2 . A Journey to the Yosemite Firefall

Each year, thousands of people are attracted to the Yosemite National Park in California for a chance of seeing —and photographing ——the unique “firefall”. The amazing “firefall” comes to life only when there is enough water from the melting（融化）snow to keep the Horsetail Fall flowing and when the light of the setting sun hits the waterfall at the right angle. It can only be seen for a short time in February on clear sunny days.

This year, the weather isn’t stopping the “firefall” from happening, but it is making the journey to see it more difficult.

“What would have been a 10-minute walk turned into a two-hour hike through deep snow,” photographer Ryan Fitzsimons said about his recent trip to see the phenomenon. “Our clothes were all wet by the time we got to a viewing site. But the heavy snow made the sight much more beautiful since the waterfall is much bigger this year.”

Another photographer Andy Heitz was making his first trip to see the “firefall”. He had to wait five hours in the extreme cold for his turn to take a picture.

“I got to the site at about 12:00 at noon. The place was already filled with hundreds of people waiting to see and photograph the ‘firefall’. I was so lucky that I shot a really wonderful burner! I was completely amazed with what I saw,” he said. “You know, only on a couple days of the year in February and when the sun sets down at the perfect angle to shine on Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall can we see the ‘Fire Fall’. I’ll never forget what I have seen.’’

The “firefall” should continue to be there from 20 to 24 February. But park officials said that there’s no guarantee（保证）that visitors will see it on any given day.

3 . At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural medal at the 2021 German iF Design Awards.

The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li still worked on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.

In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.

The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.

Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.

On our way to the house, it was raining     1     hard that we couldn't help wondering how long     2     would take to get there. It was in the middle of Pearl City.

We were first greeted with the bark by a pack of dogs, seven to be exact. They were well trained by their masters     3     had great experience with caring for these animals. Our hosts shared many of their experiences and recommended wonderful places     4     (eat), shop, and visit. For breakfast, we were able to eat the papaya(木瓜) and other fruits from their trees in the backyard.

When they were free     5     work, they invited us to local events and let us know of an interesting     6     (compete), together with the story behind it. They also shared with us many     7     (tradition) stories about Hawaii that were hugely popular with tourists. On the last day of our weeklong stay, we     8     (invite) to attend a private concert on     9     beautiful farm on the North Shore under the stars,     10     (listen) to musicians and meeting interesting locals.

9 . As summer approaches, many kids and teenagers may find that they have more time in hand. One great way to make use of the extra time is to go on an adventure and travel. Clearly, I am not a naturally adventurous person, but I have found that taking risks and challenging myself to explore and travel to unfamiliar places can be a very rewarding experience.

Because I am usually quite busy during the school year, most of my travels take place during the summer. Over the past few summers, I have hiked in the Grand Canyon, explored Niagara Falls, and camped out in the countryside of New York. Although these experiences are varied, they are similar in that they instill a sense of appreciation for nature and a more balanced view on life. When I hiked in the Grand Canyon, for example, I was in awe of the geological process that shaped the canyon.

Adventures, of course, are not limited to hiking. There are many other choices, such as camping, volunteering in a foreign environment and travelling to different countries. In my opinion, adventures are more enjoyable with family or a few friends. There is a sense of bonding that one only gets through spending time together in outdoor adventures. For example, when I was in Boy Scouts, I often went on weekend camping trips with my friends. When I came back from a Boy Scouts camping trip, I often was eager to go outside more and explore the parks and nature around me.

Next fall, I will attend college. In the meantime, though, I hope to make the most of my summer to explore and travel. Now, I am planning on hiking and camping out in Maine. When I visited Maine last fall, I was amazed by how beautiful it was, and I really hope to enjoy the beauty of nature.

10 . When you go on a trip to America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (however, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided but there will certainly be a cafeteria. Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than the others. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in big national parks.

In these great national parks, you may meet guests you don't expect to see. An American friend told me a short story. In the middle of a moonless night，she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief-it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paws, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!

There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”, where they provide lodges（客房).You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning-looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!