1 . About 20 minutes away from River Campus, one might ______ sounds of magical flights at the mysterious Mushroom House of Powder Mills Park. The private houses, seen as the landmark of Town of Perinton, show off extraordinary architectural ______ with tree-like doors and wooden sculptured, treasure-filled mosaics, and naturalistic components in both in-side and ______ .

This odd artistic ______ has gained the Mushroom House its own official website and widespread media coverage. Since the house's ______ , it has actively been covered by many media. Much like Disney's Pixie Hollow, the Mushroom House appears to be a collection of “found” parts. The ______ starts from the underground garage to the tunnel, a reminder of the University's tunnel system, appearing the outer of the Mushroom House.

The ______ tops and inner branches of the Mushroom House are in good condition, ______ to aha old mushrooms found in a backyard. But the different types of glass, with their unique shapes and materials, used to build walls of the Great Room and the master bathroom lend the inside a colorful personality. Though ______ the curved (曲线) of the ceilings in all four mushrooms create acoustics (音响效果) that its website ______ that of Carnegie Hall in New York City. ______ builders Peter Strong and William Ash ton, the four 80- ton Mush-room House were built from models on the ground. The outside Mushroom House was then ______ with works of art, including fashionable lighting and handmade bricks, hobbit-like doors, tree and ______ sculptured, sand-molded walls and ceilings, custom wood furniture, and iron failings.

These works of art were all designed and ______ by local artists. Though this seems like a dream, it ______ a sweet past.

3 . Recently I paid a visit to Harvard University, where there are top class scientists and professors and the best academic system in the world.

I was pretty shocked when I first stepped into the campus. Well, it's not even really a campus. It's more like a district in a small town. Harvard's main buildings are from the 18^th century. They look very old and simple. You might even say they're a little shabby. They don't fit the modern idea of the university at all. The buildings are surrounded by grass and trees, so I felt as if I had walked into an ancient castle. But when I looked across the street, busy shops and in-fashion students made me feel like I was in the 21^st century again. It creates a strong contrast and brings a special atmosphere to the school.

Our tour guide Gary took us around and told us, "You see this grass field in the center of the school? Here is where they host(举办) their graduation ceremony. They just set up tents and beaches and have a very simple ceremony." Unbelievable! Who would think the most talented students just graduate on the lawn?

I saw some students put a blanket on the grass and lie down to read a book. When I listened to the soft sound of pages turning, along with singing of the birds, I felt very calm. There was no competitive feeling at all.

Harvard has the world's first computer in its science center and there are hundreds of high-end(高端的) computers, too. Its religion and the literature departments are also among the best. It is the perfect mix of tradition and new technology.It makes Harvard a very attractive place to study in.

I hope one day I'll attend my dream school－Harvard.

5 . The Bay Hotel. It’s a quiet, comfortable hotel overlooking the bay in an uncommercialised Cornish fishing village on England’s most southerly point. If pop music is no longer your strong point, and you are considering a relaxing holiday where the scenery is breathtaking and the sound of the sea is live music to your ears, come and stay with us. For adults only. Sssh! Don’t tell everyone! 01326 280464

Willapark Manor Hotel. Peaceful situation in 14 acres of separated gardens and woodland, overlooking picturesque bay. Close to coastal path and beach. Excellent cuisine. Our excellent service brings our guests back year after year. Children (reductions) and pets welcome. 01840 770782

The Country Garden Hotel. Delightful hotel set in lovely gardens; calm Island of Wight near Tennyson Downs, Great food! Garden, sea view and ground floor rooms. Please call for brochure (服务指南) and sample menu. Adults only and pets welcome. 0800 980 1943

Boscastle. Romantic 17th Century farmer’s cottage in countryside with splendid coastal views. Well-equipped. Sleeps 5. Regret no pets / smoking. Garden with furniture. Brochure; 01633 450417

Godshill. 4 star self-served units. Non smoking. Sleeps 2—4. Open all year. Good walks. Close to pubs. Peaceful. Cosy. No pets. Brochure: 01983 840371

