My last trip was part of a three-year project photographing whales that focused on their culture and behaviors.

Perhaps my favorite observation 【小题1】 (take) place in the Canadian Arctic with belugas (白鲸). One aspect of their lives was 【小题2】 complete surprise-they play games with little rocks. Their daily lives are busy and 【小题3】(challenge). They have to catch food and take care of their young. They deal with social situations, 【小题4】 no doubt conflicts occur. Yet they still make time 【小题5】(play). In this shallow, three-foot-deep water, they will occasionally pick up pebbles (鹅卵石) with their 【小题6】 (mouth). They'll carry them around for a while, and then drop them. Another whale then swims by to pick the pebble up again.

We can see 【小题7】 (we) in these creatures. Humans also speak different languages, enjoy different foods, and pass down family traditions. But perhaps most 【小题8】(strike), we also rely a rely on one other. The moments we spend with our 【小题9】(love) ones are often the most treasured 【小题10】 meaningful in our lives. Just as belugas do, it's essential for us to make time for other things-things that bring joy.

I began my journey studying in China in March 2016, when I came to Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) to get my Bachelor’s degree in Chinese language. As a youth from the US, I feel that 【小题1】 (study) in China is one of the best ways to 【小题2】 (true) understand this amazing country. Having studied at BLCU, I have the chance not only to interact with international students from all over the world but 【小题3】 (make) friends with local Chinese students.

Through various 【小题4】 (activity), I was able to develop many friendships with Chinese students. It was through these friendships 【小题5】 I had the opportunity to better understand what the university life of an 【小题6】 (averagely) Chinese student was like. Because many Chinese friends came from different areas around the country, I was able to gain a 【小题7】 (good) understanding of China than before.

Besides the activities, my absolute favorites were the 【小题8】 (time) when my close friends from school would gather in dorm room to cook and eat. It may sound like nothing special, but these 【小题9】 (be) some of my cherished memories at BLCU.

I sincerely hope that more foreigners in China can take advantage of 【小题10】 (they) time to experience the food, the culture, and especially the people.

Adisorn Sangkrajang 【小题1】(arrive) early at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday evening for his flight bound for Shanghai. He has been long looking forward to his first trip to China, and when the plane touched down early Friday morning, he became one of the first 【小题2】(benefit) from the “visa-free era” between Thailand and China that takes effect on March 1.

“I’m thrilled about my first trip to China, and the visa exemption (豁免) is 【小题3】 (incredible) convenient,” said the 42-year-old company employee【小题4】(travel) with 11 other【小题5】(colleague). “We had planned to visit China and the visa exemption made the decision easy.”

“China is a country with a rich culture,【小题6】I’ve always longed to experience. This is my first visit,【小题7】I might return for a second or third time,” he told Xinhua .

In late January, China and Thailand signed 【小题8】agreement on mutual visa exemption and to be effective on March1. Since then, the booking of tours to China【小题9】(increase) significantly，said Thai tour operator Kavisara Charoenporn, who organized a chartered flight that departed Friday to Zhangjiajie, a picturesque tourist spot in Central China. The chartered flights 【小题10】Bangkok to Zhangjiajie have increased from two to three times a week beginning in March, said Kavisara.