The world’s first “Sky Pool” has been uncoated（曝光）-and it’ll give anyone a touch of dizziness（眩晕）, unless he or she is not bothered by heights．

   Situated in the capital’s new riverside district beside Battersea Power Station，the glass pool，hanging 10 storeys，or 110 feet up as a bridge between two apartment buildings，is 25m long，5m wide and 3m deep with a water depth of 1.2m．Swimmers will be able to look down 35 meters to the street below as they take a dip，with only 20cm of glass between them and the outside world．It’s even got a bar，folding chairs and an orange garden．

   The pool will be part of Embassy Gardens at Nine Elms，a huge￡15 billion building project beside the new American Embassy in south-west London．The project is creating thousands of apartments，the smallest of which are expected to cost nearly $1 million，and the pool will only be open to the apartments’ owners．

   Embassy Gardens takes design inspiration from the Meatpacking District of New York with floor to ceiling windows and brick frontages．The designer，Sean Mulryan，desired to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering and do something that had never been done before．The Sky Pool’s transparent structure is the result of significant advancements in technologies over the last decade．

   The experience of the pool will be truly unique and it will feel like floating through the air in central London．

   Those people lucky enough to swim there will have a perfect view of the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye．It will be a selling point for developers when the second stage of the development is released to market．

On a typical warm weekend day this spring, about 60,000 people will make their way to one spot or another in the Great Smoky Mountains Park, which is found along the border between the states of Tennessee and North Carolina, US. They will come to be amazed by the mountains on the skyline and the dense (茂密的），“smoky” forests, plants and animal life. They will be taken back in time, if only for a short while. As lovers of the Smoky Mountains like to say, they’re a little bit of the world as it was once.

    Over the century, Americans have built a special relationship with these wonders of the great outdoors. The parks are not just pretty places to admire, but also places of spiritual togetherness. Whether it is a snowcapped peak in the Rocky Mountains or one of the Great Lakes in the Northeast, the parks give citizens the opportunity to think more deeply about their lives, the nation and each other. They’re a connection to the US’ beginning and to the spirit of the settlers who made new lives for themselves in a wilderness .For Americans native peoples the parks are a link to their homelands, which are thousands of years old.

    The parks also inspire artists. Poems and pieces of music are written about them； visual artists have work based on them. One such artist, US photographer Ansel Adams, took thousands of photographs in Yosemite National Park.

    Above all，the parks inspire patriotism (爱国精神）in visitors. Edwin Bembaum, US director of the Sacred Mountains Program at the Mountain Institute, associates park sites like the amazing Grand Canyon with the US, national hymn (赞歌），America the Beautiful. The “spacious skies” and “purple mountain majesties (雄伟）” celebrated in the song remind Americans, according to Bembaum, “of the quest (追求）for freedom and independence at the heart of American culture and history”.

    With the launch of the US - China year of tourism in March, more travelers from China now have the opportunity to visit these wonders of nature. Who knows? Perhaps one day you will be among those going out into the Smoky Mountains or heading to Yellowstone for a glorious day enjoying nature.

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Recently I paid a visit to Harvard University, where there are top class scientists and professors and the best academic system in the world.

I was pretty   (1)  when I first stepped onto the campus. Well, itˈs not even really a campus. Itˈs  (2)  like a district in a small town.

Harvardˈs main buildings are from the 18th century, They look very old and   (3)  . You might   (4)  say theyˈre a little shabby. They donˈt fit the modern  (5)   of university at all. The buildings are surrounded by  (6)  and trees, so I felt as if I had walked into a medieval (中世纪的) castle. But when I looked across the street,   (7)  shops and in-fashion students made me feel like I was in the 21st century  (8)   . It creates a strong contrast and brings a special   (9)   to the school.

Our tour  (10)  Gary took us around and told us, "You see this grass field in the center of the school? Here is where they hold their  (11)   ceremony. They just set up tents and benches and have a very simple ceremony.” Itˈs   (12)   ! Who would think the most talented students just graduate on the grass?

