3 . Yosemite National Park has long been a place of inspiration for artists, climbers, and nature lovers.

Yosemite Falls

Repeatedly popping into view over treetops and around comers as you drive through the valley, the falls look different from every angle, and it’s impossible to take your eyes off. You don’t have to hike or even get out of your car to appreciate this waterfall, but the most complete view of the falls is from the start of the Yosemite Falls hike, along the route on the left side of the river. You can walk right to the base of the falls with minimal effort and feel the mist sweeping over you.

Half Dome

Half Dome is one of Yosemite’s most famous sites and particularly well-known in the climbing world for being one of the first “big climbs”. This granite icon looks much different depending on the angle you arc viewing it from. Looking up at the sheer rock face from the valley, the enormity of the wall is obvious, and you can appreciate why climbers have been drawn here. The best place to view it is from the lookout at Glacier Point. From here, you get a true picture of the rock and how much higher it stands than the surrounding mountains.

El Capitan

Popular among climbers, El Capitan is a 3,000-foot sheer rock face on the north side of Yosemite Valley. Although it may not seem like it, El Capitan is actually 1,000 feet higher than the face of Half Dome. El Capitan gained interest with the free solo climb of Alex Honnold in June of 2017, and the Academy Award winning documentary film, Free Solo. He became the first person to climb El Capitan without ropes, and completely unaided.

Tunnel View

The most classic view of Yosemite Valley is from Tunnel View. This vista, which will feel very familiar to most visitors, stretches out to El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, Half Dome in the distance, and also takes in the lush valley at the base of the huge granite walls. The best time to appreciate this scene is in the afternoon, when the walls are bathed in sunlight.

4 . Occasionally, misfortune will happen in our life and no one can avoid it. If you choose only to complain and escape from the misfortune, it will constantly follow you no matter where you go.     1    

A girl, called Selina, lost her arms in a traffic accident that caused her father’s death — who was the main source of support for the whole family.     2     For the sake of caring for her, her elder brother became her shadow , never leaving her alone for years. Except for writing with her toes, she was totally unable to do anything in her life. Then one day, her elder brother wanted to live his own normal life, and they had no choice but to separate. So she was almost desperate and didn’t know what to do next.

    3     When he tried to prepare dinner for his parents, he overturned the kerosene light on the stove, resulting in a fire that took his hands away. Though his younger brother that was studying in another city, showed his willingness to take care of him, he was determined to be totally independent. At school, he always studied hard. Most of what he learned was to be independent. Once he wrote the following in his composition: “I am lucky. Though I lost my arms, I still have legs; I am lucky. Though my wings are broken, my heart can still fly. ”

One day, the girl and the boy were both interviewed on a television program. The girl complained to the TV host about her uncertain future at being left on her own, but the boy was full of enthusiasm for his life.     4     The girl wrote: My elder brother’s arms are my arms. However, the boy wrote: Broken wings, flying heart.

    5     It is true that life is unpredictable. Disasters can strike at any time. How you deal with misfortune when faced with it is the true test of your character. If you choose only to complain and escape from the ordeal, it will always follow you wherever you go. But if you decide to face it bravely, the hardship will turn out to be a fortune on which new hopes will arise.

6 . I developed my fascination for China as a child and when the opportunity arose for me to learn in China, I did not ________. My China journey is one in the wonderland.

Already stressful and challenging, my experience of struggling for my Master’s Program in Xi’an Jiaotong University ________ into a greater storm as COVID-19 rocked our boats. My life ended up in chaos. Our ________ was in the Chinese government. We believed they would soon take us out of this ________—leaving or staying. And they did.

My time in China has given me many moments of self-reflection, and opportunities for ________ who I am. Finding new styles to express my inner self is truly an ________ activity within China!

I now travel to and from on the busy roads, tunnels and sidewalks of the city in all kinds of weather to meet deadlines on a daily basis. It is my total ________ that the traffic system of this country ________ what China is—the best of both worlds—Western and Asian.

Food! Being invited to a home cooked dinner really helps to ________ nostalgia (乡愁). Cooking together has been an unforgettable way of ________ with friends, and without doubt, friends are ________ for living a meaningful life.

Same as ________ ! Have you seen how the elders of the nation play Ping Pong? It is played so ________ and skillfully as to be named the official sport. My university, Xian Jiaotong University gave me a wonderful opportunity to ________ this sport and many more.

Having ________ in kindergarten for five years in America, I’ve understood that good parenting and education are the ________ of a child’s discipline and personality. I’ve been blessed to observe that the Chinese ________ and parenting methods have ________ Chinese teachers and children in a special way. I would love to ________ their unique schooling techniques into my educating practice.

My two years in China have been just as unbelievable yet beautiful. Such a ________ of the body, heart and mind can surely carve memories on stone forever.

7 . Maria and her parents moved to the US from Brazil one year before the pandemic (流行病). Better education opportunities lay ahead, and they were excited to get Maria into an American high school to prepare for college.

Each parent got a job, and Maria started studying. She also signed up for a service club because she wanted to meet people, practice her English and be a part of the community. “I love to serve,” Maria says. “I think it is my thank-you for the opportunities I have.”

She worked at the local food bank with other kids of her age, organizing bags for families who were having a hard time making ends meet. But when the pandemic hit, she found herself at the food bank for another reason: to bring home groceries to her parents. “We were all shocked when my mother lost her job. My friends at the food bank got me through it,” Maria said.

Luckily, her father kept his job. And with classes moving online, Maria was able to secure a full-time job and do her class work at night. Three of her courses were college prep classes that demanded a lot of work. During her senior year, Maria worked 40-hour weeks and studied even more. Yet, in her spare time, she packed food bags for others before taking hers home.

Just before graduation, Maria came into the food bank. One of the volunteers started getting a bag ready for her. “I don’t need one today,” Maria said. “My mother got a job. I’m here to help.”

Maria supported her family for eight months. She graduated on time and got scholarship offers from three different colleges. She moved to part-time work and has completed her first semester of college.

Wherever we go, we are surrounded by history. Across the globe, cultural heritage is passed down through the generations. It is in the buildings and structures around us. It is in the arts and artifacts (手工艺品) we treasure. It lives in the languages we speak and the stories we tell. But today, it is under attack as never before. Not only are the damages of time threatening our cultural heritage, but conflicts, climate change, globalization and tourism are all exacting a heavy price. Technology is now the most essential weapon in the battle. Here's how technology is preserving our cultural heritage.

As you can imagine, creating the replicas (复制品) via crowd sourced 2D images is extremely time-consuming. Increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms (算法) are being used to do all the required sourcing, allowing millions of images to be stored in a matter of hours.   AI will also make restoration and preservation of existing cultural heritage far easier and vastly superior to previous methods.

Virtual reality (VR) technology will play a leading role in preserving our cultural heritage in the coming years. Many of the most important sites and architecture are extremely fragile. Human interaction with these locations is doing a great deal of harm. Wastes accumulate everywhere, causing enormous problems. As more cultural heritage sites and objects are digitally mapped and recorded, VR technology will increasingly become the way that people experience them. We'll all eventually be able to walk through places, look at (and touch!) artifacts and works of art without ever seeing them with our own eyes.

Finally, our cultural heritage will be preserved via technology. Efforts in research, innovation, data sharing and project work will help promote and preserve the cultural heritage of countries all across the world.