I visited Egypt for the first time in April this year.   41  I spent only 3 days in Sinai, it left me a   42  impression. Away from famous tourist spots ofCairoandLuxoron the mainland, Mount Sinai proved that Egypt’s attractions are not only   43  to pyramids. Sinai is known for its desert landscape, where rocks and sand  44  the scenery and little life seems to    45 inits deadly dry environment.

   With excitement, I   46  my climb on my own at midnight, hoping to catch sight of the  47  over the desert. Bathed in the glow of a full moon, there was a peaceful hush(安静) that surrounded the mountain. Only the sound of the wind   48  me during the four-hour climb, but I  49  felt horrible. The landscape was rocky, but the path was  50  enough and well-trodden (常到的) by tourists over the years.

   Halfway up the mountain, I    51  agroup of 30 Muslims who were making their way to the top as part of their pilgrimage(朝圣). We    52 inEnglish and I found out that most of them were in their thirties or forties, and expressed a strong determination to do the climb for their  53 .

   Before sunrise, I reached the summit, but it was far too  54  for me to stay outside waiting,  55  I was wearing 3 thick clothes. By the time I made the   56  hike up to the peak, I realized to my   57  that it was filled with 100 other people. I managed to find a good   58   among the rocky ground as the sky 59 . Then a hush came over the mountains and everyone stopped   60 . The sun burst out from the horizon.

 During a recent holiday I visited Dusseldorf, a city in the former West Germany. The nine-day trip left a deep impression  (1)     me. I arrived at Dussedorf airport at 7 pm. It was already    (2)   outside. The first thing I needed to do was to find a place to   (3)   . I decided to telephone the youth hotel. But to use the phone I needed some   (4)      , I asked a lady for help. To my    (5)    she gave me three coins to use. But all the phones in the     (6)     needed phone cards. And phone cards could only be bought at post offices during the   (7)    . I was    (8)      I would not be able to call the hotel. An old gentleman helped me. He couldn’t speak English    (9)     understand that I needed to   (10)    a phone call. He showed me where the phone was and inserted    (11)     phone card．I called the youth hotel and found a place to stay that night.

The      (12)      of the German people made me feel that I was not     (13)     my hometown.My first day in Germany wasn’t as    (14)     as I expected．Whenever I went, I asked people for     (15)   . It surprised me that    (16)      every young German could speak English fluently. Older Germans couldnˈt speak English very well, but they would try to help me   (17)   they could．One middle-aged man I asked for directions even   (18)     me to the place I was looking for.

My    (19)     in Germany totally changed my impression of Germans. Now I think the people couldnˈt be more   (20)     .

I took a wonderful trip with my family when I was 10 years old. I   (1)   it well. My aunt, uncle and cousins lived on a small farm in the   (2)  outside Rome and they invited us to   (3)  them. These cousins were the   (4)   cousins who live in Miami now. Our   (5)  to visit them a long time ago was very different from our   (6)   trip to Miami. It was a Saturday   (7)  when we left home. We got up early that morning before the sun rose. We did not feel sleepy, instead, we were   (8)  and ate breakfast quickly. We left home at 5:30 in order to get an early start. It took us three hours to get   (9)  in my father's old car. When we   (10)  up to the house, everyone ran out to meet us. We   (11)  for two days and had a wonderful   (12)  ， We played outside all day and helped Uncle   (13)  the chickens. He taught us   (14)   to make wine. At night, we listened to the grown-ups   (15)   stories about their childhood. When it was time to    (16)  , we were very sad. My mother was especially sad to leave her   (17)  ，They begged us to stay   (18)  , but we had to leave. My father had to go to work   (19)   ， As I look back, that trip was a long, long time ago. My aunt and uncle are both   (20)   ; my cousins are living in Miami. The world is different now.

During a recent holiday I visited Dusseldorf, a city in the former West Germany.

The nice-day trip left a deep impression __1 _me. I arrived at Dusseldorf airport at 7 pm. It was already __2__outside.The first thing I needed to do was to find a place to __3__in. I decided to telephone the youth hotel .But to use the phone I needed some__4__ . I asked a lady for help. To my__5__she gave me three coins to use. But all the phones in the __6__needed phone cards .And phone cards could only be bought at post offices during the __7__. I was __8__I would not be able to call the hotel. An old gentleman helped me. He could not speak English __9__ understand that I needed to __10__a phone call. He showed me where the phone was and inserted（插进）__11__ phone card. I called the youth hotel and found a place to stay that night .

