1 . Kruger National Park is, in a word, life-changing. One of the top attractions in South Africa, and one of the largest national parks in the world, Kruger National Park is a must for any wildlife lover.
Kruger National Park Animals
Nothing will prepare you for the huge volume of wildlife that you’ll be able to see in Kruger National Park. The park is home to 114 different species of reptiles; more than 500 species of birds; and 147 mammals. Not only will you have the opportunity to see the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino), but you’ll see tons of other mammals like zebras, giraffes, hyenas, hippos, impalas, and many more.
When is the Best Time to Visit Kruger National Park?
The driest months being June, July, and August are the best time of year to visit the park, when the days are sunny and warm and the nights are cooler. Many trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, and water sources dry up, making it easier to spot game around the remaining waterholes.
Driving in Kruger National Park
What makes Kruger National Park unique from other parks is that it is accessible via self-drive. Many people who come to the park come with their own vehicle because it’s considerably more affordable than taking a guided tour. Doing a self-drive safari (游猎) also gives you more flexibility with your timing.
1. How does the writer show the diversity of animals in Kruger National Park?| A．By making comparisons. | B．By listing figures. |
| C．By using illustrations. | D．By classifying facts. |
| A．Spring. | B．Summer. | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
| A．It has unique animals. | B．It offers a flexible time. |
| C．It allows self-drive. | D．It charges fairly low. |
2 . Small-town destinations have the advantage of being less expensive, without any compromises on charm. Newstweek’s Fast Women recommend these small towns wholeheartedly—from our own travels, or on the trusted advice of close friends.
McMinnville, Oregon
Winery tasting rooms, a quaint downtown and boutique hotels make this city southwest of Portland a natural destination for an adults-only weekend getaway, Every May, McMinnville is also the home of the largest UFO Festival in the U.S., which explains why you’ll see alien art around town throughout the year.
Ollantaytambo, Peru
This village located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas sits along the Urubamba River. Here you can take in stunning views of the valley and explore the ruins of the fortress overlooking the town, Wander through ancient streets built by the Incas and take in the landscape of distant mountains.
Mandawa, India
This small town was a part of the ancient Silk Road trading gateway between China and the Middle East, Today, it’s filled with frescos, havelis (multistory buildings with courtyards) and wall paintings that have transformed it into an open-air art gallery.
Lorne, Australia
Australia’s Great Ocean Road follows the coast, making Lorne a perfect stopping-over point as you travel around the country by the sea. Famous as an art community, it is surrounded by sandy beaches and stunning waterfalls. It’s a great fishing destination, too.
1. What can you do at McMinnville, Oregon?| A．Try various kinds of wines. | B．Enjoy extraordinary natural beauty. |
| C．Get exposed to modern art. | D．Celebrate the UFO Festival in summer. |
| A．McMinnville, Oregon, | B．Mandawa, India. | C．Lorne, Australia. | D．Ollantaytambo, Peru. |
| A．A travel journal. | B．An encyclopedia. | C．A geography book. | D．A tourist website. |
3 . As one of the city’s most popular free outdoor events, the Cape Town Carnival is a multicultural celebration which focuses on social inclusion and bridging the divide between the diverse communities of the Western Cape and specifically Cape Town. It’s a celebration of the many diverse cultures which makes Cape Town stand out from the most world-famous cities. The carnival is considered a community participation event by the Western Cape Government and draws bigger crowds each year.
The event serves a platform for local performance groups, designers, musicians and artists to showcase their talents to the world. Every year, it may create over 1, 000 part-time jobs. The long-term vision, however, is to create more programmes focusing on skills development, thus permanently employing people. Since 2010 when the carnival was held on Long Street, it has become the festival of the year, and has grown from 17, 000 spectators to as many as 55, 000. This year, the carnival will be held on the Fan Walk in Green Point.
And its theme is Mother City, Mother Nature, exploring two of Cape Town’s greatest assets, its natural beauty and its people. The festival will showcase what makes the Mother City one of the most unique cities in the world. Over 2, 000 shining costumed performers and musicians will take to Cape Town’s Fan Walk, entertaining viewers with floats (花车) and dynamic dance routines. The parade (游行) will be followed by a grand street party, showcasing some of South Africa’s hottest musical talent.
Fans and tourists are encouraged to join in the street festivities anytime from 16: 00, when it will turn into a pedestrian walkway with 2km of food stands and festive hospitality (好客) areas. Later in the evening Cape Town will up the pace with the most appealing and festive open air party, the Cape Town Carnival Street Party! This Culture Comer: A Glimpse of Cape Town, was contributed by Marilyn Steward. I’m Rich Claymount. Stay tuned and see you next time.
