Missing Words 2017

Have you ever wanted to come home from a holiday with something more useful [blank_start]than[blank_end] a suitcase full of souvenirs? What if you could come back with a new skill instead? Learning holidays, which combine travel and learning, have become [blank_start]one[blank_end] of the latest new trends in travel. [blank_start]These[blank_end] days, travellers can learn how to make chocolates in Italy and how to dance the tango in Argentina as [blank_start]well[blank_end].

Have you ever started a new hobby, but given up after only a couple of weeks? Or started a course and stopped after the first few lessons? Most of us have tried to learn something new, but very [blank_start]few[blank_end] of us ever really get any good at it — [blank_start]it[blank_end] is just too difficult to continue doing something new. But now there is some good news: did you know [blank_start]that[blank_end] if you can keep up your new hobby for just 30 days, you have a better chance of succeeding? And you may learn something new about yourself as [blank_start]well[blank_end].

It’s interesting that not many people talk about Vietnam [blank_start]as[blank_end] a holiday destination. Last year my girlfriend and I went there for the first time. We loved it — the people were great and the food was superb. Hanoi is a busy city,but [blank_start]there[blank_end] are lots of more exotic places you can escape to in Vietnam. The place we loved the most was Ha LongBay [blank_start]where[blank_end] everyone lives on a floating house! On top of that, all around the bay there are astonishing islands made of limestone. Some of them look [blank_start]like[blank_end] beautiful towers — they’re really quite breathtaking.

If you are interested in the environment, [blank_start]there[blank_end] is an excellent website called Tigernation. The website was set up to help with the conservation of tigers. It focuses its work particularly on India, a country [blank_start]where[blank_end] many thousands of tigers once lived. There are now fewer [blank_start]than[blank_end] 2,000 remaining there. Did you know that a tiger’s stripes are like a person’s finger prints in the sense that every individual is unique? This makes [blank_start]it[blank_end] possible for the website to track the tigers as it recognises them by the pattern of their stripes.

Lake Baikal, known [blank_start]as[blank_end] the ‘Blue Eye of Siberia’, is located in south-east Siberia near the Mongolian border. Not [blank_start]only[blank_end] is it the world's largest freshwater lake holding almost 20 % of all the fresh water on earth, it is [blank_start]also[blank_end] the world’s deepest and oldest lake. Lake Baikal’s isolation has produced one of the most varied and unusual collections of wildlife. Many of these species are unique to the lake and found nowhere [blank_start]else[blank_end] on earth.

We all love to eat between meals, whether it’s a bar of chocolate after breakfast or a packet of crisps before dinner. But [blank_start]who[blank_end] says snack foods have to be bad for you? [blank_start]One[blank_end] of the best and healthiest snack options is dried fruit. It’s really tasty and makes a brilliant, easy-to-eat snack, as well [blank_start]as[blank_end] leaving you satisfied. [blank_start]There[blank_end] is also a wide range to choose from, with dried bananas, apricots, grapes and apples available at all supermarkets.

According to experts, we should eat at [blank_start]least[blank_end] 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day to help us stay healthy. They contain lots of minerals and vitamins and can help us lower the risk of getting some types of diseases and other health problems. They’re also quite low in calories and [blank_start]there[blank_end] is a wide variety to choose from. You might [blank_start]not[blank_end] like apples, so have a banana instead! Simple! You can still enjoy your burger, but maybe once a week rather [blank_start]than[blank_end] every day.

Nowadays the idea that learning is only for children is obviously not true. [blank_start]It[blank_end] seems to me that as an adult you can’t rely on what you learnt in school to get by any longer. Technology at work and at home, [blank_start]such[blank_end] as computerized household appliances, tablets and mobile phones, are an essential part of everyday life. [blank_start]What[blank_end] is more, all these devices are constantly developing. So, if you want to be able to function in the 21st century, you have to keep learning and developing as [blank_start]well[blank_end].

The kakapo (which means ‘night parrot’ in Maori) is [blank_start]one[blank_end] of the most unusual birds in the world. It is [blank_start]not[blank_end] only nature’s only flightless and nocturnal parrot, but it is also its largest and longest living parrot. The kakapo is native to the forests of New Zealand and it is not found anywhere [blank_start]else[blank_end] in the world. Sadly, the kakapo is one of the world’s most endangered species: [blank_start]there[blank_end] are about 160 left on the entire planet, as reported by the Kakapo Recovery Programme.

You have probably heard countless times how exercise will keep you fit and healthy. But getting the right amount can also increase your energy levels and even help improve your mood as [blank_start]well[blank_end]. Experts recommend that teenagers get 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day. Many teenagers achieve this by getting involved in team sports [blank_start]such[blank_end] as football. But if you’re not keen on playing team sports there’s [blank_start]no[blank_end] need to get stressed and worried — [blank_start]there[blank_end] are plenty of ways you can get aerobic exercise on your own.