3 . I was hungry because after a full day of exploring the German town, I hadn’t eaten anything more than a pizza. I’m comfortable travelling through a country where I don’t speak the language, but I would almost rather go hungry than sit in a restaurant eating alone.

After wandering around the town for another half an hour, I finally chose an Italian restaurant that seemed friendly enough. I know I should have gone for more traditional German food, but the idea of a plate of Italian noodles for only six euros was too much to pass up. So I nervously entered. As I stood there, I noticed all the happy families and friends eating together. The hostess found a small table for me next to the front entrance.

“Great,” I thought, “now people can look at this friendless traveller as they enter.” Then I started to wonder how many of the customers might mistake me for the hostess and how much this would interrupt(打断) my meal. Then a woman, whose name is now lost to memory, invited me to have dinner with her and her family. I couldn’t believe it! This was the German friendliness I had read about.

I walked to their table. I can be quite shy when talking to new people. I also started to wonder how this would work. Do I have to talk to them the whole time? Do they even know English? The meal began awkwardly. The woman’s two children mostly stared at me.

Fortunately, the parents spoke enough English and I knew a little German. I came into this restaurant afraid of eating alone and I ended up conquering my shyness. Separate bills came for each of us; we paid and went our own ways. The family probably ended up discussing their day while I just walked back to my hotel with a smile on my face.

4 . We humans have always been obsessed with reaching higher, building taller, and touching the sky. In effect, we have been building towers and buildings each taller than the other. Today, we will look at four of the tallest buildings in the world.

Burj Khalifa

Since it opened on January 4, 2010, the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest building in the world. The United Arab Emirates broke world records in the 21st century for building a needle-like, 162 story skyscraper in Dubai. A public observation deck called “At the Top” is located on the 124th floor. The top floor is home to a private VIP club, closed to anyone except members.

Taipei 101

Featured in many videos, the tallest building in Taipei, China, is famous for its unique shape and awesome fireworks display every year. It houses lots of hotels, offices, apartments, and an observatory deck. There’s an outdoor round observatory square on the 91st floor of the building, at 392m above the ground, it’s now the third highest open-air observation deck in the world.

Shanghai World Financial Centre

The Shanghai World Financial Centre, is a soaring glass skyscraper with a distinctive opening at the top in Pudong District, Shanghai, China. The construction of this building began in 1997, but due to the crisis in Southeast Asia, it temporarily halted and resumed in 2003. Its final height is 492 metres and has 101 floors.

International Commerce Centre (ICC)

The ICC building, completed in 2010 in West Kowloon, is the tallest building in Hong Kong, China, and one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers at 484 metres. Original plans were for an even taller building, but zoning laws prohibited the construction of buildings higher than the surrounding mountains. The design of the skyscraper was revised (修改) and plans for a pyramidal-shaped top were abandoned.

5 . Out of London Tours

Stratford, Oxford, Christ Church and the Cotswolds with Lunch

Length of time

About 10 hours

Days of operation

April 2009 to March 2010—Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

This tour starts at 8:45 am and finishes at around 6:30 pm

Description

* Oxford

Enjoy the magnificence of Oxford! Well-known for over 900 years as a centre of academic excellence. Follow in the footsteps of its famous students, from Bill Clinton to Lewis Carroll. Uncover the university town of Oxford at a leisurely and relaxing pace.

* Christ Church

Lights, camera, action! A treat for all Harry Potter fans—see where many scenes from the films have been shot! Wonder at the magnificence of Christ Church, including the Great Hall which Hogwarts Hall is based upon.

* Cotswolds

Discover the fascinating Cotswolds! Full of history and heritage(历史遗留物), the Cotswolds is a charming combination of breathtaking natural beauty, busy market towns and sleepy villages.

Lunch in the Cotswolds

Treat yourself in a traditional English pub(酒吧) and admire the charm of this old wool town. The lunch will be taken in the Cotswolds village of Burford.

* Stratford

Shakespeare’s birthplace

A market town with a difference! Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the half-wooded house, where the world’s greatest writer was born, to gain a fascinating insight into his childhood.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Satisfy yourself with an eye-opening experience at the childhood home of William Shakespeare’s wife! Wander around the half-wooded house and its eye-catching surroundings.

Price guide

Adult: £74.00

Child (3—18): £64.00

Senior citizen / College student: £69.00

6 . It’s often hard to find family holidays that everyone will enjoy. Cruises (海上航游) can be fun,but may offer activities either for small children or adults,with not much for teenagers.

Fifteen­-year-­old Josh Sandford and his 13-­year-old sister Rowena took a cruise last year, on a ship called the Rega. “Before we left, I’d spent ages looking at the brochure (宣传册), and all the activities on offer, so I was really looking forward to it,” says Josh. “When we got on, I could see they had activities that teenagers could join in, so we couldn’t really say the brochure was wrong. But they were a bit boring—things like old movies we’d seen before. I wish there’d been somewhere for people of my age to just hang out together. My parents really enjoyed it, but they were disappointed that we didn’t. ”

Josh’s parents had almost decided they’d never take their family on a cruise again when they heard about some new cruises that were specially for families with teenagers. So earlier this year the Sandford family set off again,this time on a ship called the Flora. “We did some tours organised by the Flora when the ship stopped in different ports (港口),” says Josh. “We went off and explored some old ruins. I was worried it’d be boring,but I have to admit the ruins were actually quite cool. ”

“The biggest difference was the activities on board,though,like a great gym and two pools. There was a fantastic rock­climbing wall,too,although lots of the teenagers on board didn’t seem to want to try it. Maybe they were too scared,as it was really high. But my sister immediately managed to get all the way up it,so I just had to do the same!”

Josh and Rowena’s family had such a good time on their last cruise that they’re thinking of going again—in fact,they’re already saving up for it!