2 . Learn How to Have a Learning Vacation

Going on a vacation to learn a skill you have long wanted to pick up sounds like a good getaway, but be cautious, said John Spence, the president of a travel company in Calif. “If you don’t pick the right skill for you, or go in with unrealistic expectations, your precious time off won’t be enjoyable,” he said.

Here, he shares his advice on planning a learning vacation that you won’t regret taking:

Follow your passion (热情).     1    . They include cooking, photography, art history, farming or a sport such as diving or horseback riding. To get the most out of the trip, choose something you’re passionate about.

    2    ? With whatever skill you intend to learn, figure out whether you want an immersion (沉浸) or only to occupy a part of your trip. It’s possible to learn cooking basics, for example, by taking a weeklong course at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland. Another option is to attend several half-day classes at the school and have more free time to explore the destination itself. “    3    , so make sure that it’s what you really want,” Mr. Spence said.

Consider your budget. No matter the skill, you can learn it by taking a vacation in a wide range of price ranges.     4    . If you want to learn scuba diving (水肺式潜泳), for example, heading to the Maldives will cost several thousand dollars per person, while a scuba diving trip to the Florida Keys is a more wallet-friendly choice.

Don’t forget the children.     5    , provided that they are fun. “Yes, you want your kids to learn, but you don’t want them to be bored by overloading them with too much information,” Mr. Spence said.

6 . Many of the Earth's creatures die because of humans' choices. These choices have nothing to do with food or shelter or anything else that helps humans survive. What kills millions of animals all over the world is that humans want to make money by doing so.

People use parts of animals for everything from hats to handbags, from jewelry to ashtrays and to make powders that supposedly improve a person's life. Deciding that a species is endangered and protecting it by law are not always enough. People who kill wildlife illegally rarely get caught.

During the late 1980s, saving elephants became a popular cause. Wildlife protection groups made sure everyone saw pictures or films of elephants with their faces cut off for their ivory. These groups also proved that certain populations of elephants were decreasing. As a result, most people stopped buying objects made of ivory. Laws against poaching (偷猎) were made stronger. Many countries made importing ivory illegal. Killing elephants for their Ivory became more risky and less profitable (有利可图的).

However, concern for certain species will become weak after a while. In the late 1970s, people protested (抗议) against the killing of seal babies. Everyone was shocked to see young seals being killed in their icy habitat. The cruel activity stopped. But ten years later, the number of seal babies killed was higher than ever.

Other animal protection movements have come and gone, such as saving the whales and protecting dolphins. The whale population appears to have increased for now. And the laws are finally changed in America to protect the dolphins that swim with tuna fish in parts of the Pacific Ocean.

In the years to come, people's attention will probably turn to some other endangered species. Plenty of them urgently need attention. During this time, will the elephants be forgotten?

The European Union is     1     organization of European countries. The countries are     2     (depend) and are governed in different     3     (way). In the United Kingdom,     4     example, the head of state is a king or queen. In France, on the other hand, the head of state is a president. But each of them     5     (send) representatives to the European Parliament,     6     has some control over what happens in each of the member countries.

The idea of the European Union     7     (begin) in the 1950s. The first members were France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy. Little by little, the number increased during the second half of the     8     (twenty) century. By the year 2000, there were 15 member countries. The new countries were Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

In 2004, the European Union increased to 25 members. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, plus the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Malta all became members. The     9     (expand) European Union has a population of more than half a billion people, twice     10     big as the population of the United States.

My husband and I were paying a visit    1    my parents in Tucson. We went to a fast-food restaurant for dinner together. My husband went to the counter(柜台)    2    (order) dishes and I stood with my parents.

My dad is 90 years old. He can hardly see very well and walks with a stick. I was looking around in the restaurant,    3    (wait) to sit at the first table that was    4    (convenient) than others. A woman who was sitting with her son saw me and asked me to come to her. With a puzzled look on my face, I pointed to     5    (me)and said, “Me?” . She    6    (nod) and said, “Yes, you.” I walked to the table and she said, “Bring your family here. I can finish eating at the counter. My son is in    7    hurry to leave anyway.” My eyes    8    (fill) with tears as she wiped down the table and guided my dad to the seat.

I always believe that there are    9    (nature) kind people in this world. This woman has set a good example to her son,     10    is a really lucky guy.

10 . Not everyone knows that Mogao Caves in China has a “little sister” — Yulin Caves, which is smaller but better preserved than Mogao Caves. This “little sister” has the most brilliant murals (壁画) which are large in scale (规模) and diverse in forms and skills, with much art value. Here is some information to refer to when planning your tour here.

Daily Itinerary (行程)

DAY 1: Visit Mingshashan in the middle afternoon when it is not very hot and sunburn is low.

DAY 2: Visit Yulin Caves. You can visit up to 6 caves. After that, drive about 30 minutes to Suoyangcheng.

DAY 3: Visit the newly opened Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center. You will watch two short but well-produced educational documentary movies about Mogao Caves. After the movies, take the interzonal bus to Mogao Caves.

Highlights of This Tour

●In-depth tour of Mogao Caves and Yulin Caves

●Visiting Suoyangcheng — an ancient ruined city 2,000 years ago

●Private tour package covering airport pick-up, accommodation, sightseeing and private tour guide

Basic Information about Price

●$380 per person

●This price is based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in 4-star hotels and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.

●This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel, class, etc. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.