I   (13)  some students put a blanket on the grass and lie down to read a book. When I listened to the soft sound of   (14)   turning, along with chirping of the birds, I felt very  (15)  . There was no competitive feeling at all.

Harvard has the worldˈs first computer in its science centre  (16)   there are hundreds of high-end computers, too. Its religion and the literature departments are also  (17)   the best. It is the perfect mix of tradition and   (18)   technology. It makes Harvard a very attractive place to  (19)  in. I hope one day Iˈll   (20)  my dream school -- Harvard.

During the month I spent studying in England last summer, one day stood out. I was only 16 and I had been wandering on the streets of London. The freedom was great,   (1)   for someone who had lived in a small town all her life, the city represented a world of   (2)  .

This was not my first   (3)   to London. A year earlier, I had been there with my mother, trying to   (4)   the major attractions in three days. That trip was wonderful but   (5)  . This time I was grateful to be able to enjoy the atmosphere and   (6)  .

My friend and I discussed where we should go, and then decided to go cycling. This   (7)  us to Covent Garden, home of the giant Doc Marten’s store and trendy cafes. The market area is one of my favorite places in London. It’s a great place to   (8)  : You can find everything from the latest fashions to souvenirs that can   (9)   be found in England. The street   (10)  , from classical musicians to magicians, were out in large numbers. Many tourists   (11)   to watch them. I did not linger (逗留) because I was   (12)   just to feel the activity in the street rather than become a   (13)   of it.

At sunset, we headed to the Thames River. The river itself is   (14)   special to look at; the   (15)   often appears muddy, and no one would like to swim in it.   (16)  , the view makes the visit   (17)  . From there, you can enjoy those famous architectures: the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern Museum.

As I stood on the bridge appreciating my   (18)  , I realized what an incredibly rich history the city had. Over the next hundred years, the city may change as older buildings will probably   (19)   bigger ones, but certain elements will   (20)  .

I had the honour of being elected chief of my tribe(部落)．With the title came great responsibility. It was my job to make peace with the Maori Tamaki tribe, whose village we visited. Their soldiers jumped from a canoe and faced us down with fierce crying, sticking eyes and much noise of sticks. They laid a palm leaf on the ground and, as head, I was forced to accept this peace offering by picking it up, then touching noses with their chief. “Kia ora，”  he said,  welcoming us into the woodland home of his people.

My “tribe” was my New Zealand coach tour group, who had forced me into being their leader. We’d been warned that the ceremony was a serious occasion and that to laugh or even smile would be considered rude to the Tamaki. After that it was non-stop fun as they demonstrated their ancient customs and I received instruction in performing the haka, the war dance immortalized(使不朽) by the All Blacks rugby team.

Then they pulled our dinner of lamb, beef and vegetables out of the ground. It had been slow-cooked in the heat just below the surface in the geothermal(地热的) area of North Island, a Maori tradition known as a hangi that goes back an extremely long period of time.

Obviously, this form of it is put on for tourists but it was hugely enjoyable. The journey back to the hotel was alone worth the effort, our elder Maori driver being deserving of his own television show. “The wheels on the bus go round and round，” he got us singing, while he circuited a round about three times.

A couple of days from the end of our trip, there was still something missing, a New Zealand icon I wanted to see to make my grand tour complete. Riding over a ridge, there it was—Aotearoa. The Maori name for New Zealand translates as “the land of the long white cloud”. Can I say “Kia ora, Aotearoa？” You bet I can.

Four Great Railway Journeys

    Travelling by rail holds a romantic and old-fashioned appeal that can’t be matched by flying or driving. By taking the slow route, you get to experience and interact with an area in a completely different way.

The Rocky Mountaineer

    Where: Canada, from Vancouver to Banff, Jasper and Calgary.

    When: In June, which is springtime in the Rockies, complete with blooming flowers and abundant wildlife.

    Duration: Between two and eight days, travelling only in daylight, staying in luxury hotels.

    Highlights: Splendid views of the Rocky Mountains, incredible luxury at every stage of the trip, traditional native storytelling, wine classes and natural history workshops.

