Volunteer travel involves taking a trip     1     all or part of the purpose is to participate in an arranged service opportunity helping others. Usually, these trips are arranged by church organizations, human interest groups,     2     non-profits.

Charitable interests often go far beyond national boundaries and sometimes, donating money is not enough     3     (satisfy) the need to help. Volunteer travel is a way to combine a visit to a new location     4     meaningful work that has a direct impact on communities in other parts of the world.

This type of travel has been     5     option for many years.     6     (historic), church groups made up a large part of this market. Once a year a religious organization would organize a trip to another country. The primary purpose of the trip was very specific. For example, it would be to help build a school, dig wells or engage in hundreds of other     7     (project) that would impact those less fortunate.

As international travel becomes by far     8     (easy), volunteering in other countries has become as accessible as browsing a website and signing up. Instead of     9     (travel) with a group that is organized at the volunteers home base, the volunteer may join a group that gathers at the worksite from all over the world. This sort of volunteer travel     10     (refer) to as voluntourism or vacanteerism from time to time.

7 . The Sanxingdui Museum in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province enjoyed huge popularity during the three-day Qingming Festival holidays by receiving nearly 20,000 visitors on the peak day, after the new archaeological(考古的) discoveries brought international attention.

According to media reports, the museum saw over 15,000 visitors on Saturday, the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays, breaking its record for daily visitors. And on the next day, more visitors swarmed into the museum to exceed 19,800. To cope with the large flow of people, on Sunday afternoon, the official Weibo account of the Sanxingdui Museum released a message to remind visitors of avoiding rush hours or rescheduling their visiting time.

The Sanxingdui Museum showcases various kinds of precious cultural relics unearthed at the site, such as the 2.62-meter-tall standing statue, 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask, and 3.95-meter-high bronze tree. Earlier on March 20, Chinese archaeologists announced some new major discoveries made during the 37th excavation (挖掘) since its last excavation 35 years ago. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1920s and first excavated in 1934. More than 500 important cultural relics have been unearthed in the six newly-found pits. Since the new discoveries were known to the public, the number of people visiting the Sanxingdui Museum has increased sharply.

The museum said although it was open as usual, the newly-found pits had not opened to the public yet and the newly-excavated cultural relics were still under restoration and couldn’t meet the public currently. But a hall for cultural relic conservation and restoration would be in pilot operation in April and officially opened on May 18. Visitors to it can see how the relics are restored, according to Zhu Yarong, vice director of the Sanxingdui Museum.

Dating back about 3,000 years, the Sanxingdui Ruins have shed light on the ancient Shu civilization and cultural origins of the Chinese nation, and have been regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.

BEAUTIFUL IRELAND AND ITS TRADITIONS

Ireland’s beautiful countryside has always had a great influence on its people and traditions. The country has a long history of producing great writers and poets. Its beautiful countryside excites and inspires all, offering something for each of the senses. The peaceful landscape of the “Emerald Isle” and its many green counties is a true feast for the eyes, with its rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cattle. And down by the sea, the roar of the ocean waves and cries of the seabirds make up the music of the coast. On a quiet morning in the mountains, feel the sun on your skin, and breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song. With all this beauty, it is not surprising that Ireland has developed strong traditions that include music, dancing, and dining. To have a chance of experiencing this, stop by a village pub and relax with a glass of wine or a local beer. Better yet, enjoy a delicious traditional Irish Beef Stew. If you’re lucky, you might be able to enjoy some traditional music and dancing, too. And if you introduce yourself to a friendly face, you are more than likely to experience local culture and customs first-hand.