2 . On many travelers’ lists of things to do before they die, you’ll find “See the northern lights” written down. Rightfully so these lights are one of nature’s most jaw-dropping views.

In Sweden, the northern lights usually appear from late March or early April. Your best chance of catching a glimpse of them is on cold winter nights when the sky is clear, dark with little to no moonlight, and cloudless. You need to be away from city lights and go to the countryside. For those willing to brave the cold on winter nights, here are some of the best locations.

Abisko National Park

Abisko Natinal Park is a main location. The scientifically confirmed “blue hole”, a piece of sky over the Tornetrask lake that usually remains clear despite cloudy weather nearby, gives Abisko its own microclimate (局部地区气候), which is suitable for catching the lights.

Jukkasjarvi

The village of Jukkasjarvi only has about 550 people. But don’t let the small population size fool you: Jukkasjarvi owns the world’s first ice hotel and is one of the best places to view the northern lights. The ice hotel organizes guided tours for guests to the Esrange Space Center. There you can eat at a camp outside and see the Arctic winter sky for aurora borealis (北极光). Or why not try to get closer to the northern lights and watch them through an aeroplane window? The ice hotel arranges flights for the amazing northern lights experience.

Gallivare

You can drive a snowmobile to the mountain top in Gallivare for a private light show, or head a few kilometers to nearby villages to watch those lights shining across the dark winter sky. But remember if you do get the chance to see the northern lights in person, never whistle to them. According to ancient Sumi fairy, it brings you bad luck.

3 . Liam Gamer was just 17 years old when he started out on his big adventure — a 32,000-­kilometer bike trip from Alaska to Argentina. In early January, 2023, he finally finished his trip, 17 months after he started.

Liam, an experienced cyclist, had previously ridden from Los Angeles to San Francisco. He made short videos of that trip, and shared them on the social media app TikTok, some of which became quite popular. After reading a book by adventurer Jedidiah Jenkins, who biked from Oregon to Argentina, Liam decided to cycle from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the northernmost point in the United States accessible by road, to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost point of South America.

Liam set out on August 1, 2021. At first Liam’s parents weren’t too happy about him taking such a long bike trip by himself though it wouldn’t take that much money. But as he carried on, his parents became his strongest supporters.

After about three months, Liam had crossed the US, going south along the West Coast. By early December, he had reached Mexico, from which his parents came to the US many years ago. “So crossing the entire country on a bike and reconnecting with my culture and learning the language in the place my family is from is so deeply important to me,” Liam explained emotionally. But Liam also faced challenges in Mexico.

He was robbed in Mexico, and at one point, he considered quitting because the incredible heat made biking extremely difficult. In all, he was robbed five times on the trip. He got very sick more than once. In Colombia, he had a bike accident that left him injured and required surgery. In spite of it all, he kept going through rain, sun, heat, cold, deserts and mountains.

Liam finally arrived in his destination on January 10, 2023 — 527 days after he started. He had travelled through 14 countries along the way.

4 . Named “America’s Finest City” due to its hospitality, beauty and ideal climate, San Diego is located on the border with Mexico. The residents are so active outdoors that it is called “Sportstown, the U.S.A.”. San Diego’s 70 miles of beaches are a heaven for swimmers, surfers, divers, boaters and sunbathers. Another favourite outside activity is golf. With 100 courses (about 50 of them public), San Diego is a golfers’ paradise. Many San Diego residents came here first as tourists, who were attracted by San Diego’s sunny beaches, nearby mountains and deserts, plus the cultural delights of any big city. The world-famous San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld Adventure Park, Wild Animal Park, museums and other attractions attract visitors from around the world.

The zoo is home to some 4,000 animals, including the world’s largest group of parrots. Animals are displayed in natural settings, and there is a petting zoo for children. By contrast, the Wild Animal Park is a wildlife preserve with an area of over 2,000 acres and more than 3,000 free-roaming (自由漫步的) animals in natural habitats.

In addition to housing the zoo, Balboa Park is home to several museums and attractions, including an aerospace museum, an art and history museum, the Old Globe Theatre, science museums and even a railroad museum. Free concerts are offered frequently. Another popular attraction is the SeaWorld, a 190-acre marine park.

San Diego’s varied attractions, as well as its business climate, offer many opportunities for students to explore the local culture, meet people from around the world, and gain business experience. At San Diego State University, for example, students in the American Language Institute’s study tour program learn English both in the classroom and while sightseeing.

5 . When my father and I traveled to Paris, Notre Dame was our first stop. But when we arrived at Notre Dame, we saw a long line outside it. Even so, we didn’t want to _______. We decided to go to the back garden of Notre Dame where there were few tourists.

Immersed in the beautiful natural scenery, we wanted to take some _______ photos. As we tried to find a photographer, a tall, slim Frenchman _______ toward us and showed us he was willing to take pictures for us.

Trying to get the perfect shot, he kept changing the _______ of the camera. However, after a few _______, he didn’t return our camera. His behavior confused us. But after a while, it became _______. He asked for 10 euros as payment before he would return our camera.

At that point, I was so angry that I _______ to argue with him. But my father stopped me and paid the money, with a (n) _______ expression on his face, the man walked away quickly to search for his next _______.

Later, my father ________ to me: There’s no such thing as a free lunch. So it’s ________ to ask for a payment after taking photos for us. But if someone offers to help you, never ________ the kindness just because of this particular event. Most acts of kindness are pure and without any ________ intention.

________, we met a lot of warm-hearted locals who guided us and lent a hand when we needed them. So just remember, we can’t throw away the ________ because of its core.