2 . My name is Allison, an American boy. During my sophomore year of high school, I participated in an exchange program where a Spanish student came to live in my home for a few weeks and then I went to live in her house in Spain.     1    

After the initial excitement of being in a new place wore off, some of the cultural differences began to affect me, causing me to feel anxious and homesick.    2     My Spanish skills were not at the level of being able to express how I felt clearly.

    3     I usually ate dinner at 6:00 pm at home, but in Spain, we ate it at 10:00 pm when I was very hungry and ready for bed！I was a picky eater, and while I ate meat, I still wasn’t very adventurous with it. But there was a lot of meat in Spanish cuisine. Almost every meal was filled with rich unidentifiable foods.

One night, I asked what we were going to eat. Since I didn’t know the Spanish word “conejo” they used, the entire family started acting like rabbits at the dinner table in an effort to help me understand its meaning.    4     Sometimes I just wanted to curl up in my room alone and order a pizza, but not the pizza they had in Spain.

Some of the new and unusual foods I first had in Spain caused me much stress.    5     This trip taught me how to be flexible and leave my comfort zone, and how important it is to try new things.

3 . The technology research company International Data Corporation, or IDC, has predicted a huge surge in total worldwide data in the coming years. It predicted world data demand will grow from 33 zettabytes（泽字节）in 2018 to 175 zettabytes by 2025. The world is about to have a serious data-storage problem that will only become more severe over time.

Several companies say they are exploring a possible solution. They suggest using genetic material, DNA, to store data. Experts have estimated data stored by DNA systems could be one billion times as many as those held in traditional electronic devices of comparable size.

Information about living things is stored in DNA using four different kinds of molecules（分子）. They can be represented by the letter codes A, T, C and G. Researchers have discovered that data can also be stored within DNA in the sequences of these letters. Electronic devices, however, store information in a two-letter code that produces combinations of ones and zeroes.

In order to make DNA storage succeed, digital information has to be changed to DNA storage and then back to digital data. One company working on DNA storage development is Microsoft. The company announced earlier last year that it had shown the first “fully-automated” DNA storage system. The research team from Microsoft and the University of Washington reported it had successfully encoded the word “hello” in pieces of DNA and changed it back to digital data. A chemical process is used to get the DNA into a storage device.

Microsoft said DNA storage systems can not only store more data, but also hold data for much longer periods of time. For example, DNA samples from the ancient bones of animals and humans have proven that the material can last thousands of years in tough conditions.

Experts from the World Economic Forum have praised recent developments in DNA storage technologies. But the organization says much more work needs to be completed before DNA storage systems can effectively compete with electronic ones. Currently, the systems are costly and the processing time can be very long.

4 . National Parks Recreational Vehicle Trips

Trip 1: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands&Capitol Reef

Visit the five Utah’s national parks. Activities include going boating on the Colorado River, and hiking Angels Landing for an impressive view of Zion Canyon. One thing is guaranteed：you’ll see the Milky Way, the pale white band of stars across the sky at night, like never before in this beautiful area of the country.

Available: Apr. 1 to Oct. 23; Duration: 8 to 13 nights

Price（for up to 4 guests): $4, 990-9, 840

Trip 2: Banff&Jasper

Travel along the Icefields Parkway which connects the parks and towns of Banff in Alberta, Canada, Lake Louise and Jasper Lake. Book a ride in a big snowcoach（雪车）onto the Athabasca

Glacier, and take a flight-seeing tour over the huge icefields that cover the area of the Rocky Mountains.

Available: Jun. 15 to Sept. 15; Duration: 8 to 13 nights

Price (for up to 4 guests): S5, 260-6, 080

Trip 3: Mount Rushmore & Colorado

This trip is perfect for anyone interested in America’s history, from forts to huge rock carvings of historical figures. Starting in Denver, your journey will take you through Colorado and into Wyoming.

Available: Start as early as Feb. 1 to Oct. 10; Duration: 8 to 13 nights

Price（for up to 4 guests): $5, 124-7, 880

Trip 4: Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon

Start your journey in the Bay Area and then head cast to Yosemite with its impressive waterfalls, and towering cliffs（悬崖）. Combine your visit to Yosemite with stops at Sequoia National Park to see the five largest sequoia trees in the world, and Kings Canyon.

Available: May 19 to Oct 8; Duration: 8 to 13 nights

Price（for up to 4 guests): $5, 224-9, 540

I have been in Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi, for two years since I     1     (admit) to a PhD program in Shanxi University as an international student from Bangladesh.

Over the two years, I found myself     2     (fall) in love with Shanxi and China. I liked to cycle on the streets in Taiyuan and visit places I encountered     3     (random). The cycling tours helped to deepen     4     (I) understanding of the city. In my eyes, Taiyuan is a city     5     both history and modernity.

The city has     6     history of more than 2,500 years, the longest among all cities in China. An abundance of well-preserved ancient     7     (structure), like the temples in Jinci, the double pagodas in Yongzuo Temple, are the material evidence to help you get a glimpse into     8     ancient China looked like. Taiyuan is also a fast-growing modern city. It is ranked among the world’s top 500 cities in terms of     9    (science) research according to a recent Nature Index rating.

I hope more international students come to study in Shanxi University and to live and work in China     10     is full of opportunities.

How are you doing recently?

Yours,

Lihua