1 . The Maldives is a group of very small islands in the Indian Ocean, near Sri Lanka. There are about 1,200 islands. The Republic of Maldives is the smallest Asian country and it also has the smallest population. About 400,000 people live in the Maldives, 75,000 of whom are on the capital island, Malé. Malé is different from the other islands in the Maldives because it doesn’t have any beaches.    1    

As one of the most popular holiday destinations, the Maldives has truly spectacular sights. Eighty-seven of the islands in the Maldives have different types of hotels on them.    2    They can even stay in a Bangalore, a small cabin right over the water where they can enjoy the clear water and fish with friends. That’s an experience you’ll never forget.

    3    When you arrive on the airport island, you can take a Dhoni taxi and go to Malé. This is a small boat used for transportation around the islands. The Dhoni has a wide range of functions. Apart from being used for fishing, it is popular for transportation of goods and people between the islands.    4    You can use these boats to visit other islands, too.

The Maldives is a popular place for scuba-diving, because there are many wonderful fish in the water to see. Also, the water is very clear.    5    There are many professional diving schools with instructors who speak many languages. You can also go whale and dolphin watching, fishing, surfing, hiking or you can explore the towns.

What are you hesitating about? Go there for the summer vacation.

2 . RESERVATION

In order to make a reservation, please fill in the pre-reservation form. This form is compulsory for all types of visits. The pre-booking form is not a confirmation of reservation. You will receive an email confirmation if we are able to accommodate your request. If we do not have any availability, we will contact you to propose an alternative date.

The following measures are currently applied for schools and young visitor groups:

• For workshops and guided tours, 1 class per guided tour is allowed. The maximum number of students/children per group is 25 and masks must be worn from the age of 12. We strongly recommend that you make several choices of dates when you fill out the online form so that we can best meet your requests.

• For self-guided tours, groups with a reservation will be given priority at the entrance. If the exhibits are too crowded, we may not be able to give you access to the Museum.

• Safety distances between adults and students/children must be respected.

These measures are subject to the limitations imposed by the federal authorities in the current health context at the time of the visit.

Rates

All our educational programmes are free of charge for those under the age of 16 (admission, visit and workshop if desired and available).

• Children up to the age of 15: free

• Students aged 16 and over:$14

• Accompanying adult (1 for 1-10 students, 2 for 11-20 students, etc.): free

• Guided tour and workshop for schools/educational groups: free of charge for children up to the age of 15

Availabilities

Tuesday to Thursday and Friday from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Li Daiyu and her cousin Liu Qian decided     1     (fly) to Vancouver and then take the train. Before starting out, they spent     2     couple of days in Vancouver, seeing the sights. During the first day,     3     is typical of Vancouver, it rained. The next morning, the two girls     4     (arise) early to take the train to Lake Louise, passing through the Canadian Rockies. In addition     5     seeing spectacular mountain peaks and forests, one highlight of their trip was being able to see many different creatures. The next stop is Edmonton, which is     6     (freeze) cold in winter. Heading southeast, they went through two wheat-growing provinces, where they saw     7     (bunch) of farms that covered a very large area. It was not until 9:30 a.m.     8     they finally reached the capital of Ontario, Toronto. Standing in the distance, they were       9     (astonish) to see misty clouds rising from the great Niagara Falls. That night they proceeded to the next leg of     10     (them) trip to Montreal.

5 . Xi'an enjoys a reputations as a “Living History Museum” due to its rich, diverse collection of historical and cultural treasures. Apart from the Terracotta Warriors, there are also some other attractions in the city. Here are some of them.

Ancient City Wall

Xi'an City Wall was built in the 14th century in the Ming Dynasty as a military defense system. Now it is one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. The wall is now a landmark, dividing the city into inner and outer areas.

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda （塔）

Situated in an ancient temple, the pagoda built with layers of bricks was built in the Tang Dynasty. It is traditional Chinese architecture. One of the main functions of the pagoda was to store Buddhist scriptures（经文） and figurines brought to China from India by the famous monk and traveler Xuan Zang, who stayed here for 19 years translating Buddhist scriptures.

