{#blank#}1{#/blank#} People traveled in search of food and shelter or in order to flee from their enemies. Sometimes they were looking for gold or silver in order to become rich. On other occasions they were searching for rich farmland.

    This is not to say that no one ever traveled just for fun. Even in ancient times, some pleasure travel occurred. During a typical season, 700,000 tourists. would crowd into the ancient city of Rome, where animals performed and magicians entertained them. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} International tourist arrivals alone reached as many as 546 million in 1994 and are forecast to rise to 937 million in 2010, according to the World Trade Organization. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Probably the most common reason for traveling is related to our physical well-being. Actually, traveling to sports events is one of the fastest growing types of travel. In our fast developing, modern society where stress has become part of people's life, people can rest and relax by having a change of environment and activities.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} No one seems to doubt that travel broadens the mind. In 18th century Europe, young men would go on a Grand Tour to various countries in order to complete their education. Today the desire to travel to different countries is encouraged by modem mass media. People who travel to other countries can at the same time learn more about their own country and culture.

A. But why do people like traveling so much

B. Throughout history, most travel was not for pleasure

C. So they travel to a lake for a swim or to a park for a hike

D. The improvement in transportation has also encouraged people to travel

E. Wealthy Romans made trips to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games

F. The growth of tourism has become a modern phenomenon experienced by all countries in the world

G. Another important reason for traveling is to satisfy our curiosity about different places and cultures

    Do you ever wonder if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing with your life?What if you have potential talents that could lead you to a new path and change everything for the better?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}The following tips will help you discover your potential strength.

    ●Do what you love.

    One sure way to get yourself moving in the right direction is to do more of the things that make you feel good.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}That might lead to writing a book or a movie or a career in writing.If baking treats for friends and neighbors gives you great pleasure,take it one step further.Upgrade your packaging and look into selling your goodies at a local market.

    ●Complete some assessment activities.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}While none of them is perfect,each of them can help you realize the types of your strengths.

    ●{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    It's not always easy to self-identify what we're good at.So go and ask your friends what they think your strengths are.You might be surprised at what they have to say.Are you creative,organized,or socially outgoing?Sometimes your friends are more aware of your strengths than you.

    ●Find a guide.

    If you have an idea of where your potential strengths lie,it may help to find a person who has achieved success in a related area.Chances are that your guide would be happy to share tips and motivations to help you.Use this relationship to get hands-on experience.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Ask the owner of a shop you admire if you can work part time or volunteer in order to learn the business and see if it suits you.

A. Ask your friends.

B. Turn to your teachers for help.

C. Stop wondering and start doing.

D. If you love to write, start blog now.

E. Setting a goal helps you identify a potential strength.

F. There are many free self-evaluation tools on the Internet.

G. Do you think you might want to open a bookstore or cafe?

House Sitting

    In many countries of the world people do what is called house sitting. It means that if owners of the house are going away, they want someone to come into their home and look after the house and maybe pets while they are away.

    In Australia, many people travel. After people retire, they might buy a van and travel all over the country. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    So if someone wants to travel or go away for some reason, they might want someone in their home to care for it and keep the gardens tidy. House sitters might have to care for pets. Also, quite a few people have swimming pools in their back yard and they need cleaning. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I feel it is a great way of seeing the country, because you go and stay in a new city, get to meet new people, and have time to go sightseeing in a new area.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} There are websites where you find the advertisements by people who want to travel, and by replying to the advertisement, you can make arrangements to go and look after their home. There are some requirements to be a house sitter. You must be a trusted person, so that the home owner knows you will not steal anything. You must be able to go when the house owner wants you to go, so you need lots of free time. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You need to be good with pets, able to care for cats and dogs, or other pets they may have.

    Some house sitting Jobs are just for a few days or a couple of weeks while the house owner have a short holiday. Sometimes it is for much longer. We have had one house sit for six months, while the home owner travelled to Europe.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Then you can travel to many different countries and stay there. One of the important things to get are references from the home owners where you have stayed. A reference is a written letter to say that you are trustworthy and have looked after their home well. You can show these letters to prospective house sitting Jobs and they know you will do a good job.

A. I have done house sitting many times.

B. Thousands of people do this all the time.

C. It is also possible to do house sitting in other countries.

D. Generally you have many opportunities to get a house sitting job.

E. You must take a little care over what your description says about you.

F. This is an international house sitting service for all city and country areas.

G. You must have a good car, so you can travel to different parts of the country.

    Every week for the past thirty years, I have hosted a Sunday dinner in my home. People, including total strangers, call or e-mail to book a spot. I hold the salon in my studio. The first fifty people who call may come-twice that many when the weather is nice and we can overflow into the garden.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Last week it was a philosophy student from Lisbon, and next week a dear friend from London will cook.

