1 . Must-See Destinations in 2024

Are you ready to explore the world in 2024? Whether you dream of sailing down famous European rivers or exploring unique places, our list of must-see destinations is here to inspire your travels.

Throw yourself into the rich culture and history of Spain. From the sunny beaches of Tenerife to the Moorish architecture (建筑物) of Andalucía, there’s so much to explore in this lively country. Discover the UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) city of La Laguna and become amazed at the beauty of Cordoba, Seville, and La Alhambra, or relax on a beach holiday to Majorca or Tenerife.

Despite its size, Montenegro has beautiful beaches, rich history, and a breathtaking channel. Experience the beauty of the Montenegrin coast — Dalmatia’s jewel (宝石) is the UNESCO World Heritage listed oasis of Dubrovnik, famously praised by Lord Bryon as The Pearl of the Adriatic.

Discover the beauty that is Dubrovnik. Explore the 16th-century city’s defensive walls and red-roofed buildings. Sail along Croatia’s Adriatic Coast, where attractive villages and beautiful towns like Pula, Rovinj, and Poreč are just waiting to be explored...

Explore the wonders of South Africa, from the Garden Route’s nature reserves to the thrill of a Safari drive in the Kariega Game Reserve. Discover the different plants and animals while searching for the “Big Five” on an unforgettable South Africa holiday.

With over 25 years of experience creating holidays for the curious, Travel Department ensures that your journey is in good hands. Plus as a trusted Reader’s Digest Travel partner, you can get special deals when you travel with them across lots of different 2024 holidays. If you want to know more information, please click here.

Placed among the busy streets of Washington, D. C. is a large public garden that many Americans have never heard of. The U. S. National Arboretum (植物园) includes     1     collection of flowering plants called azaleas, a field of native plants named ferns, and flowering trees in the dogwood tree area. The garden     2     (establish) by Congress in 1927. It plays a leading part in researching and developing plants like trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses.

Government scientists are in charge of the 180-hectare area. Their main goal is     3    (strengthen) the U. S. economy by making sure an important kind of agriculture,     4     (call) the nursery industry, continues to perform well. The most recent numbers from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) show that the ornamental and landscape plant industry creates billions of founds in sales each year.

The arboretum is home to one of the     5     (large) collections of preserved seeds in the world. The National Arboretum Herbarium (植物标本)     6     (house) around 700,000 ex-ample seeds. They include seeds from plants that the USDA considers as     7    (economical) important. Scientists collect many genetically different seeds within a kind of plant from both native and non-native plants. The reason     8     collecting that data is that scientists protect plants from harmful situations like climate change, changed environments, or other new and possible risks.

While the scientists do their work, the public     9     (explore) plants is free to visit the arboretum. Though many people may not know it, the arboretum has had a hand in developing a number of plants     10     are part of American landscaping.

Near the ancient water town of Wuzhen, the scenic villages of Maming and Haihua provide the perfect destinations for travelers seeking a taste of real rural life.

    1     (locate) at a 30-minute drive from the ancient water town of Wuzhen, Maming village is the exact opposite of Wuzhen. There are hardly any crowds here. The old houses are not as well maintained. There     2     (be) no bright colorful lights along the walkways. Time seems to stand still in the village,     3     (make) it a perfect day-trip destination for travelers     4     want a real experience of rural life.

Most people in Tongxiang city in East China’s Zhejiang province are still sleeping on the bed at 3 am,     5     Tu Yuanqing and his father Tu Bingfa are already up, arranging cups, boiling water and preparing tea     6     (leaf). The doors to their tea house in Maming village open just half an hour later. By 4 am, the space is filled     7     activities as elderly local people, most of them aged 60 and above, chat     8     (active) with one another while sipping cups of tea and smoking cigarettes.

This tea party for the elderly ends at 8 am, the time the villagers begin     9     (they) day in the fields. But there is no official closing time for the tea house-—the Tu family lives in     10     same building.

6 . The huge high rises, loud noises, and masses of people make up a symbolic United States destination and the city millions of people call home. Winding your way through the streets of New York City is an overwhelming and humbling (令人谦卑的) experience.     1     With so much to offer, there is never a boring moment in this energetic city but an appreciation for this urban (城市的) culture.

Walking down these busy streets you are sure to see several different coffee shops where writers with dreams are typing away or perhaps old friends catch up as they drink. Next, there are the classic pizzerias where many love to go to get a slice of New York style pizza. Another city classic are the popular delis, a favorite quick and easy lunch hot spot.     2    

A valued aspect (方面) of the city streets is the artistic attraction they hold. Brushes of color brighten up the modern buildings. The buildings become an artist’s studio where creativity comes to life, beautifying the city and showing social and political expressions.     3     Whether an artist is trying to get discovered, make a living, or simply just sharing their feelings, the air is filled with joy to lift the spirits of the people.

    4     On any given street you can take a taxi with the wave of an arm. You can sit on a subway, feeling the shakes of the starts and stops and hearing the loud sound of the tracks. Yet the most common form of transportation is your own two feet, allowing you to get where you want to go, fast or slow.

There is nothing more American than a street in New York City.     5     They are enjoyed by all those who are there to experience it.

The beautiful Li River is one of the     1     (famous) tourist destinations, but the     2     (grow) in tourism has had negative effects on the river’s water quality. This report looks at the problem of water pollution and some actions that have been taken to deal with it.

Water quality in the Li River had suffered     3     (great) from an increasing volume of tourists, many of     4    frequently threw garbage into the river. Many tour boats contributed     5     the problem too. The local population rose rapidly, as well as     6     number of commercial and industrial enterprises. Water pollution levels increased, with more household and commercial waste ending up in the river. To feed more people, more chemicals     7     (use) to increase crop production. These chemicals led to severe water quality issues,     8     (cause) a decrease in the number of fish species.

Finally, a series of urgent steps were taken     9     (restore) the river’s original beauty. It     10     (believe) that the beauty of the Li River will be preserved for generations to come.

The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It     1     (build) originally to protect the city     2     the Tang dynasty and has now been completely restored (修复). It is possible       3     (walk) or bike the entire 14 kilometers.

We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.

After     4     (spend) some time looking at all the defensive equipment at the wall, we decided it was time for some action and what     5     (good) than to ride on a piece of history!

We     6     (hire) our bikes from the rental place at the South Gate. My bike was old and shaky     7     did the job. It took us about 3 hours to go all     8     way around the Xi’an City Wall. Supposedly you can do it in two hours, but we stopped at the different gates and     9     (watchtower) to take pictures or just to watch the local people going about their     10     (day) routines.