On our way to the house, it was raining     1     hard that we couldn’t help     2     (wonder) how long it would take     3     (get) there. It was in the middle of Pearl City.

We were first greeted with the barking by a pack of dogs, seven to be exact. They were well trained by their masters     4     had great experience with caring for these animals. Our hosts shared many of their experiences and     5     (recommend) wonderful places to eat, shop, and visit. For breakfast, we were able to eat papaya (木瓜) and other fruits from their trees in the backyard.

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

“Traveling to China seems like traveling to another world. Its many famous scenic attractions impressed me     1     (great),”an American said. The following is     2     he wrote on his website.

My friends and I had a family visit in Xi’an,     3     old city with a long history in China. The hosts were retired or stayed at home without a job, and they were friendly to     4     (visit) from different countries coming their homes.

We     5     (taste) the true home-cooked dishes in the home of the family that we visited. For in-homing dinner, the host would prepare a list of menus in advance (提前). Our tour guide asked     6     (we) for advice about the food, so the host would try to cook what we wanted     7     (eat) at his home. We just enjoyed the locally cooked dishes. It was quite a different and exciting experience.

Many foreigners enjoy     8     (learn) how to make Chinese dumplings. We were also     9     (offer) a general cooking class in the local family. The host taught us to make dumplings step by step with lots of patience. And we didn’t need to pay any money     10     this. Travel China Guide offers this kind of service free of charge.

The family visit in Xi’an was a good chance for us to get to know Chinese people’s daily life.

3 . At 12, my father decided to take me on a trip to France. I had never been out of the country before, so I was very excited. My aunt, my father and I went around with my father showing us all the unbelievable sites in Paris. None of us spoke much French but we loved the city.

We had taken the subway all over the city and were congratulating ourselves on our mastering what is honestly an excellent subway design that is pretty easy to follow. We decided to visit Versailles by train. We chatted happily along the way until my father realized we were far into the French countryside and no one around spoke English.

We reached the end of the line and felt afraid when everyone finally left the train. An old man and his grandchild noticed us and came to help. He spoke no English, so in broken French we tried to explain. When he finally understood, this great man settled his grandson and showed us to the correct train and then boarded with us.   

Later we knew the truth that there was a train transfer (转乘) and he didn’t want us to miss it. This kind man rode a train for an hour and a half out of his way to make sure that three Americans got where they wanted to be. He refused to let us pay for his ticket. He did it all with a gentle smile and patted our hands gently at the stop. Then in his quiet way, he boarded the train to return the way he had come.

What impressed me most was the man and his kindness during the amazing trip. Some Americans think the French are rude for some reason, but I always try to persuade them to change their minds with this very story.

5 . Famous modern Chinese buildings

Beijing International Airport

The first place most visitors see when they arrive in China is Beijing International Airport. The airport was built in the 1950s. It has an indoor garden, a children’s playground, and over 70 food businesses in Terminal 3 alone.

Shanghai World Financial Center

Completed in 2008, SWFC took over 10 years to complete as a result of financial shortages and construction (建造) delays. Since its completion, it has won countless architectural (建筑) awards

Tourists are welcome at SWFC’S viewing platform, which at 474 meters above ground is the world’s highest closed viewing platform.

The Water Cube

Completed in 2008, it was constructed for use during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Now visitors can express surprise at the architecture of the building. They can enjoy the indoor atmosphere as well.

Among the offerings of the Water Cube are a restaurant and bar, a shopping area, and Water World, a family water park.

The Bird’s Nest, Beijing

It was designed mainly for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics which was completed in 2008. It can hold up to 80, 000 people and has been used for a winter theme park. Nowadays, its main income is as a tourist attraction. It draws more than 20, 000 tourists every day.

National Center for the Performing Arts

It was completed in 2007. The building is surrounded by a man-made lake, requiring guests to enter via (通过) an underground hallway. It is home to an Opera House, a Concert Hall, and a Theater.

6 . There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. These are the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.

I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly (特别) relish the long train journey and had bought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar (熟悉的) face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.

It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johor Bahru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.

From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.

The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3: 00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug. I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.

I looked forward to the return journey.

9 . Americans like to visit the national parks. In 1996, over 250,000,000 people visited areas which are managed by the National Park Service. Experts say that by 2012, 500,000,000 people per year will visit the parks. As a result, people are trying to think of ways to protect the parks from the crowds.

The crowding of the parks has caused several problems. One is that there is not enough space for all of the people who want to use the parks. To deal with this problem, you may have to book your tickets a few months ahead of time. The Park Service may also raise entrance fees (费) .

Another problem caused by increased park use is pollution. Some garbage and waste can be cleaned up, and the cleanup can be paid for by increased entrance fees. To cut down on noise pollution and air pollution, the number of cars allowed in parks may be limited. If this happens, people may use buses to travel around the parks. Officials may also limit the use of jet-skis, snow- mobiles, motor-boats, and sightseeing helicopters and planes.

The parks may also be in danger because of development that is going on around them. For example, around Yellow Stone Park, many hotels, golf courses, resorts, and other tourist attractions have been built. Some of these developments have effect on areas that are used by animals. People will have to learn to agree about ways to protect the parks. If they do not, there will soon be no reason to visit these national treasures.