Gulangyu, which is also called “piano island” or “museum of global architectures”, is an island off the coast of Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian Province. The little island    1    (think) of as a name card of Xiamen Cityand of Fujian Province as a whole.

Gulangyu saw rapid growth in    2    (it) culture and education in modern times, with schools, hospitals, newspaper offices and libraries    3    were built by people from both home and abroad.

The island became    4    famous tourist destination in   the   late 1970s. Unfortunately,   efforts to protect the local historical sites and cultural heritages ( 遗 产 ) fell behind when    5     (tourist) flooded to Gulangyu island. As a result, the    6    ( protect)   of Gulangyu became   necessary.

Bagua Mansion (八卦楼)，or the Eight Diagrams Mansion, was built in the early 20th century and is one of the attractions on the island. Later on, it was    7    ( bad) in need of repair but there was no enough money to do it.

In 1986, the Xiamen government decided    8    ( repair) the mansion. After that, Bagua Mansion became the only museum of pipe organs ( 管 风 琴 ) , a kind of    9     (tradition)instrument in China and the largest of that kind in the world. The mansion, along    10    52 other historical sites, forms a whole part of Gulangyu’s multicultural heritage, and this made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

4 . The New York See It All Tour is exactly what it sounds like: an all-inclusive guided tour of New York City.

One of the most famous parks in the world, Central Park is a man-made wonder. Not only is it the first public park built in America, but it is also one of the most frequently visited parks, with over 25 million guests per year. Set in the middle of busy Manhattan, its grounds serve as a safe harbor, not only for athletes, and musicians but also for lots of migratory birds each year. One can spend an entire peaceful day wandering its grounds, gazing upon nearly 50 fountains, monuments, and sculptures or admiring its 36 bridges.

Hudson River Park is a waterside park on the Hudson River that extends from 59th Street south to Battery Park in the New York City district of Manhattan. Bicycle and pedestrian paths, including the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, span the park north to south, opening up the waterfront for the public to relax. The park includes tennis and soccer fields, children’s playground, dog run, and many other features.

Washington Square Park, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, is a very popular and often crowded square. People from all backgrounds gather to this large square dotted with trees.

The Central Park Zoo is a small 6.5-acre zoo located on Central Park in New York City. The zoo began in the 1860s, making it the first official zoo to open in New York. The zoo was improved in 1934, with the addition of many new buildings ranged in a quadrangle around the sea lion pool. Finally, the zoo was repaired in the mid-1980s and reopened in 1988, replacing the old-fashioned cages with naturalistic environments.

6 . At 12, my father decided to take me on a trip to France. I had never been out of the country before, so I was very excited. My aunt, my father and I went around with my father showing us all the unbelievable sites in Paris. None of us spoke much French but we loved the city.

We had taken the subway all over the city and were congratulating ourselves on our mastering what is honestly an excellent subway design that is pretty easy to follow. We decided to visit Versailles by train. We chatted happily along the way until my father realized we were far into the French countryside and no one around spoke English.

We reached the end of the line and felt afraid when everyone finally left the train. An old man and his grandchild noticed us and came to help. He spoke no English, so in broken French we tried to explain. When he finally understood, this great man settled his grandson and showed us to the correct train and then boarded with us.   

Later we knew the truth that there was a train transfer (转乘) and he didn’t want us to miss it. This kind man rode a train for an hour and a half out of his way to make sure that three Americans got where they wanted to be. He refused to let us pay for his ticket. He did it all with a gentle smile and patted our hands gently at the stop. Then in his quiet way, he boarded the train to return the way he had come.

What impressed me most was the man and his kindness during the amazing trip. Some Americans think the French are rude for some reason, but I always try to persuade them to change their minds with this very story.

10 . Experience fine art at these famous museums and galleries around the world.

The Prado, Madrid, Spain

The Spanish royal family is responsible for the Prado’s classical masterpieces. Over centuries, kings and queens collected art with passion and good taste. In addition to stars of Spanish painting such as Velazquez, Goya and Ribera, the Prado has big collections of Italian artists such as Raphael. Fernando VII opened the collection to the public in 1819, in the same building it’s housed in today, designed by Juan de Villanueva.

Main attraction: The oil painting The Three Graces by Rubens.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

About 900,000 objects fill the Rijksmuseum, the largest collection of art and history in the Netherlands. It is most famous for its paintings by 17th-century Dutch masters, including Ruysdael, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn. Established in 1800 to exhibit the collections of the Dutch stadholders(总督), the Rijksmuseum also displays art from the Middle Ages. The main building is closed for repair now; collection highlights are displayed in the Philips Wing and at Rijksmuseum Schiphol.

Main attraction: The painting The Night Watch by Rembrandt.

The Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

In Italy, there are many monuments and works of art that get the highest praise. In the case of the Uffizi Gallery, it holds the world’s finest collection of Renaissance paintings. All the famous names of Italian art are here — not only the Renaissance masters, but also painters from the early periods.

Main attraction: The painting The Birth of Venus by Botticelli.

The British Museum, London, England

Britain’s largest museum looks after the national collection of archaeology (考古学). It houses more than eight million objects from different historical periods. The Egyptian gallery contains the world’s second finest collection of Egyptian antiquities (古物) outside Egypt.

Main attraction: The Rosetta Stone carved in 196 B. C.