    People from all corners of the world come to break bread together，to meet to talk， and often to become friends. All ages, nationalities, races, and professions gather here, and since there is no organized seating, the opportunity for connecting couldn't be better. I love the randomness (随意).

    I have a good memory so each week I make a point to remember everyone's name on the guest list and where they're from so I can introduce them to one another. If I had my way, I would introduce everyone in the whole world to one another.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Many travelers go to see things like the Tower of London, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, and so on. I travel to see friends， even-or especially-those I've never met.

    In the late 1980s, I edited a series of guidebooks to different countries.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Instead, each book contained about a thousand biographies of people who would be willing to welcome travelers in their cities. Hundreds of friendships evolved from these encounters, including including marriages and babies.

    The same can be said for my salon. At a recent dinner a six-year-old girl from Bosnia spent the entire evening glued to an eight-year-old boy from Estonia. Their parents were surprised, and pleased, by this immediate friendship.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Most of them speak English, at least as a second language. Recently a dinner featured a typical mix: a beautiful painter from Norway, a truck driver from Arizona, a newspaper editor from Sydney and students from all over.

    It is unnecessary to understand others; one must, at the very least, simply tolerate others.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}No one can ever really understand anyone else, but you can love them or at least accept them.

    I am a world citizen. All human history is mine. My roots cover the earth. We should know each other. Okay, now come and dine.

A. I believe in introducing people to people.

B. People are the most important thing in my life.

C. There were no sights to see, no shops or museums to visit.

D. Tolerance can lead to respect and, finally, to love.

E. After all, our lives are all connected.

F. Every Sunday a different friend prepares a feast.

G. There is always a collection of people throughout the world.

Helpful tips for college-bound seniors

    Researching a college is one of the most time-consuming tasks that you'll encounter. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, what classes and facilities the college has to offer, and what sports it offers. After narrowing your choices to a group of colleges, you'll have to start to research these in depth. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He or she may be able to help you find things about the colleges that you could not get yourself.

    Knowing what you want to study is another key to looking for a college. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} By knowing what I want to do, I can then look at colleges that I've been thinking about applying to and narrow my choices down. If a college doesn't have the courses I need, then it's definitely out of the picture.

    Another key thing to look for is the college's testing requirements. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some colleges also require an SAT II test in certain areas, for example English or Math. Remember to look at a college's GPA requirements, too. You may find a college where there's everything you want, but your GPA isn't high enough to be considered. In this case you may need to attend a junior college for one or two years.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At this point you may want to have a long discussion with your parents, and find out how much they're willing and able to spend on college. If it isn't enough to cover your full tuition, then you may want to apply for financial aid or a scholarship. And your final option maybe looking for a college that doesn't cost as much.

    Ask fishermen why they fish and you will get a variety of answers. The book and movie ARiverRunsThroughIt tried to answer that question. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    What are mine? Like most fishermen, I love the peace and quietness of most trips. Imagine the still water at your feet, not a ripple(涟漪) on it. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And everything around you looks soft. A splash(飞溅的水) breaks the calm, letting you know there is a fish feeding there. You are totally alone with your thoughts, almost as if you were floating in an isolation(隔离) tank.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Trying to make a fish think your lure(诱饵) is its food is not easy. Figuring out where the fish is and why it is there is another part of the challenge. And learning enough about them to consistently catch fish is a challenge most of us don't overcome.

    The pull of the fish you hook and the efforts to land it without losing it are part of the fun. Struggling with a fish on a rod and reel is very interesting. Good fresh food is another reason why many people go fishing. Getting your own food is another basic need that fishing provides.

    Competition has become a big part of fishing. I like it, where a group of people go out and try to catch fish. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is nice when you win, but you try to listen and learn from the winner when you are not on top.

    For many years, I had an irresistible desire to go fishing. I could not wait to get to the waterside and try to show my skills against those fish. I was not happy except when fishing. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, that strong urge is no longer there. Sometimes I miss it.

A.The challenge of being cleverer than fish is part of it.

B.You must have enough patience when fishing beside a river.

C.The truth is that every fisherman has his or her own reasons.

D.The fog is just thick enough so trees disappear in the distance.

E.As I get older, I still enjoy fishing and all the things mentioned here.

F.At the end of the day, you get to compare how many fish you have caught.

G.That part of the fishing experience lasts for only a few minutes each day.