The Jiangsu countryside is home to a lot of small beautiful water towns, many of which     1     (locate) along the Grand Canal. One of these towns is Tongli, which is easily     2     (access) to tourists from the nearby city of Suzhou.     3     (build) in the Song Dynasty, the town offers pleasant views and landscapes of traditional China, characterized by picturesque canals crossed by arch bridges and whitewashed houses that overlook the water.

Walking along the narrow alleys, you can admire     4     interesting number of well-preserved traditional houses, temples and gardens. The atmosphere is    5     (definite) peaceful compared to most popular sites that are ruined by mass tourism and commercialization. Yes, Tongli is home to a great many souvenir shops and local products, but what amazed me was     6     well the town is preserved despite being open to tourism: a good balance     7     commercial activities and local life. So in spite of its     8     (popular), Tongli maintains a quiet feeling, making it an ideal destination for visitors who seek peace and leisure.

I     9     (take) scores of pictures while I was touring Tongli, which I hope may inspire travelers to add this pretty water town to their trips. My impression of Tongli is so positive that I intend     10     (go) back with my family for their first visit to China.

3 . Sitting back in my seat, I can’t quite believe that I’m about to travel along the railway that many foreign experts claimed was “impossible”. The train has been racing along steadily since it left Xining. All this time, the song “Sky Railway” has been_________inside my head. The words “railways like massive dragons are winding among the mountains” seem particularly_________as I travel across the “roof of the world”.

I was one of the people who came from all parts of China to work on this railway._________years to complete, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is a record of all of our efforts to_________the most difficult engineering challenges. How to_______the delicate ecosystem was among the top concerns.

The first_________to catch my eye is the splendid Qingshuihe Bridge, the world’s longest bridge built over permafrost. Look! A group of Tibetan antelopes is moving under the bridge, with some stopping to eat grass at their_______. Thirty-three passages have been built under the railway to allow the animals to move safely and freely in their natural_________. Wild animals such as these Tibetan antelopes have now been using these_________for years. They seem totally__________that we are speeding past at over 100 kilometres an hour.

To prevent__________to wetlands and grasslands, 675 bridges with__________about 160 kilometres were built between Golmud and-Lhasa. We even moved 140,000 square metres of wetland to a new area in order to protect its distinct ecosystem.

The journey has been flying by, and before I know it, we have reached Tanggula Station.__________at over 5,000 metres above sea level, this is the__________railway station in the world. In locations such as this, the thin air,__________weather and high levels of UV radiation presented perhaps the greatest__________ for railway workers. To make sure we stayed__________, several oxygen-making stations were constructed. We were also able to enjoy__________breaks in lower areas.

As we pass Cuona Lake, I feel a sense of pride and achievement. Using thousands and thousands of sandbags, we built a twenty-kilometre wall along the lake to protect it from construction waste. Cuona Lake is so close to the railway that I want to__________and touch its pale blue mirror-like surface. Water birds playing in the lake, and cattle and sheep wandering the grasslands bring the scenery to life.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been attracting people’s admiration for centuries. Now, thanks to our efforts, passengers from all over the country have been enjoying these magical landscapes. I am proud that we built our “impossible” railway, and did so with the care that the environment__________. It truly is an extraordinary “Sky Railway”.

4 . The upcoming China-Central Asia Summit is to be held in Xi’an, which has a history of over 3,000 years and enjoys a reputation as a “Living History Museum”. If you are among the participants, just enjoy the following.

The Terracotta Army

It is one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. Discovered in 1974, the army of Terracotta Warriors was constructed by China’s First Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC) with a collection of thousands of life-size terracotta soldiers and horses differing in facial features and expressions, clothing, hairstyle and also body position.

Ancient City Wall

It was built in the 14th century by Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Now it is one of the oldest and best-preserved Chinese city walls. The wall is now a landmark, where you can enjoy a good view of the city.

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

One of China’s most famous Buddhist pagodas, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) for the study of Buddhist scriptures (经典). One of its main functions was to store scriptures brought to China from India by the famous monk and traveler Xuan Zang.

Shaanxi History Museum

It is home to over 370,000 precious treasures unearthed in Shaanxi. Its collections range from bronze wares to pottery (陶) figures, gold and paintings from the Tang Dynasty tombs. Among its precious collections, some pieces have been listed as national treasures.

Nowadays, some famous tourist attractions are crowded of tourists during the holidays, which makes it possible for tourists to enjoy themselves. It reflects the fact what it is difficult to travel to crowded tourist attractions. Therefore, to travel in the holidays made no sense. That is why many people prefer to stay at home rather than to go out. In my opinion, the government should devote its energies to relieve the stress of tourist attractions. Some effective measure can be taken. For example, the number of tourists to famous tourist attractions should limited and citizens should not travel at a same time. Only in this way can tourists enjoy our holidays.

8 . Not everyone knows that Mogao Caves in China has a “little sister” — Yulin Caves, which is smaller but better preserved than Mogao Caves. This “little sister” has the most brilliant murals (壁画) which are large in scale (规模) and diverse in forms and skills, with much art value. Here is some information to refer to when planning your tour here.

Daily Itinerary (行程)

DAY 1: Visit Mingshashan in the middle afternoon when it is not very hot and sunburn is low.

DAY 2: Visit Yulin Caves. You can visit up to 6 caves. After that, drive about 30 minutes to Suoyangcheng.

DAY 3: Visit the newly opened Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center. You will watch two short but well-produced educational documentary movies about Mogao Caves. After the movies, take the interzonal bus to Mogao Caves.

Highlights of This Tour

●In-depth tour of Mogao Caves and Yulin Caves

●Visiting Suoyangcheng — an ancient ruined city 2,000 years ago

●Private tour package covering airport pick-up, accommodation, sightseeing and private tour guide

Basic Information about Price

●$380 per person

●This price is based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in 4-star hotels and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.

●This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel, class, etc. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.