Stamp collecting has recently emerged as a fresh and innovative approach for young people to document their travels. Instead of     1     (mere) taking photos with famous landmarks,     2     (enthusiast) of this new trend eagerly explore every corner of various attractions, museums, and shops during their journeys in search     3     various stamps. They imprint the stamps, usually with single or multicolored pictures of the scenic spots or images of famous people on postcards or in travel journals, thus     4     (create) a unique memory of their travels. Free or paid, each stamp serves as a representation of the visitor’s     5     (present) at that specific location, becoming a     6     (cherish) part of their memories.

Shi Junchu, 29, from Yunnan province, came across stamp collecting three years ago while traveling in Wuhan, Hubei province. She found it to be a better way of commemorating her travels    7     purchasing souvenirs (纪念品), so she carries a specially prepared notebook for collecting stamps whenever she travels.

“Stamp collecting has added more meaning to my travels. Turning the pages of those notebooks     8     (feel) somewhat like looking at photos. I can recall     9     happened back then just by turning to a page the delicious food I had, and the fun experiences I enjoyed, she said.

She currently operates a private museum in Kunming. Since last October, she has also introduced stamp-collecting services     10    (encourage) more visitors to explore the museum.

Beijing is a city bridging the ancient and the modern. From Buddhist temples to museums, narrow hutong     1     royal palaces, it is home to more than 3,000 years of glorious history even down to its layout, with the city keeping its carefully     2     (build) system of ring roads.

But for all its ancient buildings, Beijing is also a place     3     welcomes the fast-paced development of modern life, with 21st-century architectural     4     (wonder) standing side by side with historical buildings of the past.

It is a distinct visual contrast (反差) that shouldn’t work,     5     somehow these two very different worlds make a good combination.     6     (visit) several times over the last 10 years, I     7     (amaze) by the co-existence of old and new, and how a city was able to keep such a rich heritage (遗产) while constantly growing. As a photographer, I have spent the last two years     8       (record) everything I discovered.

The     9     (remark) development of this city, which is consciously designed to protect the past while stepping into the modern world,     10     (mean) there is always something new to discover here, and I could be photographing Beijing for the next 50 years.

During China’s dynastic period, emperors planned the city of Beijing     1     arranged the residential areas according to social classes. The term “hutong”,     2     (original)meaning “water well” in Mongolian, appeared first during the Yuan Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, the center was the Forbidden City,     3     (surround)in concentric(同心的)circles by the Inner City and Outer City. Citizens of higher social classes     4     (permit)to live closer to the center of the circles. The large siheyuan of these high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen often     5     (feature)beautifully carved and painted roof beams and pillars(柱子). The hutongs they formed were orderly, lined by     6     (space)homes and walled gardens. Farther from the center lived the commoners and laborers. Their siheyuan were far smaller in scale and     7     (simple)in design and decoration, and the hutongs were narrower.

Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing. Thanks to Beijing’s long history     8     capital of China, almost every hutong has its stories, and some are even associated with historic     9     (event). In contrast to the court life and upper-class culture represented by the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect     10     culture of grassroots Beijingers.

On my trip to Dunhuang, Gansu province in December, I had an exciting experience of     1    (explore) Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟) in Dunhuang with 735 caves     2    (build) by believers from 366 to the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368).

The guide     3     (random) opened one of the old caves at Mogao Grottoes and curious tourists began a journey of mystery. Following     4    tiny points of light from the guide’s small flashlight (手电筒), we learned stories of the past from the Buddhist statues and murals (壁画) in the darkness.

Some wall paintings represented musicians playing Chinese instruments, as well as complex gestures of dancers at parties in an ancient royal court. Others showed interesting and exciting scenes of hunting in the     5     (wood). The statues—even those     6     faces had turned black, and some having lost an arm or two to natural weathering(自然风化)—didn’t stop the solemn (庄严的) power.

Thanks     7     its being the off-season, my group was able to see 12 caves. Tourists, however,     8     (allow) to see a maximum of eight caves during peak season. When I     9     (come) out from the three-hour exploration, I was amazed that I had bought     10     (vary) souvenirs, which help preserve the memory and feel of the place.

I’ve always enjoyed walking but never in a million years     1     I imagine I would end up walking over 200 kilometers in 10 days, become a fan of walking holidays, and end up developing self-guided hiking routes in Portugal with a local tour operator as part of my business. The shift from being someone who was content with an easy three-hour walk to an     2     (experience) multi-day hiker began with a brief taste of the Portuguese Camino de Shantiago, and ancient pilgrim trail (朝圣者道路) through Portugal to Snatiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain.

Back in 2013 I did a guided one-day hike along one of the most beautiful and     3     (challenge) stretches of the Camino, north of Ponte de Lima, so it was hard work, but the views from the top of Labruja Mountain made the climb worthwhile. My guides were so enthusiastic about the thrill of arriving at Sangtiago de Compostela Cathedral after the challenges of day after day on the Camino     4     I began to think I might want to give it a go,     5     not being religious.

Fast forward a few years and I set off from Barcelos with a friend of mine     6     (follow) the Portuguese Camino de Santiago. Apart from suffering from back pain, I thought I was quite fit but nothing had prepared me for     7     exhausted I would feel at the end of each walking day.

This was truly a slow travel experience, as we were averaging about 20 kilometers per day. I     8     (expect) plenty of sightseeing but that ended up being minimal. Quickly, I realized the moral of this unique travel experience: The Camino was all about making the most of the journey rather than the destination.

I will never forget the sense of achievement and progress tit the end of each walking day, and the relief and pride I felt when we finally made     9     to Santiago de Compostela.

We met people     10    , from all walks of life, managed to walk the Camino several times and I can totally understand how it can become addictive.

Sustainable tourism, which is becoming increasingly popular nowadays, is not just about seeing the sights — it is also about connecting with people and their cultures,     1     (make) a positive impact on the places we visit and enhancing opportunities for the future. So,     2     can we be sustainable tourists?

It is important to travel in     3     environmentally friendly manner. Getting to a tourist destination by airplane, which greatly     4     (increase) our carbon footprint, has a huge impact on the global environment. While avoiding flying is not always     5     (practice), we can help improve the environment by travelling on local public transport or even on foot wherever possible. When at the hotel, we can reduce our impact by cutting back on water consumption and not having our bedding and towels     6     (wash) every day. We also need to protect the local culture. When visiting temples or churches,     7     a strict dress code may     8     (require), we should dress appropriately. While travelling, we should respect the right to privacy. We must ask for     9     (permit) before taking pictures of the local people, who are human beings and not     10     display.

In summary, being a sustainable tourist comes down to respect — for nature, culture and people.

It’s almost time for me to say goodbye to Australia. I’ve enjoyed my time here very much. After being here for a while, my     1     (big) impression is the complicated mix of peoples and cultures     2     make up the nation. Although the main cultural influence since 1788     3     (be) Western culture, minority cultures have also played     4     part in shaping the unique Australian culture, with many of the new cultural influences     5     (contribute) by immigrants. It is said that now nearly half of all Australian citizens were either born overseas or have parents who were born overseas.

    6     (personal) speaking,     7     I like most about Australia is the people themselves. They have a straightforward and free-and-easy attitude     8     life, and their     9     (friendly) and warmth made me feel at home wherever I went. After     10     (experience) Australia, I have to say that I agree with the tourism slogan: “There’s nothing like Australia.”