The __12__of the German people made me feel that I was not __13__ my hometown .Germany was not as __14__ as I expected .

Whenever I went, I asked people for __15__. It surprised me that __16__every young German could speak English fluently. Older German could not speak English very well, but they would help me __17__they could. One middle-aged man I asked for directions even __18__me to the place I was looking for .

My __19__in German totally changed my impression of Germans. Now I think the people couldn’t be more__20__.  

Can you imagine a sea of sand three times bigger than India? This is the Sahara desert(沙漠), the largest desert in the world. In the Sahara,  are very  (1)   different during the day and at night. It is much hotter during the day than at night. The Sahara is very   (2)  . The average(平均的) rainfall in a year is only 70mm. That’s   (3)  one cup of rain in a whole year.

  (4)  the extreme temperatures(气温) in the desert , it is a very difficult place to  (5)  . However, there’s still something you can do to help you stay _  (6)  . Take warm clothes and a blanket. During the day,   (7)   your body, head and face to protect you from the sun and keep   (8)  in your body. A blanket helps you keep warm at night. It can get cold very quickly. The  (9)   in temperature can make you feel even colder.

  (10)   to drink some water at least once every hour. You need your water to  (11)  as long as possible. Drink only what you need.   (12)   you talk, you lose water from your body. Keep your mouth  (13)  and do not talk. You can  (14)  a little, but only to stop you feeling very hungry. You can live three weeks with no food,   (15)   you can only live three days with no water.

It is very important to  (16)   the sun during the day. Make a hole under your car and lie there. This will keep you   (17)  . Find a warm place to  (18)  at night. A small place near a tree or a rock will be the warmest. But be  (19)   before you decide where to sleep. Dangerous animals like snakes   (20)  like to sleep in these places. Look carefully for animals before you lie down.

People who like travelling have their reasons. They believe that travelling can help them expand their field of view，especially in the geographical and historical sense. They also think that touring will give them more chances to enjoy different kinds of food and experience newthings that would never be brought by other activities. But those who dislike travelling also have some reasons.

Travelling, in my opinion，does more good than harm. Most importantly，it broadens(使扩大)our mind. We can get in touch with other civilizations(文明), cultures, customs and ideas.

 Through history, most people travelled because of necessity(必要性)－not for pleasure. People travelled just in order to remain alive. They searched for food to eat or places to live in. They sometimes ran away from enemies. This is not to say that no one ever travelled just for fun of it. In ancient times, for example, rich Romans travelled all the ways to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games, and festivals. Of course, some people decided to travel just out of curiosity(好奇心).They wanted to find out what it looked like beyond the horizon(地平线). Also business travel has been going on for centuries. Traders could not only make money but also learn to speak several languages and be introduced to different cultures.

So, travelling does enrich our mind and draw new ideas to us. There is no doubt that we can get much from it.

Things to Do in Atlanta

    Looking to have a great time? Here are some of our favorite things to do.

    Carol’s Pick: the Ghastly Dreadfuls

    I must say that I haven’t seen this performance, but our guest bloggers, Julie and Jon McKenna, did see it. What they wrote about it made me want to see it, so you may read their blogs right here, and maybe you, too, will want to go.

    Dates: October 30 and 31

    Location: Center for Puppetry Arts

    Phone: 404-873-3391

    Tommy’s Pick: Atlanta Arts Festival

    Enjoy local and national artists and great fall weather on the weekend. There will also be hands-on art demonstrations(示范) and classes, live music and delicious festival food.

    Dates: October 24 and 25

    Location: Piedmont Park

    Phone: 770-941-9660

    Joleen’s Pick: Atlanta World Kite Festival

    If you’re looking for something fun to do with the family, why not join this amazing festival? When I saw this on the list, I immediately put it on our family schedule. My three-year-old is going to jump for joy when he sees the kites fill the sky!

    Date: October 24

    Location: Stone Mountain Park

    Phone: 617-669-5515

    Miranda’s Pick: Owl-O-Ween Hot Air Balloon Festival

    Come and Take a hot air balloon ride! This isAtlanta’s only hot air balloon festival and Atlanta’s largest costume party. What’s more, enjoy beers, costume contests, and four stages of live music and performances.

   Date: October 23

   Location: Kennesaw State University Center

   Phone: 678-797-2083

   For a look at all the recent events, check out our full events list.

   Driving on up to Yosemite with my family was exciting but made you feel very nervous. I bad never been to such an amazing national park before yet I wasn't the most athletic person so I knew that I couldn't stick through all the hiking up and down.

