3 . A couple of weeks ago, when some friends and I took a trip to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, I immediately ______ it. Since we are all living in North Germany which is not very ______, it only took us a few hours on the train ______ we were at the heart of this ______ city. The minute we stepped off the ______, we were surrounded by ______ architecture and weaving canals.

We stayed at a youth hostel, which was a typical tall Dutch house with lots of stairs. I ______ staying in youth hostels; it is such a great ______ to meet people from all over the world and ______ your different experiences, ______ and even languages. We stayed in a room with an Argentinian, who we befriended right away, and we spent a lot of ______ together.

During our stay, we made sure to make the most of what Amsterdam has to ______. We took a boat trip through the ______, which gave us some great ______ of the fantastic architecture and canals. We also made sure to go to the Van Gogh Museum, which is one of the city’s most famous tourist attractions, and consists of a ______ collection of his work, along with details of his ______ and the work of other artists that knew him. One of my favourite parts of the trip, though it was rather ______, was our visit to the Anne Frank Museum. She was a Jewish girl who hid with her family for 2 years before the Nazis ______ them and sent them to the death camps. It was a very ______ experience, and certainly worth seeing.

Overall, I think Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities that I have ever been to, and I would love to ______ someday!

4 . For many people, being without any electronic devices (设备) creates an uneasy feeling. I recently experienced a weekend without _______. Allow me to share my _______.

Last month, my family and I drove to my aunt Nan’s home. My aunt was preparing to move closer to us. The _______ of our visit was to help her pack her belongings. During the ride, my dad _______ us that Aunt Nan’s _______ of living was old. We wouldn’t hear cell phones ring because _______ for electronic devices are not stable in the mountains. My dad also told us that Aunt Nan had a television, but it _______ few channels. My mother added that my aunt didn’t own a computer and that I would need to write my English paper on Aunt Nan’s typewriter (打字机).

Once we finally _______ Aunt Nan’s house, we packed household items. Very quickly, however, I realized that it was _______ to figure out what to do at my free moments. I was used to watching television or movies in my ________ time. I was becoming restless (烦躁的).

I’m sure that adults you know ________ tell you stories about the games they played and how they had time to think quietly when they were at our age. Our parents grew up in a time when electronic devices were not advanced, ________ instant communication with friends and family wasn’t even possible.

Once the packing was ________, there seemed to be nothing else to do. All the quiet thinking time made me ________, so I began writing my English paper. The old typewriter was fun to use, but I had to be more ________ about making typing mistakes since there was no delete key. The best part of ________ the typewriter was hearing the sound that the keys made.

I soon finished my paper. My ________ had time to hike, draw, and make unusual crafts — much like my parents did. The ________ of putting these ideas in my paper made me realize that our dependence on electronics has ________ our creativity. I challenge you to spend a day without ________ any electronic devices.

Maybe you will discover the benefit of thinking quietly as well.

5 . 27- year - old Ross OC Jennings has become an online celebrity for his bagpipe-playing (演奏风笛) photos across the globe. He calls ______ the First Piper.

The seed for the world traveling idea ______ him when he attended a travel expo in London, where he met adventurers who shared their ______ from across the globe. Ross was attracted by their stories.

The ______ began on a night in Tunisia in May 2014 by chance. Ross ______ his bags without knowing much about the North African country. ______ Tunisia, he traveled across Western Europe, the mountains of China, played in front of the Taj Mahal in India and Cambodians ancient temples. But his greatest ______ was in Kenya.

On the way to Nairobi, Ross arrived at a famous ______ sanctuary (禁猎区) and hotel in Kenya. He begged the hotel owners to ask if he could play the bagpipes there. They answered ______, “Of course the house was built by a Scotsman.” “The minute I started playing all these giraffes started _____ towards me, rocking. It was the most ______ audience I’ve ever had.

Ross has three ______ when traveling. First, pipe in a school to interact with students; second, challenge himself to play in a dramatic place; and last, play in public. His Facebook is filled with ______ taken from around the world.

Ross’s journey is all ______ thanks to his unique music career, which started at the ____ of thirteen when he was offered the chance to play bagpipes at school. After leaving university, he ______ “the last thing I wanted to do was work behind a desk”. Inspired by the travel expo and equipped with his bagpipes, he made his wish to ______ a real desk.

____ planning what to do in the countries Ross visits, the plans seem to find him. He said, “Chance is a big part of it. That’s why I partly, intentionally, don’t try to plan too much.” The music connects people in uncommon and wonderful ______. “Without having this dripping in cliches (陈词滥调), it is amazing how ______ does connect people and how it makes people smile,” Ross said.