Yours,

Li Hua

I have just come back to San Francisco after     1    (camp) in the Redwood Forest and visiting the wine country of Napa Valley. It     2    (definite) feels good to be back in the city again. There are many beautiful old       3    (build) on top of big hills, offering great views of the city.

My hotel is in the Mission District, which is one of the     4    (old) parts of the city. An art movement     5    (call) the “Mission School” started here,       6     is influenced by graffiti art and comic art . I walked around looking at the street art     7     then ate some delicious Mexican-Chinese noodles. A real mix of cultures here!

I paid a visit to a local museum that showed the historical changes in California. America got California from Mexico in 1848. When gold       8    (discover) near San Francisco, people   from all over the world rushed there     9     (seek) their fortune, including many Chinese. The museum shows how America was built by immigrants       10     different countries and cultures.

Being the biggest and the oldest in America, the Chinatown in San Francisco is a very popular tourist attraction,     1     can be visited at any time of the year. The place used to be the     2    (settle) of Chinese immigrants. With time     3    (go) by, it turned into a centre for Chinese culture.

In the 1906 earthquake, most of Chinatown     4    (destroy), but the city and residents rebuilt it, taking care to include lots of Chinese architecture, such     5     the legendary Dragon Gate, the Tin How Temple and Bank of Canton. On Portsmouth Square, visitors can experience     6    (tradition) Chinese culture in real life. You can find all kinds of souvenirs, goods, clothing and Chinese herbal medicine there. What’s more, you can taste and buy     7    (variety) of Chinese tea. The Chinese food there is     8    (especial) appealing with traditional dishes from all over China.

Chinatowns play     9     important part in the diverse culture of the USA. They allow visitors who have never been to China     10    (experience) traditional Chinese culture first hand.

5 . Travel Is Good for Your Health

Travel means lots of opportunities to force yourself to be active.     1     So you’re more likely to attempt a new extreme sport, a walk on sand, or a real hike to get the best views of your surroundings. So you see that travel is really good for your health.

    2     This one might not come as a big surprise to you, but it’s been scientifically proven that travel will increase your happiness, decrease your depression, and remove your pressure. A study found that after vacation,travelers felt well rested, less anxious, and in a better mood.

Travel improves your brain health. Travel expands your mind. You meet new people all over the world. You adapt to new cultures and situations.     3    This is all good for your mental health because new experiences increase cognitive flexibility, keeping your mind sharp.

Travel will decrease your risk of heart disease. That’s because people who wander away from their homes for a little vacation are generally less stressed and anxious, or at least they’re willing to take a break from their stressors (压力源).     4    

Travel will let you live longer. It’s true.     5    Whether local or global, all forms of travel improve our life and can actually increase our life expectancy. Research shows that travel reduces stress, keeps your body healthy inside and out,and improves brain health. This adds to the chance of living longer and having fun.

6 . A famous magazine, Amusement Today, does a survey among park lovers every year both in the US and overseas, based on which, “Top 5 List of the Best Amusement Parks in the World” has come out as follows:

Disneyland, California

Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California, the US. More than 515 million guests have traveled to this American landmark from around the world since the park first opened to guests on July 17, 1955. The park consists of many world-famous sections, such as Main Street, Adventure land, New Orleans Square, and so on.

Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida

Magic Kingdom is a theme park within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando opened on October 1, 1971. It is the most famous theme park in Florida. The park’s design and attractions don’t make much difference from Disneyland Park in Anaheim.

EPCOT, Disney World, Florida

EPCOT is the second theme park built at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The park opened on October 1, 1982, and was named EPCOT Center from 1982 to 1993. It was the largest Disney theme park in the world until 1998, when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened.

Disney­MGM Studios, Florida

MGM’s streets are the home for some great movie­themed attractions with a history of less than 30 years. With the addition of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock and Roller Coaster, the park is now home to Disney World’s most thrilling rides.

Universal Studios, Florida

Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen and jump right into the action of your favorite movies at Universal Studios, the number one movie and TV theme park in the world.

