1 . My husband and I just spent a week in Paris.    1    So the first thing we did was rent a fantastically expensive sixth-floor apartment the size of a cupboard. It was so tiny that we had to leave our suitcases in the hallway.

The place wasn’t entirely authentic, though. Unlike a normal Parisian apartment, the plumbing (水管) worked.     2    Our building even had a tiny lift with a female voice that said, “Ouverture des portes,” in perfect French. That is the only French phrase I mastered, and it’s a shame I don’t have much use for it.

Parisians are different from you and me. They never look lazy or untidy. As someone noted in this paper a couple of weeks ago, they eat great food and never gain weight.     3     French strawberries do not taste like cardboard. Instead, they explode in your mouth like little flavor bombs.

    4     On our first morning in Paris, I went around the corner to the food market to pick up some groceries. I bought a handful of perfectly ripe small strawberries and a little sweet melon. My husband and I agreed they were the best fruit we had ever eaten. But they cost $18!

In France, quality of life is much more important than efficiency.

You can tell this by cafés life. French cafés are always crowded.    5    When do these people work? The French take their 35-hour workweek seriously — so seriously that some labor unions recently struck a deal with a group of companies limiting the number of hours that independent contractors can be on call.

Ecotourism is commonly regarded as low impact (影响) travel to undisturbed places. It is different from traditional tourism because it allows the traveler to become     1     (educate) about the areas - both in terms of geographical conditions and cultural characteristics, and often provides money for conservation and benefits the     2    (develop) of the local areas.

Ecotourism has     3    (it) origin with the environmental movement of the 1970s. It was not widely accepted as a travel concept     4     the late 1980s. During that time, increasing environmental awareness made it desirable.

Due to     5     growing popularity of environmentally-related and adventure travel, various types     6     trips are now being classified as ecotourism. Actually, a true eco-friendly trip must meet the following principles:

·Minimize the impact of     7    (visit) the place.

·Build respect for and awareness of the environment and cultural practices.

·Provide     8    (finance) aid and other benefits for local peoples.

·Make sure that the tourism provides experiences for both the visitors and the hosts.

Komodo National Park, officially recognized in 1980, is popular for ecotourism because of its unique biodiversity.    9    (activity) there range from whale watching to hiking (远足) and accommodations aim     10    (have) a low impact on the natural environment.

The recent opening of a new exhibition building at the Sanxingdui Museum, in Guanghan, in Sichuan province, made the place     1     instant tourist hot spot. The bronze heads, golden masks, holy trees and various statues reveal the    2     (mystery) faces of a culture dating back more than 3,000 years.

For those who cannot make it to Guanghan,     3     the extensive site of Sanxingdui is located, an immersive exhibition     4    (equip) with digital technology, titled Hello Sanxingdui,     5     (offer) an alternative means to be awed by the magnificence of this Bronze Age culture. It is running at the Longfu Art Museum in Beijing until Feb 29.

It provides a time-travel experience for both an educational and artistic appeal. The journey begins     6     a brief timeline of texts, photos and videos, showing how Sanxingdui was first discovered in the 1920s, when objects were found by farmers digging an irrigation ditch (灌溉沟渠); and it highlights the important moments in the past century’s continued archaeological efforts, to reveal the myths surrounding Sanxingdui and the secrets yet     7     (uncover).

On show     8     life-size reproductions of dozens of astonishing artifacts, supervised by Sanxingdui Museum, such as 2.6-meter bronze statues, 3.8-meter-wide bronze masks and “the holy tree” standing nearly 4 meters.

Images of these objects found at Sanxingdui and their     9     (pattern) have been digitalized, animated and projected on screens, leading the audience into the ancient kingdom of Shu, a     10     (civilize) that thrived for centuries in the southwest during the Zhou Dynasty, and disappeared suddenly, leaving many myths and legends.

Mount Emei,    1    (locate) in the southwest of Sichuan Province, is an ancient and famous attraction in China.

