1 . National Parks, Wyoming

A bike tour is a great way to access busy national parks. This six-day trip is a big loop out of Jackson 5s Rustic Inn Creekside Resort and Spa, with stops along the way to check out hot springs, moose (驼鹿) and the grizzly bear. Available June to September 2022; $3,095, vbt.com

Death Valley, California

This three-day trip starts with a meet and greet in Las Vegas before exploring a ghost town, on foot. Then the biking starts through the desert, heading to a hotel in time to catch a Death Valley sunset. The next day ifs a nearly 50-mile ride to the edge of a crater (火山口). Available October 2021 through December 2022; $1,649, rei.com

Finger Lakes, New York

This 121-mile bike tour snakes its way around Canandaigua lakes and rolling hills over five days. It starts with a wine tasting, then lunch and a ride through farmland. With only about 30 miles a day of riding, there’s plenty of time to try local wines and have a spa. Available June to July 2022;$5,499, trek travel. com

Florida Keys

Unless you book a custom trip, tours that include teens and kids can be difficult to find. Keep younger travelers engaged by mixing bike rides with other activities, like kayaking (独木舟), snorkeling, hiking and stand-up paddle boarding. This five-day trip heads south from Miami, through the Everglades National Park, and out to Key West. Along the way kids can learn to fish like the locals while parents can relax in excellent accommodations. Available December 2021 and December 2022;from $3,999, backroads. com

2 . Inakadate, a Japanese village of around 7, 000 people, is considered the home of a rice field art form. In the early 1990s, local authorities realized that youths were moving to big urban centers in large numbers, and started brainstorming for ways of breathing new life into the village. One of the proposed ideas was an art form inspired by the local’s traditional rice planting, done by hand for hundreds of years. Called Tanbo Art, it involved the use of different rice varieties to turn local rice fields into giant canvases (画布).

The first rice field artwork was displayed in 1993, when purple and yellow rice plants were used to create a detailed picture of Mt. Iwaki. The project was such a huge success that Inakadate authorities decided to turn it into a yearly event. Nowadays, a viewing platform is often set up somewhere above the rice field, from which people can admire the unique artwork.

To create the impressively massive field artworks, the locals use a technique unique to Japan, which involves surveying the rice fields, perspective drawing, and the planting of various types of rice plants to create the desired visual effect. Tanbo Art has come a long way in the last three decades, with designs gradually becoming larger and more complex.

Some of the most elaborate (精心制作的) rice field artworks created in Inakadate have required the use of no less than 10 rice plants in color. The process starts in the spring months, and by early summer, the fruits of this labor become clearly visible. July and August are the best months to visit this famous Japanese village.

There are many locals who say that rice field art has saved Inakadate, bringing in impressive numbers of tourists from all over the world every year, and boosting the local economy. The success of Inakadate inspired other rice cultivating communities to borrow the Tanbo Art concept, and today you can find this sort of impressive rice field artworks all across Japan.

Copy and paste schools

How will geography affect your future? For some children around the world, the environment they grow up     1     has a huge impact on their lives. For example, children in Madagascar now stand to benefit from the large amount of sunlight their country receives. One non-governmental organization (NGO) is building 3D-printed schools     2     run on solar power.

Maggie Grout was just 15 years old when she founded her NGO-Thinking Huts. Now 22, she is celebrating the     3     (complete) of her NGO’s first 3D-printed school in Madagascar.

She     4     (lead) the entire process from start to finish, working with a professor from the university supporting her NGO. First, they scouted (搜寻) several locations and ultimately decided on Madagascar due to     5     need for schools and ability to provide     6     renewable energy source. Then Grout drew a design layout for the school considering many elements.

Next, Grout had to find the right architect and 3D printing firm for the job. Using an architecture-scale 3D printer, the school was built layer by layer form the ground up. This method of construction decreases the need for concrete (混凝土)     7     up to 50 percent and emits less CO₂,     8     (mean) the school can be completed with in a week.     9     (increase) sustainability, the process included sourcing local materials to build doors, windows and roof.

What’s more, the NGO employed a local labor force and trained them to use a 3D printer so that they can build more schools on their own in the future. She plans to print another school in a     10     (remote) part of the country where one in five children don’t have the chance to attend primary school.

