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.

Spain

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.

Montenegro

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.

Croatia

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...

South Africa

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.

1. What do Spain and Montenegro have in common?

A．They are both praised by tourists.

B．They both have world heritage cities.

C．They are known for their architectures.

D．They both own beaches and rich history.

2. Which destination will attract people who are interested in creatures?

A．Spain.	B．South Africa.
C．Montenegro.	D．Croatia.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A website.	B．A guidebook.
C．A novel.	D．A magazine.

2 . Mao’er mountain is abundant in rare animals and plants. Inhabited by 2,484 species of plants and 345 species of vertebrates (脊椎动物), this place can serve as a natural gene bank. And surprisingly, a rare alpine wetland featuring evergreen broad-leaved trees has found a way of surviving in the dwarf forest at a high altitude.

The “Millennium Kiss” Wonder

It’s a miracle that two trees have existed together and grown for around a thousand years. It’s even more breathtaking to see the two trees gradually getting close to each other and having a little “kiss”. What a lovely sight it is in the natural beauty of Mao’er mountain!

Two ways to get there

1. Take a train and get off at Xing’an Bei station, and take the shuttle bus that goes directly to the Mao’er mountain.

2. Take the Guilin-Xing’an bus from Guilin bus station, get off at Baizhupu station, and take the shuttle from Baizhupu to Gaozhai, which is at the foot of the Mao’er mountain.

Travel Tips

Entrance ticket: 160 yuan

Opening hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Recommended duration of visit: 2 — 4 hours

Location: northwest of Xing’an county, Guilin

Other suggestions: If you decide to go to Mao’er mountain, carry some thick clothes, for the temperature difference from the foot of the mountain to the peak is huge and it is humid in the mountain. If you are a foreigner, you need approval from the reserve administration before entering the area, since it is situated within the national reserve, which foreigners are not allowed to enter without the authorities’ permission.

1. What can tourists see on Mao’er mountain?

A．2,484 species of rare animals.	B．Two old “kissing” trees.
C．345 species of local plants.	D．A wetland at a low altitude.

2. How can tourists get to Mao’er mountain?

A．By taking the Guilin-Gaozhai bus.

B．By taking a train directly to Gaozhai.

C．By getting on the shuttle bus in Baizhupu.

D．By getting on a train at Xing’an Bei station.

3. What does a foreign tourist need to enter the area?

A．A ticket with additional fee.	B．A formal application letter.
C．Approval from the authorities.	D．Permission from local villagers.

3 . How was the man’s trip to Japan last year?

A．Interesting.

B．Just so-so.

C．Terrible.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The giant panda Hua Hua attracted 264,000 visitors to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding,     1     was the second most popular tourist destination in China during the May Day holidays, according to local media reports.

He Hua (nicknamed Hua Hua)     2     (be) three years old soon and has won the hearts of Chinese people due     3     her gentle temperament(性格) and her rare inability to climb trees. She is also     4     (difference) from other giant pandas because of her white fur, rather than the more common beige(米色的) color, and her slightly fat and cute appearance,     5     (make) her highly recognizable.

Hua Hua increased ticket sales, with all 180,000 tickets     6     (sell) out for the first three days of this year’s May Day holidays. There were so many fans     7     the park had to set Hua Hua’s viewing time limit to only three minutes. “We made this trip     8    (special) for Hua Hua,” said a tourist. “We plan to stay at the base all day just to see     9     giant pandas and we plan to continue coming here even tomorrow,” he added.

Panda-related souvenirs such as headbands, dolls, school bags and decorative rings in     10     (store) at the base and in other parts of Chengdu have become popular.

5 . The World’s Most Popular Art Museums

Musee du Louvre in Paris, France

The largest and perhaps the most famous art museum in the world, this relic is best known for being the home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

On a regular day, the Louvre would host up to 15,000 guests and display as many as 380,000 precious objects—a truly symbolic institution that has remained beloved by artists, art critics, and art-lovers alike for over 228 years.

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA

Informally referred to as “The Met,” this American art museum has 17 departments and over 2 million works within its permanent collection.

Opened in 1870, this slightly more contemporary museum contains works by the likes of Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, and Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. It also houses the world’s oldest grand piano!

Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy

Before becoming a world-class art museum, Uffizi Gallery was a governmental building whose name means “offices” when translated to English.

Constructed between 1560 and 1580 and designed by Giorgio Vasari, this historic building houses Michaelangelo’s only free-standing painting, “Doni Tondo” and is visited by an average of over 2 million foreigners every year. If you ever find yourself there, don’t forget to search for the secret Vasari Corridor which stretches over the Ponte Vecchio river.

Tate Modern in London, England

Last but certainly not least on this list is the crowning glory of England’s art galleries, the Tate Modern where ever art lovers want to play Australian online games now. Founded by sugar businessman Henry Tate in 1897 Liverpool, the innovative (革新的) Tate displays symbolic works by more progressive artists such as Salvador Dali, Picasso, Rothko, Duchamp, and Parreno.

1. What is the most famous treasure in Musee du Louvre?

A．The Met.

B．Mona Lisa.

C．Doni Tondo.

D．Vasari Corridor.

2. Of the following art museums, which is the oldest?

A．Musee du Louvre.

B．Uffizi Gallery.

C．Tate Modern.

D．Metropolitan Museum of Art.

3. What can people do at Tate Modern?

A．Learn to make sugar.	B．Enjoy traditional works.
C．Play online games.	D．Play the oldest piano.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where has Jackson been?