Shaanxi History Museum

The Shaanxi History Museum, built in 1991，is home to over 370,000 precious relics unearthed in Shaanxi over the years, The museum consists of three main sections. Its collections range from bronze ware（器血）to pottery ware, gold and silver ware and mural paintings from the Tang Dynasty tombs.

The Muslim Quarter

One of the highlights is its local snacks when you tour Xian. The best food destination is the Muslim Quarter，which has a history of several hundred years. Consisting of a number of food streets, the area has become a famous attraction in the city for its rich and authentic Muslim cultural atmosphere.

The Jiangsu countryside stretching between the cities of Suzhou and Shanghai is home to a lot of small beautiful water towns, many of which     1     (locate) along the Grand Canal, an artificial canal connecting Hangzhou to Beijing with the aim of bringing supplies of goods to the imperial capital.

One of these towns is Tongli, which is easily     2     (access) to tourists from the nearby city of Suzhou.     3     (build) in the Song Dynasty, the town offers pleasant views and landscapes of traditional China, characterized by picturesque canals crossed by arch bridges and whitewashed houses that overlook the water.

Walking along the narrow alleys(巷), you can admire     4     interesting number of well-preserved traditional houses, temples and gardens. The atmosphere is     5    (exceptional) peaceful compared to most popular sites that are ruined by mass tourism and commercialization. Yes, Tongli is home to a great many souvenir shops and local products, but what amazed me was     6     well the town is preserved despite being open to tourism: a good balance       7     commercial activities and local life. So in spite of its     8     (popular), Tongli maintains a quiet, laid—back feeling, making it an ideal destination for visitors who seek peace and leisure.

I     9     (take) scores of pictures while touring Tongli, which I hope may inspire travelers to add this pretty water town to their trips. My impression of Tongli is so positive that I’ve been meaning     10     (go) back with my family for their first visit to China.

I’ve had my fair share of travelling around China, and a recent week-long trip to Guizhou was my first time to the province. I tried looking up the meaning and significance of the name Guizhou before the trip,     1     (basic)to have a reasonable idea of what was in store for me. But that was     2     hard task so I inquired from a Chinese colleague on the trip. From what she said, initially the province     3     (name)after a famous mountain called “Gui”, sort of noble in literal translation and “zhou”, which simply means province in Chinese.     4     (keep)that in mind I set out on a journey of discovery and     5     I found was mind-blowing, a photographer’s paradise. Generally     6     (describe)as a mountainous province in southwestern China, with Guiyang as     7     (it)capital, the province is truly one of nature’s best kept secrets. Compared to other leading     8     (province)in China, with regard     9     development, Guizhou has some catching-up to do. However, the province remains unique not only for its amazing landscape,     10     for the role it played in the political history of modern China and the role it is to play in the world.

The Universal Beijing Resort,     1    (current) the largest in scale worldwide, was open to the public on Monday, which coincided with this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Sept. 19 to 21. The film-themed lands, rides and shows, such as the Transformers Metrobase and the Harry Potter rides, and Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness among other Universal “firsts”,     2    (be) the most popular attractions during the opening so far.

In the Hollywood zone, movie lovers will not only see a recreation of the Hollywood Walk of Fame,     3     get a behind-the-scenes film making experience at the film studios,     4     was created by Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg and Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. More than a magical land for cinephiles (影迷), the resort is also a foodie heaven with a total of 80 restaurants and food stalls     5    (serve) all kinds of food that one can name from different movies.

    6     the first Universal Studios theme park in China, UBR has many China-related elements. For example, the Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness,     7    (inspire) by DreamWorks Animation’s Film, is Universal’s first “land” with such a theme. The land has small bridges and flowing water. Lanterns are hung in many places. Accompanied with Chinese music, visitors can eat     8    (variety) of Chinese desserts in restaurants that look like ancient buildings.

Building such an     9    (impress) park isn’t easy. But Chinese     10    (wise) and power help push it forward. It is the fifth worldwide for Universal Studios and the third in Asia, after Japan and Singapore.