Three million years ago, the main part of Mount Emei    2    (rise) sharply along a fault line here. Due to a complex combination of erosion (侵蚀) and weathering，a massive    3     (high) difference of over 2,600 meters was formed between today’s mountain top and the Emei Plain. The Summit of Ten Thousand Buddhas,    4    an altitude of 3,099 meters, is the highest peak of Mount Emei. In a commanding position, The Golden Summit with the biggest concentration of temples and scenic spots on Mount Emei    5    (call) the largest and highest place of worship of Chinese Buddhism in the world.

The Buddha statue of Samantabhadra,    6    (measure) 48 meters high, is the highest golden Buddha in the world. The ten heads of the Buddha statue are divided into three layers, each with different expressions,    7    represent the ten mentalities of ordinary people. The Golden Summit is also the most suitable place    8    (appreciate) the impressive Mount Emei “Sea of Clouds.”

    9    (incredible), the 72 peaks of Mount Emei are mostly over 2,000 meters above sea level. The scenery features high peaks a love the clouds and white mist. Formed by ever-changing mist and fog, they present    10    unique full view. Now Mount Emei has become a famous scenic spot in the world.

Stamp collecting has recently emerged as a fresh and innovative approach for young people to document their travels. Instead of     1     (mere) taking photos with famous landmarks,     2     (enthusiast) of this new trend eagerly explore every corner of various attractions, museums, and shops during their journeys in search     3     various stamps. They imprint the stamps, usually with single or multicolored pictures of the scenic spots or images of famous people on postcards or in travel journals, thus     4     (create) a unique memory of their travels. Free or paid, each stamp serves as a representation of the visitor’s     5     (present) at that specific location, becoming a     6     (cherish) part of their memories.

Shi Junchu, 29, from Yunnan province, came across stamp collecting three years ago while traveling in Wuhan, Hubei province. She found it to be a better way of commemorating her travels    7     purchasing souvenirs (纪念品), so she carries a specially prepared notebook for collecting stamps whenever she travels.

“Stamp collecting has added more meaning to my travels. Turning the pages of those notebooks     8     (feel) somewhat like looking at photos. I can recall     9     happened back then just by turning to a page the delicious food I had, and the fun experiences I enjoyed, she said.

She currently operates a private museum in Kunming. Since last October, she has also introduced stamp-collecting services     10    (encourage) more visitors to explore the museum.

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to have a treehouse as a child? Well, we’ve got a list of the best treehouse staycation spots to visit this summer.

First things first, this treehouse is exactly what its name suggests, a flower-friendly outdoor paradise. For $250 a night, this rental comes with a seasonally available garden tour for you and up to three more guests — all over the age of 21, of course.

This staycation spot in the South is a great way to be immersed in nature while enjoying the comfort of a cozy home. It’s only two acres of land and nearly 20 minutes away from a nearby city Tyron, North Carolina and 10 minutes away from Downtown Landrum. It holds up to 4 guests and will cost you around $265 a night before taxes.

This neat getaway houses two guests and is located near a quiet area in central Vermont, in the wilderness of the Green Mountain National Forest in three trees above high ground. And during your stay, you can arrange on in-house massage (按摩) therapist, so you’ll likely never want to return home. A night at the Sugar Maple for you and a guest sits at about $159.

This next one is a bit of a luxury stay. At $800 a night for you and 5 others, the “Peaceful Treehouse With Ocean View” is bound lo lake your breath away. This house in the trees is full of floor-to-ceiling windows and slide doors inspired by Japanese screens.

10 . Traveling itself is an experience hard to be described in words.     1     Especially the solo (独自) traveling experience is so transforming that it lives with you forever. Here I am sharing some lessons.

    2     Thinking how I would manage my entire day among strangers on campus, I pretended to be sick. Then I had the same feeling when I was planning to travel alone. Exploring a city on my own was a big fear for me but I successfully managed it all and now, I seek out new opportunities and experiences. I love to push myself.    3    

Having grown up and lived all my life in a single place, I had a small set of friends since my school days which continued till my college days.    4     I met a few very interesting people with whom I could feel an instant connect and got some new friends for life.

I totally agree that traveling with family and friends is fun and enjoying. But traveling alone is satisfying too. It’s among those few things that you do for yourself and nobody else.    5     During my solo travels I have explored my inner self and have expanded my boundaries which people around me have acknowledged at times.