Shennongjia is one of the most popular scenic spots in China. It is said to be the place     1     the Emperor Yan once lived. Some visitors hope that they may even encounter the legendary “wild man”. They do not actually see any wild man,       2     they’re attracted by Shennongjia’s natural wonders and rich biodiversity. Shennongjia’s beauty     3     (vary) over the year as nature takes     4     (it) course. Tourists can enjoy flower blossoms in spring, be shaded from the summer heat, appreciate red leaves in   autumn and go skiing in winter.

Official data showed that tourist     5     (visit) to Shennongjia Forestry District reached more than 15.5 million last year. And the forest area aims     6     (increase) that annual figure to over 30 million in the near future. The journey to Shennongjia will take up to five hours from nearby Yichang and Shiyan cities. By July, it’s estimated that Shennongjia will be linked to a newly built high- speed railway,     7     (make) the mountainous region more     8     (access).

    9     Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, tourists can buy a discounted ticket of the six major scenic areas in Shennongjia for 99 yuan, about 40 percent of     10     original price.

2 . Xi'an enjoys a reputations as a “Living History Museum” due to its rich, diverse collection of historical and cultural treasures. Apart from the Terracotta Warriors, there are also some other attractions in the city. Here are some of them.

Ancient City Wall

Xi'an City Wall was built in the 14th century in the Ming Dynasty as a military defense system. Now it is one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. The wall is now a landmark, dividing the city into inner and outer areas.

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda （塔）

Situated in an ancient temple, the pagoda built with layers of bricks was built in the Tang Dynasty. It is traditional Chinese architecture. One of the main functions of the pagoda was to store Buddhist scriptures（经文） and figurines brought to China from India by the famous monk and traveler Xuan Zang, who stayed here for 19 years translating Buddhist scriptures.

Shaanxi History Museum

The Shaanxi History Museum, built in 1991，is home to over 370,000 precious relics unearthed in Shaanxi over the years, The museum consists of three main sections. Its collections range from bronze ware（器血）to pottery ware, gold and silver ware and mural paintings from the Tang Dynasty tombs.

The Muslim Quarter

One of the highlights is its local snacks when you tour Xian. The best food destination is the Muslim Quarter，which has a history of several hundred years. Consisting of a number of food streets, the area has become a famous attraction in the city for its rich and authentic Muslim cultural atmosphere.

Think of travel in Greece, and your mind may wander to images of ferries cruising(巡航)across the Aegean Sea. Taking to the water is essential if you plan to travel between the Greek islands, but there     1     (be) plenty of other ways to enjoy Greece’s amazing landscapes, including planes, trains, buses     2     bicycles.

Cycling in Greece is growing in     3     (popular), best done in spring and fall rather than high summer. Strong leg muscles are     4     must to tackle the mountains, or you can stick to some of the     5     (flat) coast roads than the mountain roads. Some are bicycle-friendly, but others have such steep roads     6     cycling is not recommended.

Overall, cycling infrastructure around Greece leaves something to be desired. Bicycle lanes are rare to nonexistent, and there is a real danger from speeding cars —     7     (drive) by locals and tourists alike.

Bicycles may be carried for free on some ferries, while on others, there may be a fee, or they may not be allowed at all because of a lack of space on board.

You can rent bicycles in most tourist hangouts, but they are not as     8     (wide) available as cars and motorcycles. Prices range     9     €10 to €20 per day,     10     (depend) on the type of bicycle. Always make sure the rental cost includes the use of a helmet.

4 . I was 11 years old when my family went on a holiday to Beijing. That was my first trip to China. One morning, my brother became _______ and had to stay in the hotel to rest. As my mum had to be with him, she told me to _______ breakfast from the food store in front of the _______. She also told me that she would be right by the window, _______ me.

Had I been back home, it would have been a(n) _______ task. But my inexperience and the _______ to the environment turned it into a highly challenging experience I still remember _______. The food store had a lot of people coming and going. I had no _______ what to do. Overwhelmed (不知所措的) and on the point of crying, I suddenly _______ what my mum had told me. I stepped out of the shop and looked up. True to her __________, she was just by the fifth-floor window, giving me the thumbs-up (翘拇指). I was comforted.

Although she wasn't right by my side, I knew she was __________ giving me the confidence to complete the task. On the top of the __________ were all Chinese characters (汉字), with most characters unrecognizable to me. At that moment, I __________ my task. My mum had given me very simple instructions—buy several cakes—but among the __________, what she said was gone.