The Blakeney Hotel. Overlooking harbour, traditional privately owned friendly hotel with bedrooms, lift, heated indoor pool, spa bath and saunas. Relax, walk, sail, play golf, explore the villages, countryside and coast. Special seasonal midweek price for aged citizens. 01263 740797

S W France. Rural setting near Cordes. Two beautifully repainted old houses, sleep 4 / 5, Gardens, woodland, pool, views, excellent walks. Available all year round. Outstanding. 01962 776967

9 . Celebrating Czech traditions

Have you ever witnessed the 300-year anniversary of a village? To me, it is so amazing that this village, named Bysicky, which is located in Bohemia in the Czech Republic, has sustained blizzards and wars for all this time, but has still kept its special charm.

Unlike transportation you’d find in Prague such as the metro or tram, the most common way to get around in the countryside is by bike, as it’s a lot more convenient. So on Saturday morning. I departed from home on a bike ride with my host family. After an 8-kilometer journey, we finally arrived at the village.

There was a road that led straight into the center of the village. Many stalls selling pizza, beer and ice cream were by the roadside. You could hear guitar music coming from the other side of the road, where an outdoor stage stood on large area of meadow.

When the performance from the guitarists finished, group of children wearing traditional costumes came on stage. As the crowd applauded loudly, the children were divided into three groups. A group of older kids playing different musical instruments stood on the left side, a group performing typical Czech dances was on the right, and a choir sang beautifully in the center.

Many of those present were relatives of the children, and we were there because my sister was a member of the dancing group. On the edge of the grassland, there were girls riding horses.

The end of the road led to a circled space, where the city hall stood in the middle, surrounded by a circle of colorful cottages. In front of the houses there were also many markets and a radio station reporting on the event.

So this is what a typical village celebration looks like, with markets food and performances from traditional Czech culture, which was quite different from festivals in big cities. Czech people value their history, so there will always be parties to celebrate a place’s existence or an important person from history. There are no high buildings in these villages, but people still like to go there to spend their weekends because of the peaceful environment. I guess that is what life really means.

10 . Ecotourism is often regarded as a form of nature-based tourism and has become an important alternative source of tourists. It is broadly defined as low __________ travel to endangered and often undisturbed locations. It is different from traditional tourism because it allows the traveler to become educated about the areas. And it often provides funds for conservation and __________ the economic development of places that are frequently poverty-stricken.

Ecotourism and other forms of sustainable travel have their __________ with the environmental movement of the 1970s. Ecotourism itself did not become prevalent (流行的) as a travel concept until the late 1980s. During that time, increasing environmental awareness and a desire to travel to natural locations as __________ to built up tourist locations made ecotourism desirable.

Since then, several different organizations specializing in ecotourism have developed and many different people have become experts on it. Martha D. Honey, PhD, a co-founder of the Center for Responsible Tourism, __________, is just one of many ecotourism experts.

Opportunities for ecotourism exist in many different locations worldwide and its activities can vary __________.

Madagascar, for instance, is famous for its ecotourist activity as it is a biodiversity hotspot, but also has a high priority for environmental conservation and is devoted to reducing poverty. Conservation International says that 80% of the country's animals and 90% of its plants are __________ to the island. Madagascar's lemurs (马达加斯加狐猴) are just one of many __________ that people visit the island to see.

Because the island's government is __________ to conservation, ecotourism is allowed in small numbers because education and funds from the travel will make it easier in the future. __________, this tourist revenue also aids in reducing the country's poverty.

Despite the popularity of ecotourism in the above-mentioned examples, there are several __________ of ecotourism as well. The first of these is that there is no one definition of the term so it is difficult to know which trips are __________ considered ecotourism.

Critics of ecotourism also cite that increased tourism to __________ areas or ecosystems without proper planning and management can actually harm the ecosystem and its species because the infrastructure needed to sustain tourism such as roads can contribute to environmental degradation (恶化).

Ecotourism is also said by critics to have a negative impact on __________ communities because the arrival of foreign visitors and wealth can shift political and economic conditions and sometimes make the area __________ tourism instead of the domestic economic practices.

Regardless of these criticisms though, ecotourism and tourism, in general, are increasing in popularity all over the globe and tourism plays a large role in many worldwide economies.