   As I woke up from my nap, I saw the beautiful scenery of the tall mountains and beautiful streams. It was all there for you to take in at a glance. The trails were made nicely for visitors with Giant Sequoias all around. The waterfalls were breathtalking with capturing views. Climbing up rocks was one of my favorite parts.

   Even though I fell a couple of times, I still had a lot of fan. The fact that my family and I spent so much time together all trying to find out which route to take and what views to watch really brought us closer together. Spending time in an isolated place with other families around you struggling to get to the top of the peak or walking through the trails makes the whole entire experience worthwhile. Sometimes having no phone reception is the best way to get closer with the people around you by actually talking to each other and planning what to do next. It's a great time to bond, laugh, and take in what Mother Nature has to offer.

   The great thing about nature is that, it's just you, the views, and the people around you. There's nothing there to bother you and it's the best way to relax and enjoy yourself. Even for people like me who don't love hiking or bugs, you forget about it all as you start to appreciate the great qualifies of nature around you.

   Yosemite has 5 of the world's highest waterfalls, and about 300 lakes. It's formed in ways that exactly take your breath away. Some of them are a deep dark color with waterfalls forming, some are formed with spots of green peeking out. The park also has 67 species with a variety of different types of animals that wander around you.

   Many of the world's famous cities are know by some special names. Paris is known as the "City of Light". Hong Kong is the "Wall Street of Asia". One small city in Pennsylvania may be the sweetest place on Earth. That is town of Hershey, which is known as the "Chocolate Town". It is named after Milton Hershey, the founder of the largest chocolate factory in the world.

   Milton Hershey built his first candy factory in the early 1900s. At the time, Hershey was developing a technique for milk chocolate. Eventually he succeeded. Hershey was also the first to produce individually wrapped chocolate bars. His factory grew and produced more and more types of chocolate. To this day, Hershey's chocolate factory is the largest in the world. Hershey used his success to give back to the community. He built a town around the factory for his employees. He gave streets fun names like Chocolate Avenue. He built schools, parks and shops. This generous man gave millions of dollars to charity. He built an amusement park with rides, trains for children and a swimming pool. Over the years, the town grew. People from near and far came to visit this special town, whose beauty and fame continue to attract lots of tourists. Every year close to three million tourists visit the Chocolate Town.

   Today visitors to the city can enjoy a variety of attractions and activities. The Hershey chocolate factory offers tours. Visitors can learn all about chocolate and how it is made. A gift shopsells all kinds of chocolate and toys made to look like chocolate. Even if you don't buy a souvenir, there is one thing that is impossible to forget: the wonderful aroma of fresh chocolate everywhere. In this special place even the streetlights are shaped like chocolate.

   Another attraction is the Hershey Hotel. It has an unusual mineral spring where guests can enjoy a variety of special treatments. The treatments all have one thing in common: chocolate.

When visiting Maui, one of the most beautiful islands in the world, there are so many attractions for you.

HALEAKALA

   Mt. Haleakala towers 10,023 feet high and is one of the two volcanoes that created this incredible Hawaiian isle. Haleakala National Park offers a variety of activities, making it one of the most revisited attractions in all the Hawaiian Islands. The most popular activities include enjoying sunrise and sunset, hiking, and backcountry camping on Maui.

ROAD TO HANA

   There are many ways to experience the Road to Hana, and the sleepy coastal Town of Hana, Maui. Visitors can go by group and private tours, or explore on their own by renting a vehicle. Beginning at the historic Town of Paia, visitors can enjoy decorated coastlines all the way to Hana, world famous beaches in Hawaii, tropical landscapes, waterfalls, scenic lookout points, and cultural attractions that mark significant points in Maui's unique Hawaiian history.

HO'OKIPA BEACH PARK

   Ho'okipa Beach Park is one of the most famous beaches in the world for professional surfing and windsurfing. In the ancient Hawaiian language, "ho'okipa" means hospitality, which is exactly what this Beach Park offers! At Ho'okipa, visitors can see the powerful coastline from the top parking lot for amazing photo opportunities. Or you can go to the sand for afternoon BBQ's and the glorious Maui sunshine.

OHE'O GULCH POOLS

   The Ohe'o Gulch Pools, more commonly referred to as the Seven Sacred Pools, is a wonderful place to explore Maui on vacation. The lower pools are more easily accessed, and perhaps the best choice for visitors who want to jump in. Due to the popularity of the Seven Sacred Pools, it is highly suggested to arrive early for a chance to enjoy privacy in this beautiful location.