The Chepe

    Where: Mexico. It begins its journey in the mountains of Chihuahua and finishes on the Sinaloa coast.

    When: In the rainy season, from June to October, you’ll get lush vegetation（丰富的植被）and blooming cacti（仙人掌）, although mid-summer (July) temperatures can reach 44℃.

    Duration: Doing the route straight through takes 14 hours, but you’ll want to stop off overnight and explore traditional towns along the way.

    Highlights: The train winds its way down through 656 km of the spectacular Copper Canyon (which is deeper than the Grand Canyon), over 37 bridges and through 86 tunnels. Local people sell crafts and foods along the route.

The Ghan

    Where: Australia, from Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs.

    When: Going during the wet season (December, January and February) will allow you to see more wildlife and tropical splendour in the north, though peak season is usually the winter.

    Duration: Going straight through takes 52 hours. There are disembarkation points（下车点）from which you can take tours.

    Highlights: Going through Australia’s Red Gentre with blue skies, red earth and not much else—a beautiful and serene（宁静的）experience.

The Royal Scotsman

    Where: Travels around the Scottish Highlands or all the way around Great Britain.

    When: Warmer weather and up to 20 hours of daylight in June makes it the perfect time to watch ospreys soaring（鱼鹰飞翔）over mirror-like lochs（湖）, or go in October for autumn colors.

    Duration: Trips can be as short as two days or as long as seven.

    Highlights: Possibly the most expensive train journey in the world. You’ll be treated like a member of the monarchy（王室）. Indulgent（放纵的）cuisine, fine wines and carriages that look like rooms at Balmoral Castle await those willing to part with a minimum of £ 2350 per person for a two-night trip.

  Do you like travelling? Do you want to get some information about it? If so, don't miss the following books about travelling.

Journeys of a Lifetime

   Adapted from the favorite trips of National Geographic's travel writers, Journeys of a Lifetime crosses the globe to show the best of the world's most famous and little-known destinations. It presents lost of possibilities, from ocean voyages around Antarctica to horse riding in the Andes. Every continent and every possible form of transport is covered.

Destinations of a Lifetime

   Destinations of a Lifetime takes you on a photographic tour of the world's most impressive destinations. Hundreds of the most amazing locations-both natural and man-made-are illustrated with vivid images taken by the world-class photographers. Destinations of a Lifetime includes all the information: when to go, where to eat, where to stay, and what to do to ensure the most interesting experience.

World's Best Travel Experiences

   Popular actor and award-winning travel writer Andrew McCarthy writes the foreword(序言) to this great book, offering 400 excellent destinations chosen by National Geographic's family. This broad, general interest travel title will appeal to active travellers looking for the next great trip as well as to the many readers who simply love dreaming of visiting faraway, peaceful destinations.

Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travel

   This collection of the 500 most unmissable sights and attractions in the world has been ranked by Lonely Planet's global community, so big sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal compete for a prized place in the top 10, making this the only list you'll ever need.

My Year Abroad                                                           

This month in Travelers Corner there are three teenagers’ experiences in year-abroad programmes.

Mariko Okada – Tokyo

My year abroad in the United States was a fantastic experience. I’m not a shy person, and I was very comfortable speaking to everyone. So I got lots of speaking practice. I also learned lots of interesting things about American culture. When I got home, my friends all said that I had improved so much! I hope to go back again in the future.

Carla Fonseca – Rio de Janeiro

I spent last year studying English in London. I’m from a small town, and London is a very big city. Sometimes I felt it was too big. There were so many people to talk to, but I always felt bad about my English. I missed my family, and I really missed my two cats. My roommate was always using our telephone, so I hardly had the chance for a nice long talk with my parents. I think it was a good experience for me, but I’m glad to be home!

Alvin Chen – Hong Kong

Studying in New Zealand was an interesting experience for me, but it was also lots of hard work! I had English classes six hours a day, five days a week——with lots of homework. I also kept a diary of my experience. I like to write, and I wrote two or three pages in my diary every day. On Saturdays, my home stay family took me to lots of interesting places and showed me so many wonderful things about the culture. I’m really glad I went!