7 . 27-year-old Alexandra Knox, from Newcastle, moved in with Florence Smith after starting a master’s degree. Having quite possibly the largest age gap (差距) of any housemates in the UK, the pair say they hit it off and have a great time living together. They watch afternoon TV together, chat over a cup of tea, and do some of the cleaning together — “It’s no different from living with university students,” said Alexandra.

Florence has lived in the London home for over 50 years. Having retired from her job at the age of 70, and with her family living far away, she was left on her own. To avoid feeling lonely, she signed up for house sharing with Homeshare, the charity which paired her with Alexandra.

“Sharing your home is a great idea. Loneliness is horrible. Having someone else in the home makes a big difference. You don’t have to worry about falling over or hurting yourself. And more importantly, it’s lovely to have somebody to talk to during the day,” Florence said.

Florence added, “I was already 67 years old when my housemate was born, and when I told my friends about it, they thought it was strange. But the more they find out about it, the more they think it’s a very good idea.”

Alexandra said she was originally frightened by the idea of moving to London and living with an older person, but she thinks it has made her experience in the capital much better and has been a great way to cover sky-high rental costs. “It just didn’t seem like the normal thing to do, living with an older person,” she explained. “But now it’s like being with an old family friend. It gives me somewhere homely to come back to in the evening, which is great.”

8 . Best National Parks in Europe

You love nature, forests, lakes and wildlife? Discover the most fascinating national parks in Europe. Forget the crowd, forget cities and shopping, and come to relax in the best national parks in Europe.

Plitvice Lake National Park, Croatia

With its natural beauty, the region has always inspired nature and hiking enthusiasts (爱好者) and was therefore announced the first national park in Croatia in as early as 1949. The highlights (亮点) are the 16 cascade-like lakes, all of which are connected by waterfalls. The various hiking trails run partly even straight through the water — a paradise for adventurers (冒险者).

Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany

If you want to go hiking in European mountains, Saxon Switzerland might also be a great choice for your trip. The special rock formations of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains have their very own special charm and are just waiting to be discovered. Another highlight is the 76m long bridge that runs through the great rocks and from where you can also enjoy a fantastic view over the mountains.

Cinque Terre National Park, Italy

Wander through colourful villages situated on steep terraces and enjoy wonderful views of the sea. Welcome to 1,740 hectares of pure paradise along the Mediterranean coast, where you can discover countless small beach bays and hundreds of hiking trails in the middle of a gorgeous Italian scenery.

Peneda Gerês National Park, Portugal

You can do more than 15 different hikes. For nature lovers, you must visit it because there is a lot to discover: Forests of meter-high ferns, majestic waterfalls, romantic river valleys and small mountain villages. With a little luck, you might even see deer or mountain goats.

CHANGSHA—Giant animal puppets (木偶) held up by actors and aerial dancers swinging via red ribbons, all formed part of a puppet show on top of a shopping mall     1     impressed the audience with its French flavor in the     2     (center) Chinese city of Changsha on Wednesday.

The puppet show De La Fontaine is     3     tour in China from May 4 to 12, and will be staged in Harbin in Northeast China this weekend, after     4     (early) hitting the streets of China’s Wuhan and Changsha.

Staged by international theater company Archibald Caramantran, the shows are part of this year’s Croisements Festival     5     (mark) 60 years of diplomatic ties between China and France, according to Thomas Penot, ambassador at the French Consulate General in Wuhan.

The shows, staged in open-air public places,     6     (base) on French writer Jean de La Fontaine’s fables Red Balloon and Rooster and Stork Romance.

“We really enjoy performing for a Chinese audience,     7     audiences here are very playful when interacting with the actors,” said Olivier Hagenloch, the company’s artistic director, adding that     8     visit has helped the company understand China better.

The Croisements Festival     9     (provide) a platform for cultural exchange between China and France for 18 consecutive years. This year, the festival will take place in over 30 Chinese cities     10     feature more than 400 events.