Have you ever been to New York City? There are many exciting things to see. One sight is the famous Brooklyn Bridge. It     1     (build) more than 100 years ago. Another is the Empire State Building. It is one of the     2     (tall) buildings in the world. You can take a lift ride to the top of the building. From there, you can see for miles.

One of the best things     3     (see) in New York is the Statue of Liberty. It stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. The best way to see the statue is to go to Battery Park,     4     where you can take a boat to Liberty Island. The Statue of Liberty is 151 feet in     5     (high). It was given to the United States by France in 1884. The statue is a woman     6     (hold) a torch, and she stands for freedom.

Since 1886, millions of people     7     (visit) the Statue of Liberty. For many people     8     came here by ship from other countries, the Statue of Liberty     9     (be) the first thing they saw. It is     10     important symbol of America.

5 . Shortly after I graduated from college, I moved to a new state to start a full-time job. One day at work, I found myself wanting to go traveling. Once I’d saved up enough money, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to travel by myself for the first time in my life. So I quickly started doing research on where I’d like to go.

I had never traveled alone before, so I decided to sign up for a guided group that was going to Thailand. This gave me a sense of security (安全). It felt like a great way not only to try being alone and meeting strangers but also doing something that sounded really fun for two weeks.

The Thailand trip forced me out of so many comfort zones (舒适区) that ended up being one of the big turning points of my life. The time I spent in Thailand finding my way around airports and taxis alone, meeting a group of strangers, and doing rock climbing with them in often remote parts of the country, ended up being one of the greatest experiences of my life. Up until this point I had always been shy and very careful to avoid danger and mistakes, but this travel experience inspired me to become different. It showed me a brave, strong, and independent side of myself that went on to influence my life greatly when I returned home.

When I got back, I pretty much dedicated my life to spending as much time as possible doing activities like climbing, hiking, or backpacking especially things that I once thought I wasn’t “capable of” or was “too scared of Today, about 6 years later, I’m an outdoor empowerment coach and backpacking educator.

My trip to Thailand was just what I needed to make that change. It showed me what was possible. It changed the path of my life.

My First Trip to Tibet

On the three hours’ flight from Xi’an to Lhasa, we had a wonderful time, talking and laughing all the way. The great views of the mountains below, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, got us     1    (excite). I couldn’t help taking some pictures.

Our plane landed     2    (safe) at Lhasa Airport at 11: 30 am. The airport is located at the sea-level of over 3500 metres, making it one of the     3    (high) airports in the world. From there you can fly to many big cities both home and abroad.

Leaving the airport, we took a bus to the city of Lhasa,     4     is 3600 meters above the sea level. Everybody felt a little bit uncomfortable, and some,     5    (include) me, even had     6     headache. What surprised us along the way was warm sunshine, blue sky and clear water. Mountains were everywhere, but no trees on them. The driver said if there were     7     (tree) on the mountains, the city of Lhasa would have more oxygen!

The tour guide     8     (arrange) for us to stay in a downtown hotel, mainly for two reasons – free internet access and domestic telephone. What’ s more, all the rooms were large     9     modern facilities and the famous Potala Palace was just within a stone’s throw. Lhasa was smaller than I had thought before. It took you about RMB 10     10    (take) a taxi in the downtown area.

8 . My granddad often helped me make a tool to catch fish when I was young and we would spend hours along a river. It was lovely for both of us then. Many more of today’s grandparents have a growing sense of adventure. And a trend is catching on: skip-gen travel — grandparents taking fun-filled vacations with grand kids without their parents along.

A survey found that 83% of grandparents put travel with their grand kids as the number one thing when they retire. Skip-gen travel gets popular for good reason. Kids have their lives enriched and learn outside classrooms. This is also a time of talking and sharing ideas.

“How grandparents talk to children is different from how parents talk to them. Actually, I feel on a more equal footing with my grandchildren than I do with my own children,” Annie Collins, a travel architect and also part of the trend, says. “Kids away from their parents are more open to ideas and willing to express themselves. It’s not just kids gaining from traveling. Who gets the most out of this? You might think it’s them but it’s us.” According to a study by the Cleveland Clinic, grandparents who help watch and spend time with grand kids may actually live longer than their peers（同龄人）.

It’s also important to recognize that grandparents often have more time to travel. Unlike their children, who may still be in the pursuit of a personal career that offers limited time off, grandparents are often retired and likely have a different viewpoint on life, prioritizing experiences and family. So knowing the kids are in great hands, moms and dads will have a bit of time to themselves — some much-needed leisure time alone to rest and recharge their batteries.

However, skip-gen travel is not for every grandparent. After all, grandparents are worn out with years and not so energetic. They surely treasure the chance to form close ties with their grandchildren, but it’s wiser to say no when only the youth could enjoy themselves, for the travel should be a win for everyone involved.

10 . Australia was always a country I wanted to visit, so I saved up some money and booked a flight to go traveling up the east coast of Australia at the end of my work in London.

The flight made me realize exactly how far away Australia is from home. I spent 10 hours traveling on a plane from London to Hong Kong, then a further 8 hours to Sydney, my first stop in Australia. The flight went quite quickly though, since there were lots of films to watch to keep me amused. It was strange when I arrived because everything was upside down over there; it was the start of winter (in May)! It also took me a while to get used to the time difference as I was always one day ahead of all my friends and family back home.

The country is truly beautiful, full of amazing views and wildlife you wouldn’t find anywhere else in the world.

One of my experiences of my trip was seeing koalas closely in Brisbane -- there were koalas everywhere sleeping in the trees and I even got the chance to hold one. There was also big grassland full of kangaroos that we were allowed to feed. They were really smart and very friendly.

The highlight of my trip was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, as the water as amazingly clear with a beautiful shade of blue. I also got the chance to see some special creatures underwater, such as sea turtles and even a shark.

Australia is an amazing country and worth visiting one day if you ever get the chance.