I realized that was the biggest challenge I faced. I had no idea how to __________, or to whom to give my orders. Fortunately, a lady saw me and communicated with me in fluent English. That made me remember what I wanted to buy.

6 . Travelling as a father and daughter is more than sightseeing — it’s about seeing the world from each other’s point of view.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

If you and your dad are the outdoorsy types, Colorado Springs is ideal for dusting off those hiking shoes and hitting some of the most beautiful part of the Front Range. Explore the iconic Garden of the Gods, where red sandstone is sharpened into striking towers. Head to the famous Pike’s Peak to test your courage and take in some of the best views in Colorado.

After the adventure, visit a pub to celebrate your successful trip as a perfect complement to a long day outdoors.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Whatever you fancy on a vacation, Las Vegas has it, making it a perfect destination for fathers and daughters looking for a place that will keep them busy until they board their flight home. Just visit the big-name casinos (赌场) like the Venetian and Caesar’s Palace, or pop into one of the many A-list shows for world-class entertainment options.

Museum-goers will be spoiled for choice, to dive into the history of organized crime at the Mob Museum, or walk among historic signs at the Neon Museum.

Austin, Texas

With arich culture, Austin is great for a barbecue-appreciating, eclectic-music-loving father-daughter duo (搭档). The “Live Music Capital of the World” has more than 250 music venues featuring everything from country and rock to electronica (电子乐). If you have wide-ranging music tastes, make your way to the Red River Cultural District, where institutions invite cutting-edge indie, rock, and hip-hop artists to the stage.

You’re bound to have an appetite after rocking out so hard, so get a protein boost there. Smoking beef, tasty sausages and snacks are anything but ordinary.

7 . Architects often spend months or even years perfecting a design to express their ideas more clearly, convey additional information, or outline the right proportions for a building. However, the urgent issue of climate change is placing new demands on their work. For example, in July, Super Typhoon Doksuri battered China, affecting more than 2.66 million people in Fujian Province alone.

Green architecture that conserves energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions offers a solution, and concerted efforts have been made in diverse research fields over the past three decades to minimize heat loss. In addition, new buildings have to be tailored to the needs of people’s lifestyles.

Ren Jun, a professor at Tianjin University’s School of Architecture, who designed the first near-zero energy house in China in December 2019, said, “You can construct low-energy, environmentally-friendly houses, but if the interior design and environmental quality don’t meet residents’ requirements, these properties won’t be suitable to live in.”

The near-zero energy house, located-in Banbidian village in Beijing’s southern district of Daxing, won the International Design Award in the United States in January last year. The 400-square-meter property, which stands at the entrance to the village, runs on solar power gathered from rooftop panels, with the addition of a small amount of power from the grid (电网).

Ren said the first obstacle to conserving energy in the property was heat retention, which he attempted to achieve by keeping the indoor temperature at a certain level. The property is divided into five areas: a solar garden in the front yard, a central lounge, a water courtyard, a sponge zone, and a back room. For the exterior walls, Ren used three types of insulation (隔热层), including plastic foam, each about 25 centimeters thick.

Ren also looked for ways to deal with emissions at the house. He decided to install a ventilator, which pipes air that is polluted and replaces it with fresh air from outside in every room at the property.

Ren said it would take three to five years before more ultralow or near-zero energy buildings appeared in Chinese cities.

Situated on the border between Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, the four-lane Beipanjiang Bridge has     1     total length of 1,341.4 meters. Soaring (耸立) 565 meters     2     the Beipan River – equivalent to a 200-story skyscraper – it’s the world’s highest completed bridge.

The Beipanjiang Bridge is located at the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Karst landforms (喀斯特地貌) are     3     (type) in this area as the dissolving of rocks creates unique features such as     4     (hide) caves and cracks.

Initially, the plan was     5     (build) a suspension bridge. However, the design team found     6     impossible due to the mountains’ loose structure. The team then decided to build two towers at both     7     (end) of the bridge and connect the towers and the main bridge with a number of cables. When vehicles pass, the weight will be transmitted to the towers through the cables and move pressure towards the towers.     8     (simple) put, as the vehicle travels on the bridge, the towers will only become more and more stable.

Having opened in late 2016, the bridge significantly reduced travel time from one side of the river to the other. With the two sides better connected, local tourism has also been boosted. “I never     9     (imagine) that people from big cities would visit my village,” Ma Xuanjun, a villager told People’s Daily,     10     has been running a farm stay to cater to tourists coming to see the bridge.