist) bridge in China. It stretches across the Xiao River, 2500 meters from the southern gate of Zhao County (县), Hebei province. Li Chun, a Sui Dynasty architect, presided (主持) over its     2     (construct).

In the Sui Dynasty, Zhaozhou Bridge connected north and south as     3     major transportation centre. With the Xiao River     4     (break) the south-north traffic, building a bridge was     5     (bad) needed. Given that the river dried up in spring and winter     6     flooded in summer and autumn, the bridge had to be designed to withstand severe hydrologic (水文的) conditions.

The Zhaozhou Bridge bears two pairs of small arches (拱门) at each side of the central arch. All of the arches are circular and built of stone.     7     (compare) with a filled spandrel (拱肩) arch, this single-span open-spandrel arch minimized water blockage and increased the flow area by 16.5%, especially when the Xiao River was flooded. Besides, as the bridge was single span, the weight of the whole bridge and its traffic load     8     (shoulder) by two arch feet, causing great pressure on the abutments (桥墩)     9     help to transfer the load on the large arches by more than 500 tons and save more than 200 cubic meters of stone. Zhaozhou Bridge is the world’s earliest open-spandrel arched bridge, 700 years earlier     10     its European counterparts.