1 . The Best National Parks to Visit in Winter

While most parks tend to draw families in the summer and fall, there are also ideal spots for adventurous winter trips.

The country’s oldest and best-known national park takes on an almost otherworldly atmosphere in winter: the air filled with rolling steam, the strong colors of hot springs, the surrounding white landscapes, let alone the impressive wildlife during this time, like bison, wolves, and playful red foxes. Just book a guided hiking tour to get a ranger’s perspective on the park and local people.

With its giant red rocks and unique trees, you’ll feel like stepping onto a foreign planet as you spend hours hiking the Panorama Loop or Maze Loop. The park is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, featuring virtually zero light pollution and the country’s best views of a starry sky.

A significantly lower number of visitors in winter means you can take in unblocked views of the South Rim, and get to see the rare beauty of the Grand Canyon dusted with snow. For those adventurous and daring, it is recommended to hike the Bright Angel Trail and take the chance to see the canyon’s wintertime wildlife, including mule deer, elk, and bald eagles.

Surprise! Not all wintertime national park trips need to involve snow. Virgin Islands National Park is most famous for its white-sand beaches. You can also hike inland to visit old sugar plantations, or venture out to the water to swim along with sea turtles and manta rays. You will definitely enjoy a different winter here.

I went to Changbaishan     1     my parents this summer holiday,where we had a pleasant time.It was     2     at the top of the mountain,but it was worthwhile because the     3     was really     4    .The water didn’t freeze and it was blue,deep and clear.I didn’t     5     seeing some rare creatures,which was really     6    .The highlight of the trip was admiring the 16     7     around Tianchi.All in all,Changbaishan is a place which is     8     to attract you.

3 . The Grand circle—All Year Long

In the Grand Circle, there is no reason to pick one season or one vacation over another—you can do it all.   Combine skiing outside Denver or Salt Lake city with hiking in Moab or golfing in Sedona. If the South Rim is chilly in winter, hike into the Grand for a springtime paradise. If canyons (峡谷) seem too warm in summer, drive up into the mountains for cool green escapes.

Driving Tips

Gas up. You can travel a hundred miles between fuel stops. Make sure all of your vehicles with liquid are full, too.

Watch for animals. Free-range livestock grazing (放牧) is commonplace out here—and if the cows and sheep don’t wander into the road, the deer might.

Road signs. If a road sign shows a warning like “Steep Curves Ahead,” or “Chains or Snow Tires Required,” or advises you not to continue without four wheel drive, believe it.Cary water and—in winter—extra clothes and a small shovel.

Cultural etiquette

Indian reservations are independent nations. Traffic violations and accidents may bring you up before tribal, not state.Alcohol is not permitted on most reservations; carrying it―whether in open or closed containers—is illegal. Consider, at all times, that you are a guest of a different culture, a different nation. Do not photograph people unless permission is requested and gran led. Never interrupt ceremonies or rituals. Do not assume all people speak English. If you are buying crafts from a roadside stand, ask if the price is negotiable; sometimes it is, often it isn’t.

Be weather wise

When rain or thunder storms are possible, be cautious. When camping or hiking in narrow canyons and washes.

Save with park passes

There are over thirty national parks and monuments, national recreation areas, and national historic parks within the Grand Circle, as well as national forests, state parks and tribal parks. Most sites charge an entrance fee, but National Park Service and state multiparty passes are available.

I have been living in Xiamen for more than six years, but every time I visit Kulangsu, it feels special. When I first visited the island, it felt like     1     (step) back in time, right into a time when people were closer to one another.     2     (casual) walking through the isle streets, bumping into an old friend, sharing a few     3     (word) with another visitor who crosses your path... Seemingly trivial (微不足道的) things but such precious experiences in our hurried modern paces of life.

Thanks to     4     (it) special mix of cultural and historical elements, Kulangsu makes you feel enriched, and makes you want     5     (know) more about its history. Moreover, thanks to the fact     6     it is a pedestrian-only island, visitors can enjoy long walks travelling the historical settlement.

Thanks to the     7     (unique), the island receives some 10 million tourists every year. Subsequently (随后), its preservation becomes     8     big challenge to the local government. In order to better manage visitor traffic on and off the island, there is an international ferry terminal that specifically     9     (cater) to sightseers. People living on the island and holders of a Xiamen Social Insurance Card can use the smaller, faster ferry located next     10     yet another top tourist spot in Xiamen, Zhongshan Pedestrian Road.

Kulangsu... Every time you go there, you’ll find a new spot. And a new story.

6 . London has a lot of famous museums, and the most popular one among them is the Science Museum in London. It is the most friendly museum in London. As is known to all, shouting and running are not allowed in most museums, and touching the exhibits(展品)is also forbidden. But the Science Museum in London is different. It is noisy! People talk about what they can see and do here, and there are some very noisy machines as well. If you want answers to any of your questions about science, this is the right place for you.

In its rooms on the second and third floors, you can learn some knowledge about communications, the environment, maths, physics, chemistry and so on. For example, you can understand how people dig coal(煤)from the ground and use it to create energy. And in one of its rooms, you can also have a chance to know how X-rays let you see inside your body.

The Launchpad on the third floor is the most popular room because you can experience lots of physics experiments in it. For example, if you want to fill a bag with sand, you have to control a kind of truck on wheels and move it into the correct place. You can also find out how people travel into space and back again by spaceship.

On its fourth and fifth floors, you can learn about what medicine was like in the past. Compare the medicine of the past with the medicine of today, and you will feel very lucky to see a doctor in the modern hospitals!

People of all ages can visit the Science Museum in London for free. It's very interesting. You can always find something new to you and have a wonderful time here The museum is open daily from 10 am.to 6 p. m, so you can enjoy yourself here for either a few minutes or a few hours. If you go to London, don't miss the chance to visit the Science Museum.

7 . 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.

The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It     1     (build) originally to protect the city     2     the Tang dynasty and has now been completely restored (修复). It is possible       3     (walk) or bike the entire 14 kilometers.

We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.

After     4     (spend) some time looking at all the defensive equipment at the wall, we decided it was time for some action and what     5     (good) than to ride on a piece of history!

We     6     (hire) our bikes from the rental place at the South Gate. My bike was old and shaky     7     did the job. It took us about 3 hours to go all     8     way around the Xi’an City Wall. Supposedly you can do it in two hours, but we stopped at the different gates and     9     (watchtower) to take pictures or just to watch the local people going about their     10     (day) routines.