6 . The hardest thing about planning a big European vacation is actually narrowing down where to go—there are just so many amazing places. That's why we've put together what we think are the best cities in Europe.

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam is the kind of city that you can't help but fall in love with. It's the kind of place where you dream about moving and buying an apartment that overlooks (俯瞰) a peaceful river. It's relaxing and you get a sense that the locals have an amazing quality of free life. We love simply walking around the canals and exploring the city's neighborhoods.

BERLIN, GERMANY

Berlin is said to be “poor but charming” and we think that's a pretty good description. Actually, Berlin is becoming more expensive as its popularity grows, but it's still the top spot for Germany's artistic scene. Berlin isn't particularly pretty but it's an energetic city with cool people and cooler graffiti-covered (涂鸦) neighborhoods.

LISBON, PORTUGAL       

Lisbon is a hot destination and I doubt it will be quickly moving up in the ranks of Europe's most visited cities. Lisbon is a popular coastal city that's famous for its unique buildings and charming café culture. It's also very friendly on the wallet when compared to other Western European cities—food and lodging are both priced reasonably and attractions are about average.

FLORENCE, ITALY

Florence may be touristy but that’s no reason to ignore this birthplace of the Renaissance (文艺复兴). If you do your research, you can find plenty of excellent Italian restaurants and world-class ice cream. And, of course, the city is beautiful and home to top museums so it's a dream for art and history lovers.

With the rise in COVID -19 cases, this year’s May Day holiday didn’t offer the usual opportunities for travel that it generally would. However, some of my favorite spots remained open. I     1     (take) the chance to visit one of them, Beihai Park. And I was able to explore it in     2     (great) detail and restudy it from a fresher point of view.

Actually, I had visited Beihai Park many times in all seasons. This time, rather than heading straight to     3     (it) most popular site, the White Pagoda, I explored some of the temples and places to its south.     4     the mass of crowds constantly forcing me forward, I felt much less pressure to move from place to place.

I was able to take my time and focus more on the     5     (unbelievable) complex details of these buildings, in particular the mythical creatures on the corners of the     6     (roof ). The size and amount of these creatures played multiple role for buildings in the past, both     7     (represent) its significance -- the greater the number of creatures, the more important it was.

    8     these creations follow a general style, the colors and designs on display have a unique flavor. The park has amazing feature and pieces of culture and history     9     are not obvious at first sight. By making the most of the current situation, I’ve been able to have     10     better understanding of it and realize that I still know so little about it.

10 . On September 15, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras celebrate their own independence days. On October 16, Mexico follows suit. Each country above has its own nature, but what combines them is local traditions and Spanish culture. Here are four destinations worthy of planning a trip.

Tazumal, El Salvador

El Salvador is home to some rather impressive Mayan ruins that show off this once great civilization. Tazumal is one such place, which is believed to be more than 7,000 years old and was left abandoned sometime around the 13th century. However, large areas were extensively restored in the 40s’ and 50s’, giving visitors a taste of the past.

Antigua, Guatemala

The 16th-century city of Antigua is surrounded by volcanoes, churches, and Baroque buildings, combining European style with pre-Hispanic traditions, making its way to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It’s possible to visit most of its attractions on foot, including the Arco de Santa Catalina, the Central Park, and the Palacio del Ayuntamiento.

Comayagua, Honduras

Honduras may be well-known for its beaches, and one worthy of your travels is the city that was once the capital: Comayagua. Founded in the early 1500s, a visit here is like traveling back in time. Several museums showcase the cultural richness and the must-see clock in the central square, which is the oldest clock in the continent, dating back to the 12th century.

Veracruz, Mexico

Veracruz is a natural beauty with beaches that stretch for as far as the eye can see, deep blue waves and powerful waterfalls. When visiting Veracruz, stop by the Zocalo in Downtown Veracruz, where locals gather to listen to “son jarocho”, a regional folk music style that started right here. Couples also gather to dance in the square. But not just any dance, rather they take part in Danzόn, a traditional couples dance iconic (标志性的) to this particular state.