A．To the Forbidden City.

B．To the Great Wall.

C．To hutongs.

2. What activity did boys always do in hutongs?

A．They jumped rope.

B．They held soccer matches.

C．They played hide-and-seek.

3. What seems rare to Westerners about hutongs?

A．Keeping traditional habits.

B．People often losing their way.

C．Different generations living together.

7 . 假定你是李华，你的英国笔友Jim计划假期去北京旅游，想邀请你同去，并制定旅行计划。请你给他回一封电子邮件，接受邀请并告知他旅行计划。
注意：1.写作词数应为100左右（开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数）；
2.请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Jim,

I was so glad to go to Beijing with you during the holidays.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I can’t wait for the holidays to come and meet you.

Yours,

Li Hua

8 . Tourism is travelling for pleasure or to enjoy yourself away from the place you live. In the last few decades tourism has grown very much, mostly because people s lifestyles have changed.     1     They spend more money on travelling than previous generations did. Travelling has also become cheaper and more affordable. The rise of budget airlines has made it possible to afford trips to faraway countries.

People have been travelling for pleasure since ancient times. In ancient Egypt, religious festivals attracted people from the whole Nile Valley.     2     Romans travelled to Greece, Sicily and other places in the empire. Wealthy Romans had second homes near the sea where they spent the summer.

In the 19th century the invention of the steam engine made it possible for people to travel by boat and train. Regular passenger services from Europe to America started in the 20th century.     3     In the 1960s going on holidays by plane became affordable for many.

    4     In many countries it is the most important largest source of income. Global tourism is growing at a rate of 4% a year. The tourist industry provides jobs and brings a country foreign currencies. Many groups profit from tourism: travel agencies, store owners, airports and airlines, hotels, restaurants, etc.

In the past years there has been a trend towards shorter holiday breaks during the year. People like to take a few days off to travel. The internet has changed the way people organize their holidays.     5    

A．Tourism is a worldwide industry.

B．People do this for many different reasons.

C．They don’t want to stay at home any more.

D．Booking tickets online is easy and prices are often lower.

E．Ancient Greeks travelled regularly to the site of their gods.

F．However, mass tourism, can also lead to environmental problems.

G．The invention of the automobile made it possible to travel larger distances by car.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

We only have nine days in Xinjiang. It’s     1     huge province, bordering eight countries and is impossible to     2     (full) explore in such a short time.

Our next stop, is Turpan—one of the world’s     3     (low) basins. The fast train from Uruqmi takes 1.5 hours     4     (reach) Turpan. It travels fast past vast wind farms in the red desert, but also oil and gas fields, a     5     ( remind) of why Xinjiang is so important to China.

In Turpan, an amazing karez(坎儿井) irrigation system has channeled water from the mountains for hundreds of years,     6     (keep) this desert oasis(绿洲) very fertile. Tourism hasn’t exactly caught on yet. When I ask to buy a bottle of the red wine     7     (produce) here, our host directs us to the local supermarket.

The boiling hot desert outside of Turpan is home     8       the remains of ancient towns long ago swallowed and kept by the sand.

As the temperature climbs to 38℃, we find Tuyoq, one of the few existing ancient villages,     9     the mud-built homes appear hidden against the sandy landscape. Only a green round roof can be seen. Outside one of the mud homes     10     (stand) a sign: “Former residence of Albert Von.”

10 . Cologne, Germany

The chocolate capital of Germany, Cologne is the home of the Stollwerck chocolate company. For the 150th anniversary of the company, museum exhibit was created to celebrate their history. Since then, the exhibit has grown into an entire museum. The Imhoff Stollwerck museum has interactive exhibits, samples and a giant chocolate fountain.

Tain L'Hermitage, France

Tain L'Hermitage is the home of the world-renowned chocolate producer, Valrhona. A great stop is the Valrhona Ecole du Grand Chocolate, a school that teaches professional chefs, chocolatiers and caterers. They even host a three-day course that teaches amateurs how to make desserts.

Hershey, America

Dubbed "the Sweetest Place on Earth", the town originally called Derry Church was renamed Hershey in 1906 due to the popularity of Hershey chocolates. Chocolate-town has branded itself as an American chocolate center and some popular chocolate attractions include Hershey's Chocolate World, The Hershey Story Museum and The Chocolate Spa.

Zurich, Switzerland

Switzerland consumes more chocolate per person than any other country, and with world-renowned companies like Cailler-Nestle, Lindt and Sprungli calling it home it's no wonder. Zurich is the heart of chocolate production in the country. For a truly unique experience, the Swiss Travel System, along with Cailler-Nestle, offers an excursion on ''The Swiss Chocolate Train''. The train departs from Montreux and makes a stop in Gruyeres where Gruyere cheese is made before finally arriving in Broc where guests get a tour of the Cailler-Nestle factory.

1. Which best suits chocolate lovers who enjoy making chocolates by themselves?

A．Cologne, German	B．Tain L'Hermitage, France
C．Hershey, America	D．Zurich, Switzerland

2. Why does chocolate lovers choose Switzerland?

A．To learn how to making chocolates.

B．To enjoy the world of chocolates.

C．To pay a visit to chocolate plant.

D．To have some interactive fun.

3. What do the places have in common?

A．They host big displays.

B．They are located in Europe.

C．They are noted for their chocolates.

D．They are favored by desserts lovers.