It was a short flight from Shanghai to Xi' an. Xi' an is one of the four great ancient capitals of China{#blank#}1{#/blank#}over 3,100 years of history. Its ancient walls date from the Ming Dynasty and are the best {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (preserve) in the world. There are bicycles for people to hire. It is {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(amaze) to ride along the walls to survey this fascinating city.

    The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance show is not to be missed, but my favorite is an art gallery, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}we can enjoy some beautiful artwork and learn how to write Chinese characters.

    Most tourists make{#blank#}5{#/blank#}way to Xi' an to see the life-size terracotta warriors (兵马俑) and we were no  {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(difference). The collection, which shows the armies of the first Emperor of China, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(remain) hidden until 1974 when they were discovered by a farmer sinking a well. Walking among the statues is forbidden unless you are a VIP — but there are plenty of souvenir{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(shop) in which tourists can buy the replicas(复制品)of them.

    All too soon it was time{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(leave). I really enjoyed my stay in Xi' an. It is indeed a place of interest worth{#blank#}10{#/blank#}second visit.

    Would you like the chance {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(discover) a place of mystery and beauty in the south­west of China? If your answer is 'yes'， consider a trip to Shangri­la!

    The word 'Shangri­la' first appeared in a classic novel by James Hilton. Hilton described a beautiful kingdom{#blank#}2{#/blank#}three rivers joined together, steep mountains reached to the sky, and fields of long grass covered the earth. In this perfect world lived people who {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(discover) how to stay young forever.

    Which place could {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(official) take the name of this wonderful land? There were arguments over {#blank#}5{#/blank#} tourist spot{#blank#}6{#/blank#}win) the name of Shangri­la. Many years after the book was published, some people realized that the Shangri­la of the novel was{#blank#}7{#/blank#}perfect match for Zhongdian in Yunnan Province, China. In September 1997, the government of Yunnan Province announced that Zhongdian was the Shangri­la of Hilton's story.

    Three mountains, Meili, Baimang and Haba, which {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(cover) with snow, tower over the land. Their snowy mountaintops form a beautiful picture that will leave you at a loss for words.

    Below the mountains, the sunshine reflects on the many lakes, making them shine like diamonds{#blank#}9{#/blank#}the rich countryside.

    Nature has provided Shangri­la with endless natural treasures，{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (make) the land a happy home for the local people.

    The weather changes so quickly that people say you can experience four seasons in one day. The best times to visit Shangri­la are spring and autumn when the temperature is at its mildest.

    A young man, while traveling through a desert, came across a spring of clear water. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}water was sweet. He filled his leather container so that he could bring some back to an elder {#blank#}2{#/blank#}had been his teacher. After a four-day journey, the young man{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (present) the water to the old man. His teacher took a deep drink, smiled{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (warm), and thanked his student very much for the sweet water. The young man went home {#blank#}5{#/blank#}a happy heart.

    After the student left, the teacher let {#blank#}6{#/blank#}student taste the water. He spat it out, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(say) it was awful. Apparently, it was no longer fresh because of the old leather container. He asked his teacher, "Sir, the water was awful. Why did you pretend to like{#blank#}8{#/blank#}?"

The teacher replied, “You tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of kindness and love. Nothing could be{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (sweet).”

    We understand this lesson best {#blank#}10{#/blank#}we receive gifts of love from children. Whether it is a cheap pipe or a diamond necklace, the proper response is appreciation. We love the idea within the gift rather than the thing.

The Best Way of Losing Weight

    Forget what the skinny movie stars and the TV adverts say - losing weight is hard work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} you do it through exercise, diet, or a bit of both, it's extremely challenging to lose those pounds and then to keep them off. Sometimes it can involve {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (change) huge parts of your day-to-day life and it can mean breaking decades-old habits.

    But it turns out there's one little thing you {#blank#}3{#/blank#} do to help you achieve your goal and it's got nothing to do with food or exercise. The experts at Weight Watchers did research which shows many of their members were more successful and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (discouraged) when they shared regular updates on their new healthy lifestyle online. They found people who shared a diary of their daily lives with friends and followers were stimulated and inspired by positive feedback {#blank#}5{#/blank#} they lost some pounds and kept them off.

    More than 50 per cent of people said the support of a weight loss community was crucial when it came {#blank#}6{#/blank#} changing their eating habits and 53 per cent shared photos of their meals on social media. With this knowledge under their belts, Weight Watchers {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (launch) a series of short films lately which show people recording their daily weight loss journey.

    One of the members who shared her journey was Danielle Duggins, and her video shows her enjoying a range of healthy meals and a few treats, while {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (play) with her children.

    The company's marketing director Claudia Nicholls said: "The support of a community has always proved to be an effective way of forming and sustaining healthy habits, but there has never been an easier or more affordable way {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (tap) into the power of the crowd for support and inspiration with the explosion of online communities. Weight Watchers owns a social community for members, Connect, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} sees over 14,000 daily posts in the UK alone, and provides our members with instant access to a community of people who are on similar journeys to them.