8 . The Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China’s Sichuan Province enjoyed huge popularity during the three­day Qingming Festival holidays by receiving nearly 20, 000 visitors on the peak day, after the new archaeological discoveries brought international attention.

According to media reports, the museum saw over 15, 000 visitors on Saturday, the first day of the Qingming Festival, breaking its record for daily visitors. And on the next day, more visitors swarmed into the museum to exceed (超过) 19, 800. To cope with the large flow of people, on Sunday afternoon, the official Weibo account of the Sanxingdui Museum released the message to remind visitors of avoiding rush hours or rescheduling their visiting time.

The Sanxingdui Museum showcases various kinds of precious cultural relics unearthed at the site, such as the 2. 62­meter­tall standing statue, 1. 38­meter­wide bronze mask, 3. 95­meter­high bronze tree. Earlier on March 20, Chinese archaeologists announced some new major discoveries made during the 37th excavation (挖掘) since its last excavation 35 years ago. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1920s and first excavated in 1934. More than 500 important cultural relics have been unearthed in the six newly­found pits. Since the new discoveries were known to the public, the number of people visiting the Sanxingdui Museum has increased sharply.

The museum said although they are open as usual, the newly­found pits have not opened to the public yet and the newly­excavated cultural relics are still under restoration and cannot meet the public currently. But a hall for cultural relic conservation and restoration will be in pilot operation in April and officially open on May 18. Visitors to it can see how the relics are restored, according to Zhu Yarong, vice director of the Sanxingdui Museum.

Dating back about 3, 000 years, the Sanxingdui Ruins have shed light on the ancient Shu civilization and cultural origins of the Chinese nation, and have been regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.

9 . Travelling with friends can be an amazing experience where you could make lifelong memories or it could ruin your friendship.     1     Here are some rules you should follow to make sure your next trip with friends goes as smoothly as possible.

    2     Sure, you and your friends probably have some similar interests, but that’s not always the case. In an effort to keep everyone happy, go over travel plans and expectations ahead of time. Have each person categorize activities or sights into “must-see”, “want to see” and “would go if we have time”. Plan accordingly and make sure everyone can see some of their top attractions.

Communicate and respect each other. Everyone has personal preferences when travelling— from getting the bed closest to the bathroom or sitting in the airplane’s window seat. But sometimes things don’t go as you like. In this case, share your requirements directly with your travel companions.     3     Have a conversation when problems arise, for communication is the key.

Don’t disappear. When travelling with a group — or even just one other person — you may want some alone time. That’s completely fine, but make sure your friends know where you are and have a way of contacting you.     4    

Get off your phone. Of course, your friends will understand if you need to take a call from a family member, or in the event of a work emergency, but other than that, try to stay off your phone.     5     After all, the appeal of this type of trip is to spend time with friends. Just enjoy it!

If you don’t come to Xinjing, you won’t know how big China is. And if you don’t come to Xinjiang, you won’t know how    1    (beauty) Nalati is. According to the local people, Nalati means the     2    (one) place to see the sun. Nalati is known as the “Entrance to Heaven on Earth”.

The wide grasslands, blue lakes and wonderful flower fields attract millions of     3    (visit) from home and abroad every year. You can see groups of cows and sheep everywhere. You can also see horses with people on    4    (they) backs running across the field. People on the horseback can enjoy the amazing view of the grassland at the same time. The postcard like scenery will be remembered by everyone    5    sees it. There are 27 main tourist attractions in total in this area. It’s reported that tourist industry plays    6    important role in its development. Nowadays, it not only offers jobs for the local people, but encourages young people     7    (realize) their dreams.

One of the visitors said in an interview, “Visiting Nalati has left a deep impression on me, and look forward to     8    (return) sometime in the future.”

Voyo, a l9-year-old American girl, loves Chinese culture and is studying in Xinjiang University. She told the reporter “During my stay, I was shocked by the    9    (develop) of Xinjiang. The Chinese government     10    (make) great effort in supporting the local industries these years.”