1. What sets the Cape Town Carnival apart?| A．Its friendly people. | B．Its unique landscape. |
| C．Its wide participation. | D．Its cultural diversity. |
| A．To build up a platform for local talents. | B．To create Africa-based businesses globally. |
| C．To expand programs to secure employment. | D．To deepen cultural links between countries. |
| A．Green Point is famous for floats and music. | B．Cape Town is proud of its nature and people. |
| C．The carnival happens on Long Street annually. | D．The street party is mostly favored by the tourists. |
| A．An interview. | B．A brochure. | C．A reality show. | D．A radio program. |
4 . Amsterdam, with its scenic canals lined with picturesque, 17th-and 18th-century buildings, a major European tourist destination, is slowly collapsing.
Sinkholes are appearing in small streets, and nearly half its 1,700 bridges are unstable and need repairs. The fundamental problem is the state of the canal walls: about 125 miles of them are so broken that they are in danger of collapsing into the canals, potentially taking buildings and people with them. As a huge project to shore up the canal walls gets underway, the city is beginning to look like one huge construction site.
Like much of the Netherlands, Amsterdam lies below sea level. Built on a swamp and heavily expanded in the 17th century, the city sits on millions of wooden piles that serve as foundations. As modern life changed the city, many houses were strengthened with concrete, but the foundations of streets and canal walls were ignored. Many of the wooden piles have shifted, cracked or collapsed under the pressure, causing bridges and can al side walls to sink and crack. Water then seeps in, washing away mortar(砂浆), further hollowing out the infrastructure and creating sinkholes.
The alderman, Mr. De Vries, said that if the city had continued to ignore the problem, it would have headed straight for a catastrophe. The reconstruction will take at least 20 years and will cost 2 billion euros, perhaps even more. “These are big numbers, and work needs to take place in a very busy, closely-populated area,” Mr. De Vries said. “People live here and work here, and we usually have many tourists.”
He acknowledged that Amsterdam in the coming years would look different from its usual postcard self. Still, he insisted that tourists should not be discouraged from visiting. “We invite everyone to come and see what we are doing,” he said. “We want visitors to realize that such a magnificent city needs maintenance.”
1. What problem does Amsterdam face?| A．Collapsed buildings pose a threat to tourists. |
| B．Bridges under construction disturb citizens’ life. |
| C．The canal walls are in danger of falling down. |
| D．Many old streets are in badly need of being widened. |
| A．Ways of building canal walls. |
| B．Causes of sinkholes in Amsterdam. |
| C．The effects of broken bridges on the city. |
| D．The geographical features of Amsterdam. |
| A．It is costly. |
| B．It demands more than three decades. |
| C．It is a huge and dangerous task. |
| D．It will promote local employment. |
| A．The city will no longer be as magnificent as it used to be. |
| B．Modernity is usually achieved at a cost of the environment. |
| C．Maintenance and tourism should continue at the same time. |
| D．Repairs have become a serious obstacle to the city’s growth. |
5 . With a number of rivers globally in crisis due to pollution, damming, and reduced rainfall, there’s never been a better opportunity to appreciate everything that rivers give to the world.
Rivers provide drinking water
Two thirds of the UK’s tap water is either from a river or from a river-fed body of water.
Ancient farming depended on these life-giving waters, so does modern agriculture. During the rainy season, many rivers overflow their banks, nourishing the soil with minerals and nutrients. Besides, rivers act as water sources for irrigation.
A good source of food comes from rivers
A fifth of the fish that are fished globally come from rivers and other freshwater sources. Another two thirds of fish that people eat rely on rivers for breeding, nutrients, or other reasons.
Human culture is tied to rivers
Rivers provide leisure activities
| A．Rivers are important for agriculture |
| B．Rivers are more than just water under the bridge |
| C．Rivers are closely connected to ancient civilizations |
| D．A large part of our modern life is involved with rivers |
| E．The organization American Rivers gives a similar figure for the US |
| F．Consequently, rivers can provide homes for a diversity of plants and animals |
| G．Protecting rivers and their biodiversity is a good way to protect this valuable source of food |
6 . Longing for the most amazing places on the planet? You can do no wrong with these lakes across the globe.
Five Flower Lake
Set in the striking karst landscape of the Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan province, China, Five Flower Lake is extraordinarily clear, with visibility to a depth of 40 metres. Five Flower is one of a series of blue-, green-and sky-colored lakes blocked by rock falls, but it differs from the others as its waters change color, looking sometimes yellow, sometimes green, but usually diamond blue. In winter, Five Flower never freezes; in summer, it never dries up. Local wildlife living in the surrounding mountain forests include the rare giant panda and the golden snub-nose monkey.
