4 . Leave the Screens at Home on Your Next Family Road Trip

The other day, a friend sent me an email, asking if I’d consider writing about educational apps for children to watch while on road trips. The email said, “    1     And often with long car rides comes the use of on-screen entertainment. These educational apps can develop their art, math, science, engineering and design skills.”

While the intention is well-meaning, I disagree with his idea. There is so much to see on a road trip!     2     So what can a child do in the car? There are plenty of off-screen activities that a child can do to pass the time.

Take physical books along. Choose some novels for an older reader, get cartoon books, or take interactive books such as I Spy, coloring books, puzzle books, etc.

Play games.     3     Print out a map of the country and color in each state as you notice a license plate from there. Keep a record of the different colored cars you see. Play the old classic alphabet game.

    4     Parents can find online lists of good questions to get older kids talking, such as, “If you could travel anywhere in the world, what are your top three destinations and why?” “If you could have a dinner party with three people, who would you invite?” Not only is this fun, but it keeps the driver refreshed.

Long road trips shouldn’t just be about endurance (耐力); they should also be about learning how to pass the time without a screen. So, challenge yourselves to a screen-free road trip the next time you go somewhere as a family.     5    

You’ve heard of planning a trip around a museum you desire to visit or cuisine you want to try, but is the trip focusing on getting a better night’s sleep a choice of     1     (you)? It’s called sleep tourism, a travel trend referring to travel experiences that     2     (design) specifically to improve your quality of sleep.

Going on a vacation might seem like a much     3     (strange) way to improve your sleep than taking medicine. However, many people     4     (undertake) or expressed interest in sleep tourism in the past years and it is growing in popularity, with an increasing amount of sleep-focused stays     5     (appear) in hotels and tourist attractions across the world.

Why has this trend taken off? Some experts say travelers are waking up to the idea     6     traveling doesn’t have to come at the expense of sleep. With sleep tourism, they can gain first-hand     7     (expose) to helpful sleep habits and environmental factors that work     8     them and that they can include into their daily routine. According to Hilton’s third-annual trends report, regardless of generations,     9     No. 1 reason people want to travel in 2024 is to rest and recharge. And they think more investment     10     (make) in travelers’ sleep and sleep-focused experiences could be expected in 2025.

8 . Visiting a science museum is a highly underrated leisure activity. Many people believe that museums are where you go to see the remains of dinosaurs and learn more about the origin of man.     1     Science museums offer much more educational activities and other fun-filled activities. Below are some benefits of making a trip to a science museum.

Gain learning resources.     2     At any science museum, you can find tons of materials. They’re offered to promote science literacy (科学素养) of people of various ages, education levels and backgrounds. Kids can even get involved in lessons to gain scientific knowledge.

Take professional development courses. If you think science museums aren’t for you because you’re not a child, you are mistaken. They also offer a number of development courses for specialists. Teacher training is such a course where educators can be given a better understanding of tour of a city’s culture, history, arts, and science.     3    

Attend fun-filled summer camps. Most people don’t know this, but some science museums have summer camp programs for kids of all ages.     4     Kids can not only gain some useful life skills but also make new friends there. In addition, abilities like independence can be developed.    5     It’s very likely that you will engage in some interactive program sand exhibitions when you visit a science museum. Exhibition halls like planetariums (天文馆) show explorers the wonders of the universe. Some other halls also encourage visitors to actively participate in the exploration of scientific concepts (概念) and phenomena by allowing them to touch, handle, and experiment with various objects and exhibits according to the proper procedure.

9 . How to limit your environmental impact while travelling

Travelling unlocks a world of endless possibilities and adventures, allowing us to hike through breathtaking landscapes, encounter kangaroos and deer in their natural habitat, and witness the power of volcanoes.     1     Increased plastic waste and noise pollution can damage ecosystems. Thankfully, there are ways to limit our impact on the environment.

Try to travel by land instead of air. While air travel can often be quicker, it is typically one of the most polluting forms of transport.     2     For example, if you’re heading to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, driving for around four hours emits (排放) around 75% less CO₂ compared to the one-hour flight (provided you have several friends with you).

    3     A typical hotel uses about 73,000 gallons of water per year. As laundering towels (洗熨毛巾) is an energy-and-water-consuming process, many hotels often put up signs asking you to re-use your towels. By doing so, you’ll reduce your environmental impact.

Make the most of safe tap water (自来水). Drinking tap water may come as a shock to many travelers. But when you’re in countries where tap water is safe to consume, avoid bottled options. Not only are they more expensive, but they have a higher level of pollution compared to treated tap water.     4    

Respect the local environment. When visiting different destinations, we should recognize the importance of protecting the natural beauty. We mustn’t throw rubbish everywhere.     5     Additionally, supporting local conservation (保护) efforts, such as participating in community-led clean-up projects, can make a positive impact on the local environment.