Australia was always a country I wanted to visit so I saved up some money and     1     (take) the plane for Australia at     2    end of the school term.

It was strange when I arrived. It was the start of winter! Happily for me the weather was still hot and sunny though.     3     also took me a while to get used to the time difference.

The country is     4    ( true) beautiful, full of wildlife you wouldn’t find anywhere else in the world. I visited a koala sanctuary (考拉保护区) in Brisbane —- there were koalas everywhere     5     (sleep) in the trees and I even got the chance     6     (hold) one. I learnt lots of     7     (fact) about koalas, too. For example, koalas can sleep for up to 22 hours a day. At the sanctuary there were also kangaroos (袋鼠) that we     8    (allow) to feed. They were really cute and friendly.

Another exciting part of my trip was snorkelling (潜泳) in the Great Barrier Reef, as the water was very clear and blue. I was also lucky to see some     9    ( interest )sea animals.

I loved visiting everywhere from the beautiful mountains and waterfalls in the National Parks     10    the long white sandy beaches. It’s a beautiful country and worth visiting one day if you ever get the chance.

You may have heard the old saying, “The more, the merrier.” It's usually true, but not for travel. When it comes     1    travel, I say, “The more, the messier.”

I first figured this out a few years ago.I bought the    2     (cheap) airline ticket I could find: the Philippines. It turned out great! Once, I went on a long hike and missed the last bus back to town.No problem!Because I was alone,I was able to ride with some Swiss tourists who only had one extra seat in    3    (they)truck.     4    (travel) alone, I was never really alone at all. It was easier     5    (meet) people. I talked to everyone I met.

I'm not alone in my    6    (prefer)for solo(独自的)travel. According to the Daily Mail,there has been     7     143% increase in “solo travel” internet searches over the past three years,     8    makes it one of the fastest growing parts of the travel industry. To me, it's     9    (obvious)more convenient to plan and just pack my bag and go straight to my dream place.

US author Henry Rolling once     10    (write):“Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.”

Thank you very much for your letter. Your trip sounds exciting! I can't wait to hear what Africa is like.

Since my last letter to you, I have had a little adventure of     1     (I) own. Early this month, my mother and I took a     2     (fly) to Dunhuang, in the north-west of China. The desert out there was really quite amazing—I had never seen so much sand in my life! While we were there, we     3     (arrange) with a tour company to ride.     4    (camel). I was very excited because this was the first time I had seen one up     5     (closely). We had hoped that we would get to see some other wildlife on our trip, but sadly we didn't.

Since you are going to the Sahara, I have some advice—be sure     6     (bring) a large hat and a shirt with long sleeves—you'll need these     7     protection. The sun can be so brilliant you'll need to keep covered or you'll get     8    (burn)—my cheeks were red for days after my trip. And another thing, you'll need to keep.     9     good supply of water with you, since it is so dry and hot.

I'm sure you'll have a nice trip. I look forward to     10     (receive) your postcards!

Summer in Britain

The summer is a great time to be in Britain. The British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Tate Gallery are all a must-see for everybody who     1     (come) to the country ，but there are also a lot of interesting things to do for those     2    love the outdoors.

The Notting Hill Carnival (诺丁山狂欢节） changes the face of the famous London borough in the last weekend of August. It’s the     3    ( large) street festival in Europe. First     4     ( hold) in 1964，it’s a celebration of Caribbean culture but now includes Brazilians, Africans, Europeans and anybody else who likes to dress     5     ( colourful) and feels the urge to dance to the sound of a beat.

With its     6     ( popular) growing, it’s estimated (估算） that 50，000 performers will take part in the parade，     7    ( attract) more than 1 million people over the weekend.

In mid-August，in Bristol, a city about 200km from London, the sky is filled     8     colours during its annual balloon fiesta. If the weather is good, more than 100 hot air balloons     9     ( rise) from the fiesta’s site in Ashton Court.

Britain is full of traditions and sometimes just stopping at a country pub for a beer     10     having a cream tea in a small tearoom can make a moment special. Always be sure where you are, and learn enough English to ask for directions. Have a nice holiday!

If you take the Amazon Rainforest Tour, you can spend three days     1    (explore) the rainforest with a local guide. During your tour, you will enjoy the plants and animals unique to the rainforest. You will also live in the tree house     2     (build) by the locals.

My name is Wang Kun. Ever Since middle school, my sister Wang Wei and I     1    (dream) about taking a great bike trip. Two years ago she bought an expensive mountain bike and then she persuaded me into     2    (buy) one. After my     3    (graduate) from college, I asked my sister, “Where are we going?” It was my sister     4     first had the idea to cycle along the entire Mekong River from where it begins to where it ends. Now she is planning our schedule for the trip.

