1 . Steve and Mark were good friends. They decided to spend their vacation in Haiti. Since they couldn’t _________ French, they took a French wordbook with them and hoped it would help them in difficult situations. 

The flight was _________, and the hotel was very comfortable. Each day after breakfast, Steve and Mark packed the picnic lunch and dinner and went off to visit interesting places. After a few days, the boys became _________ of eating picnic meals and decided to eat a big fish dinner in a good restaurant. Unfortunately, they left their wordbook in the hotel. 

They _________ the menu carefully. After ten minutes, Steve said to Mark, “I don’t understand this menu.” “Neither do I,” said Mark. “I see poison on the menu. Are they _________ here?” “Maybe. They even spelled poison _________. They spelled it p⁃o⁃i⁃s⁃s⁃o⁃n instead of p⁃o⁃i⁃s⁃o⁃n. But it must mean the same thing. Maybe we should go to another restaurant. I don’t _________ to eat something that will kill me.” But Mark was _________, so he said, “There is no other restaurant near here, and I’m tired of walking around the city. Let’s order something else instead. It’s _________ here, so the food must be good.” 

The boys looked at the menu again. They finally decided to order steak,__________ they really wanted fish. The boys just pointed to the word steak, and the waiter understood. 

As they were eating, they__________ some tourists speaking English. “This __________ is delicious. We’re lucky we have picked a restaurant that’s famous for its fish.” 

Steve and Mark wondered what they discovered. “Famous for its fish? There was no fish on the __________!” said Mark. 

Finally, Steve decided to find out what all this was about. “Excuse me, how did you order fish when it wasn’t on the menu?” “Sure it’s on the menu. It’s right here. Poisson.” The boys shouted, “Poisson. That’s poison! We were __________ why a restaurant like this could have poison on the menu.” 

The tourists __________, and one of them said, “No. Poisson is French for fish.”

How is it going? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

I wake up to the sound of the wind. Even though the sun is     1     (bright) shining,     2     (tell) whether it’s morning or night is impossible. I’m above the Arctic Circle,       3     in summer the sun never sets. I leave my tent and walk over to the mountain edge. Sarek’s mountains used to     4     (cover) by vast sheets of ice. Around 9,000 years ago, this ice       5    (melt), leaving behind about 100    6     (glacier). In 1909, Sarek was made a national park to keep the land in     7       (it) natural state. All new development is banned within park boundaries. After breakfast, I pack my bag and set out again. If today is anything like yesterday, it will be full     8     sweat and hard work to reach my destination. However, I can’t complain. Being in such     9     beautiful and wild place makes me feel     10     (bless). What could be better?

5 . When you’re sitting in class or behind your desk waiting for the clock to strike a time when you can go home, it is natural that the mind can wander (漫游) a bit. It is common for your mind to wander to a vacation and even travel the world. What if there is a way that you can travel the world without having to pay any money?

A person that managed to make it around the world without spending much was Shantanu Starick. How did he trade off his service? Starick realized that as a photographer he had a service that people would usually be willing to pay money for, but he would instead offer his photography service to anyone who could provide him with food, shelter and transportation. Starick has been traveling for a surprising 30 months and has visited countries ranging from the United States to Ecuador.

In English-speaking countries, trading off service and communicating aren’t difficult for Starick. However, in more far areas where there isn’t an English-speaking person in sight it can be quite difficult. More than anything locals appreciate (欣赏) the effort behind trying to speak their language, even if you don’t exactly sound like a native speaker.

You can do it too!

Honestly, with a bit of confidence, drive and a skill you can trade, you’ll be able to do exactly the same as Starick.

Start thinking about what you can do to get around the world without paying money. With our social networks and the connectivity our world has, you can easily connect with and market yourself to people across the world without any effort.

6 . San Francisco Fire Engine Tours

San Francisco Winery Tour

Running: February 1st through April 30th

This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer. (Included in tickets price)

Departing from the Cannery: Tour times upon request.

Duration(时长): 2 hours

Price: $90

Back to the Fifties Tour

Running: August 16th through August 31st

This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco’s most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.

Departing from the Cannery: 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm

Duration: 2 hours

Price: $90

Spooky Halloween Tour

Running: October 10th through October 31st

Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. Authentic fire gear(服装) is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco.

Departing from the Cannery: 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Price: Available upon request

Holiday Lights Tour

Running: December 6th through December 23rd

This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco’s most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.

Departing from the Cannery: 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Advance reservations required.

8 . Whether you’re after a quiet beach holiday or an adventure-packed trip, with over 700 islands and 30 territories, the Caribbean offers many choices. Here we will provide practical tips to help you plan your dream Caribbean vacation.

Choosing the Best Time to Visit

Generally speaking, the Caribbean has a tropical climate with hot and humid weather year-round. Hurricanes are common during the summer months, so it’s advised to avoid travel during this season if possible. The best time to visit typically starts in November and runs through April. Be sure to check local weather forecasts before your trip.

Experiencing the Local Culture

The Caribbean is home to a variety of cultures. The local culture is a key part of the Caribbean experience, so make sure to soak up as much as you can. Visit museums and historical sites to get a deeper understanding of the local heritage, or explore local festivals for a display of music, dance, and art. Moreover, the people of the Caribbean are well known for their friendliness, so don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation.

Planning Your Activities

Whether you’re into diving, hiking, shopping, or simply lying on the beach, you will be able to pick between endless activities. Besides, you can try your hand at deep-sea fishing, horseback riding, or even bungee jumping. If you’re looking for something more laid back, take a guided tour of the island’s botanical gardens or explorer its national parks. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to review safety guidelines and pack all the necessary equipment before your adventure.

In conclusion, the Caribbean offers a diverse travel experience that caters to different preferences and budgets. With careful planning and a bit of research, you can plan a vacation that is truly unforgettable. So don’t wait — start planning your dream Caribbean trip today!

9 . A new study in the journal of Tourism Analysis shows frequent travelers are happier with their lives than people who don’t travel at all.

Chun-Chu Chen, an assistant professor at Washington State University, conducted a survey to find out why some individuals travel more frequently than others and whether or not travel and tourism experiences have a lasting effect on happiness and wellness.

The results of his analysis show individuals who pay more attention to tourism-related information and frequently discuss their travel plans with friends are more likely to go on regular vacations than those who aren’t constantly thinking about their next trip. Additionally, participants in the survey who reported regularly traveling at least 75 miles away from home also reported being about 7% happier when asked about their overall well-being than those who reported traveling very rarely or not at all.

“While things like work, family life and friends play a bigger role in overall reports of well-being. The accumulation (积累) of travel experiences’ does appear to have a small yet noticeable effect on self-reported life satisfaction,” Chen said.

Participants in the study were asked about the importance of travel in their lives, how much time they spent looking into and planning future vacations, and how many trips they went on over a year. They were also asked about their life satisfaction. Out of the 500 survey participants, a little over half reported going on more than four pleasurable trips a year. Only 7% of respondents did not take any vacations.

As travel restrictions (限制) due to COVID-19 pandemic begin to relax in the future, the research could have important effects on both tourists and the tourism industry. Based on the results of the study, Chen said travel companies, resorts and even airlines, could launch social media campaigns, such as creating signs about the scientific benefits of vacation, to spark people’s interest in discussing their opinions about travel.