Crater Lake
The deep-blue waters of Crater Lake in Oregon, US, fill the outlet of an ancient volcano that collapsed 7,700 years ago. Its strangest occupant is the “Old Man of the Lake”, a nine-metre-tall tree stump(树桩), which has stood upright in the water for more than a century. No rivers or streams enter the lake. Water loss in summer is compensated by winter snow and rain, the entire body of water being replaced every 250 years.
Lake Ohrid
Ancient Lake Ohrid has been around for about five million years and crosses the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania. It has unique plants and wildlife, including the Ohrid “plashica”, a fish native to the lake, whose scales(鳞片) are used to make Ohrid pearls.
Lake Maggiore
Surrounded on three sides by the Lipontine Alps and touching the plain of Lombardy to the south, Lake Maggiore is Italy’s longest lake. Considered part of the country’s lake district, it is shared with Switzerland. Characterized by a Mediterranean-style climate, temperatures here are mild all year. This has given rise to some of northern Italy’s most wonderful gardens, which appear to float like flower-decked boats on the water.
1. What makes Five Flower Lake different from other lakes?| A．Its agreeable climate. | B．The rare local wildlife. |
| C．Its color-changing waters. | D．The visibility of waters. |
| A．By artificial rain. | B．By snow and rain. |
| C．From nearby streams. | D．From an ancient tree. |
| A．Five Flower Lake. | B．Crater Lake. |
| C．Lake Ohrid. | D．Lake Maggiore. |
7 . The UNESCO World Heritage List is a prestigious honour awarded to sites of outstanding universal value around the world. Did you know there are 1,157 UNESCO World Heritage Sites spanning across 167 countries? We’ve picked out our top 4 for you to visit below.
The Acropolis, Greece
The Acropolis is an ancient castle that stands proud in the Greek city of Athens. Back in the fifth century BC after battle with the Persians, the plans of Pericles came to life under the influence of Pheidias, the sculptor. It then became a place for thought and art to flourish, where symbols of classical spirit and civilisation came alive.
Historic centre of Rome, Italy
According to Roman mythology, the Eternal City was founded in 753 BC and became the capital of the mighty Roman Empire. Rome is home to a number of attractions including the Forum, the Pantheon and the Colosseum! This World Heritage site contains the whole historic centre within the city walls and reflects the influence of the Renaissance and Baroque periods in making it one of Italy’s most popular cities.
Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
The historic city of Ayutthaya in Thailand was founded around 1350 and was subsequently destroyed in the 18th century by the Burmese. What’s left today is the ruins and some key highlights include the Buddhist temples of Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Mahathat and Wat Phra Sri Sanphet. The area is home to the remains of tall prang (reliquary towers) and should not be missed.
Cultural landscape of Bali, Indonesia
The landscape in Bali is unlike anything else on Earth. Consisting of five rice terraces (梯田) and water temples covering 19,500 hectares, the cultural landscape takes your breath away. This site gains honour through an ancient farming ceremony dating back to the 9th century known as subak. This concept reflects the spirit, the human world and nature, also known as Tri Hita Karana.
1. What might have happened in Greece in the 5th century BC?| A．Greece became famous for its castles. | B．Pheidias became a sculptor. |
| C．Greece fought against Persians. | D．The Greek spirit disappeared. |
| A．A rice terrace. | B．A cultural landscape. | C．A water temple. | D．An agricultural ceremony. |
| A．The Acropolis. | B．The Eternal City. | C．Ayutthaya. | D．Tri Hita Karana. |
8 . Deserts are dry ecosystems that receive less than 250 millimetres of rainfall a year on average. Here are the world’s several big deserts.
Antarctic Desert
Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, windiest and driest of all the world’s continents. With an average annual rainfall of just 166 millimetres along the coastal regions and even less farther inland, it meets the standard of a desert. The continent has only plants that can live in a region so cold and dry.
Australian Desert
The Australian desert consists of ten interlinked smaller deserts. Together, they cover 18 percent of the mainland and contribute to making Australia the world’s second driest continent. The deserts are far from deserted, populated by native animals like kangaroos.
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert covers the entire Arabian Peninsula and contains the Rub’al-Khali, one of the world’s largest continuous bodies of sand. Bedouins, the native people, have crossed these sands for centuries, driving sheep, cattle, camels and goats into the desert during the rainy winter season and moving back toward farmland during the dry summer months.