I am fond of my sister     5     she has one serious shortcoming. She can be really stubborn. Although she didn’t know the best way of getting to     6    (place), she insisted that she organize the trip    7    (proper). I asked her whether she had looked at a map yet. Of course she hadn’t; my sister doesn’t care about details. When I told her that our journey would begin at     8    altitude of more than 5,000 meters and the air would be hard     9     (breath), she said it would be an interesting experience. I know my sister well. Once she has made up her mind, nothing can change it.     10    (final), I had to give in.

The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest     1     (sight) in the world—the longest wall in the world.     2     （it） winding path and steep mountains take in some great scenery. The “Long Wall” has a long history—more than 2,600 years. It     3     (build) in different areas by different dynasties.

In the Qin dynasty, the First Emperor of Qin linked the northern walls     4     (prevent) aggression from northern nations. In the Han dynasty, the emperors     5     wanted to protect trade on the Silk Road extended the Great Wall into today’s western China. The Great Wall is a building project with the longest duration and at     6     cost of lives, blood, sweat and tears. It     7     (deserve) its place among the “New 7 Wonders of the World” and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

During the construction of the Great Wall, there were many     8     (extreme) interesting stories, such as Lady Meng Jiang weeping over her husband’s death at the Great Wall, a sad but romantic love story set in the Qin dynasty. The Great Wall of China is the must-see attraction in China. Perhaps the most     9     (power) advertising words in history come from the poetic pen of Chairman Mao, “Until you reach the Great history Wall, you’re no hero.” It means getting     10     difficulties before reaching a goal.

Last October I left the UK behind and joined Gillotts School on their rugby and hockey tour in sunny Italy. It was my first time away on a sports tour and I could not have enjoyed it     1     (much)! Five days of sports, between training and matches with Italian players, but also plenty     2    time for sightseeing and free moments to enjoy an ice cream in the sun.

    3     our flight had landed in Milan, we got on our coach and drove for a couple of hours towards our home for the week, the Hotel San Zeno, a     4     (comfort), family-run accommodation, with a splendid view of Lake Garda. Starting the day with a self-led training, enjoying a boat tour on the lake, wandering along the streets of Sirmione for a few hours and heading off     5     (play) a sport — these are just a few     6     (example) of the kind of adventures you could be having!

The girls and boys on this tour seemed to enjoy    7     (they) thoroughly, especially after winning ALL of their games! I found myself     8     (cheer) them on like a proud aunt and celebrating afterwards with food, drink and social time, hosted by rugby clubs after matches. On the last day we headed back to     9     airport, but not before stopping in Milan! We     10     (pay) a visit to the San Siro museum and enjoyed a stadium tour before moving on to Milan city centre for an afternoon of shopping.

On March 31, the Eiffel Tower, one of the world’s most visited and recognizable places of interest, celebrated the 130- year anniversary (周年纪念日) of its opening.

It was only supposed to exist for 20     1     (year). Maybe Parisians decided it was     2       (easy) to just leave it in place than pull it down. It looks like they made the right choice. More than 250 million people     3     (pay) a visit to the tower so far, according to     4     (it) official website.

Designed by French Gustav Eiffel, the tower was meant     5     (serve) as the entrance to the 1889 World Fair in the     6     (begin). It took just over two years to build it. Although it is popular now, not all French people liked     7     tower when it opened. However, the visitors to the 1889 World Fair found it     8     (entertain) to visit the Eiffel Tower. Two million people visited it during the fair. It then became useful as a radio antenna (天线) during the First World War.

Tourists have a choice when they climb the tower. They can either walk 1, 665 steps to the top     9     use one of the elevator cars from 1899. Once tourists reach the top,     10     the Eiffel’s office is, they can have a drink in the tower’s top-floor champagne bar. Today, the tower stands as a symbol of France.

Whenever anyone asks me where my favorite place in China is, I say Dali without hesitation. Dali,     1    (surround) by mountains for hiking and lakes for bicycling around , is the kind of place that everyone likes.

Last year I met a couple of young students I’d known    2     I travelled to Dali, and we agreed     3    (cycle) along the lake in a small town outside of Dali. The lake     4     (it) was pretty easy to cycle around ,     5     flat paths passing through a lot of little villages. While cycling, a woman recommended an hour-long boat ride for about 40 RMB each--a bit expensive but     6     adventure we felt like having, so we paid for it.

In about 20 minutes we witnessed in     7    (excite) how a fisherman fished with his fishing birds. A string was tied around each bird’s neck so that when it dived for fish, it was unable to swallow them. The birds     8     (give) a fish as payment for their service after the fisherman had a satisfactory catch. I’d     9           (previous) read about this fishing method, but it was pretty exciting to see first-hand.

The day finished with a brilliant sunset,     10     I climbed onto a roof to get a photo of.