It was a sunny day. Sophie and her parents decided to go boating in the park. Sophie was amazed by the calm lake in front of her when she reached the lake. It was so still that it reflected (映出) the clouds above like a mirror. But when Sophie walked excitedly to the shore of the lake, she saw small waves spread out. After a while, the lake became calm again, and the perfect reflection of the clouds returned.

Feeling adventurous, Sophie wanted to discover more about the lake. Her dad saw how excited she was and gave her a life jacket to put on. After they were both ready, they got into a boat to explore the quiet waters. The boatman (船夫) gave her a paddle (船桨) and showed her how to use it. At first, Sophie wasn’t good at using the paddle, but with the help of the boatman, she quickly mastered the technique of rowing.

As they moved further into the lake, they passed over some green and heart-shaped leaves floating on the water. Yellow flowers stood out among the leaves, shining in the sunlight. It looked like something from a beautiful painting.

Then, as they left the area with the flowers behind, a butterfly landed on Sophie’s paddle. “Hi, how beautiful,” she said before it flew away. Sophie tried to paddle softly. “Let’s stay close to the shore,” her dad suggested.

Sophie was excited when she saw a turtle (龟) swimming near them. It had short legs and red and yellow on its neck. “Hi, I’m Sophie. What’s your name? You’ve got four paddles. We only have two,” she told the turtle. She wanted to get a better look, but the turtle swam away. “Was I too loud, Dad? Do you think it’ll come back?” she asked. Her dad just smiled and nodded.

The lake had more surprises waiting for them.

Just then Sophie’s mother waved from the shore and called them back.

It was the middle of July when we drove way up into the mountains and backpacked up a stream. The banks were lined with old trees. We waded (涉水) through the cold water, our backpacks balanced on our heads.

We set up camp on a sandy flat beside a pool. What a swimming hole! My brother and I swam, diving and playing in the clear water. We-hiked upstream, against little rapids. Suddenly we heard a roaring sound, and as we came around a bend, we saw what was causing it.

A huge waterfall! It rose high above us. “Wow!” I said. “Let’s climb it!” “No way,” said Dad. “End of the road.” We turned back but I couldn’t stop thinking about the waterfall and how much I’d like to climb it. Later, lying in my bag, I thought of the waterfall, wondering what was on the top... then finally I fell asleep.

The sun was hot as a bonfire. We cut leaves as wide as elephants’ ears, and tied them on our heads to keep us cool. Then we waded against the little rapids deep into the stream. I was the first one to the waterfall. “Let’s go up. I think there must be something unique out there,” I said. My brother smiled. “If you go, I will,” he said.

I found a way alongside the falls, and then we climbed like mountain goats. Mom shouted, “Be careful!” And we inched our way up and up—the tips of our toes gripping thin ledges (岩石突出部分), our fingers finding cracks. Sometimes rocks were unstable, but we clung (粘住) like glue. We had to.

The waterfall roared by our ears. “I’m scared,” said my brother. I said, “Just don’t look down.” Near the top, a tree grew out of the rock. It was just what we needed. When we stood at the top, we clapped our hands and shouted down, “Hey Mom, Dad! It’s like a whole other world up here! Come on up! You can do it!” And I did a little dance.

Mom looked at Dad and Dad looked at Mom.

“We did it!” Mom shouted, breathing hard.

A young girl named Lily had always dreamed of going on a world tour. She had read countless books about far-off lands and different cultures, and she longed to experience them for herself.

One day, Lily made up her mind to take the challenge and set out on an exciting journey. She carried a big backpack with all the necessaries of life and set off into the unknown.

Her first stop was a famous city, where she was attracted at once by the lively colors and sounds of the streets. She walked slowly around the markets, tasting new foods and chatting with the vendors (商贩). As she continued on her journey, Lily came across all sorts of interesting people and places. She met a wise old man who taught her the art of keeping calm, and a group of musicians who invited her to join their team.

But not everything was easy on her travels. Lily face d challenges and difficulties along the way, from getting lost in a foreign city to running out of money. But she kept going because it was what she enjoyed, always keeping her heart open to new experiences.

On the last leg of the tour, Lily found herself in a small village which was located (位于) in the forested mountains. The air was fresh and clean, and the mountain view was breathtaking. She decided to stay for a while, helping out the locals and learning about their way of life.

It was there that she met a kind-hearted girl named Cathy, who also dreamed of traveling just like her. Together, they explored the nearby wilderness, climbing mountains and fishing in rivers.

But as much as Lily loved her travels, she began to want to go home. She missed her family and friends back home, and she longed for the familiar (熟悉) comforts of her own bed.

So Lily said goodbye to Cathy and set off on the journey back home.

Lily shared the interesting stories with her loved ones upon returning home.

Her mouth open in both wonder and horror, Mia stares at the bush cricket that has landed in front of her on the picnic table. The girl is camping with her parents near Fish River Canyon in Namibia, in southwest Africa. During the first few months of a year-long trip through Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Mia is seeing the world with her parents. It is a family’s journey to see the world before it’s too late though.

Far from their home in Quebec, the families’ experiences, brimming with colour, shape, touch and smell, are especially important to them. Because unless science makes a break-through soon, the little daughter Mia will become blind, likely in adulthood. She has been diagnosed with a disease that has no effective treatment as it gradually robs her of sight.

For Mia’s parents, mom Edith and dad Sebastien, the diagnose came after a four-year search for the reason their daughter couldn’t see at night. Then Mia, banged into furniture that her mom and dad could make out once their eyes adjusted to the dark.

In 2013, when Mia was three, the family began a frustrating series of visits to doctors, none of whom had an answer for her lack of night vision. In 2015, as a last resort, a pediatric ophthalmologist (儿童眼科医生) enrolled the family in a research project in which their entire gene was mapped out. RP, the name of the disease which haunted the poor girl, affected the tissue at the back of the eye that interpreted images in both black and white, and colour. As the disease progresses, the cells in the middle, used for seeing in colour and for everyday activities like reading and writing, die off, too. The parents were called into the doctor’s office, where the specialist gave it to them straight: “So far, no cure.”

Mia waiting at home, the badly stricken parents stumbled back.

And so the idea of a year-long trip was born.