Kalahari Desert
Strictly speaking, the Kalahari doesn’t meet the standard of a desert as its wettest regions can receive more than 500 millimetres of rain in very wet years. However, it remains extremely dry. Rain filters(渗入)rapidly through the vast expanses of sand, leaving nothing on the surface. The evaporation (蒸发) rate is twice as great as the rainfall in the southwestern half of the Kalahari. The desert is home to several important national parks and reserves, providing shelters for various species.
1. Which desert is made up of smaller deserts?| A．Antarctic Desert. | B．Australian Desert. | C．Arabian Desert. | D．Kalahari Desert. |
| A．They are on the move. | B．They are good at growing plants. |
| C．They come from Australia. | D．They benefit from local tourism. |
| A．It has enough rainfalls. | B．It covers a big area | C．It is poorly protected. | D．It dries up quickly. |
9 . People often wonder about some of the best places to see. A good point of reference is to first look at attractions labeled as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites are culturally or physically significant places listed by the United Nations for their importance to humanity as a whole. Let’s see some of them!
The Mogao Caves, China
Also known as the Mogao Grottoes, the caves are located along the cliffside (峭壁) above the Daquan River in Gansu province. First built in 366 and comprising 492 caves, the Mogao Caves are known as the biggest collection of Buddhist art in the world. As a landmark or the historic Silk Road, the Mogao Caves are a perfect display of Chinese art history over a period of a thousand years.
Redwood National Park, US
Lying in the mountainous region north of San Francisco in California, US. the Redwood National Park is significant for its collection of redwood trees — the tallest and oldest trees in the world — as well as its variety of sea and land wildlife. Once abundant throughout the temperate (气候温和) regions of the world, the Redwood trees of California are among the only living examples left of this old plant species, a biological group which has existed for 160 million years.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Situated in the Andes Mountains, this fascinating ancient city is remarkable both for its beautiful setting as well as its use of complex city planning. Standing at 2,430 meters above sea level, the city of Machu Picchu is covered with both mist and mystery. Researchers have yet to uncover the city’s role in the Incan (印加族的) empire’s use of astronomy and plant domestication (驯化).
1. What can you learn from the Mogao caves?| A．They were built on steep cliff. |
| B．They have the largest art collection. |
| C．They were built five centuries ago. |
| D．They perfectly exhibited art history. |
| A．Because it lies in the mountainous region. |
| B．Because it has a number of redwood trees. |
| C．Because it has a temperate and mild climate. |
| D．Because it has various tallest and oldest trees. |
| A．Its high altitude makes the place well-known. |
| B．Its complex city planning enjoys the best fame. |
| C．The mist surrounding the city added to its beauty. |
| D．The Incan culture is still a mystery for researchers. |
10 . While travel is restricted during this time, here are some amazing places around the world to daydream about and look forward to visiting one day in the future.
Lord Howe Island, Australia
The island in the Tasman Sea lies between Australia and New Zealand and is just 10km long. Despite its complete isolation, the island is populated, by around 380 people and the number of tourists is limited to under 400. The island is known for its geology, birds, plants and marine life, while cycling is the main mode of transport on the island, thanks to its virtually untouched forest and the fact that many of its plants and animals are found nowhere else in the world.
Thor’s Well, Oregon
Also called “the drainpipe of the Pacific” or even sometimes, “the gate to hell”, the hole appears to swallow the Pacific Ocean. Geyser-like ocean sprays erupt in winter time, thanks to ocean pressure and the gusting wind. It looks more dangerous than it is though; it is in reality just around 20 feet deep. The natural bowl is spectacular to watch, particularly during low tide when the sea rises towards the surface before draining back down into the depths of the rocky hole again.
Keahiakawelo (Garden of the Gods), Hawaii
Hawaiians call Keahiakawelo “wahi pana”, which means celebrated, noted or legendary places which have cultural significance. As legend goes, the priest of neighboring Molokai island, a man named Lanikaula, was angry at the people of Lanai, so he lit a fire wishing ill will to the island’s people.
Balamku (Cave of the Jaguar God), Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
The cave was rediscovered accidentally in 2018 by archaeologists who were searching for a sacred well. The seven-chambered cave was initially discovered in 1966 but was sealed up and forgotten about. Caves were considered openings to the underworld, and this one is no different. The name means jaguar god, which they believed had the ability to enter and leave the underworld at will. The cave is so unexplored that archaeologists are still mapping it out.
1. How do people often travel on Lord Howe Island?| A．By boat. | B．By bike. | C．On foot. | D．By car. |
| A．During low tide. | B．In winter time. |
| C．When the sea rises. | D．After the sea dries. |
| A．Lord Howe Island. | B．Thor’s Well. |
| C．Keahiakawelo. | D．Balamku. |
