2 . There are so many beautiful places in the world that wait for you to explore, but some of them won’t wait around forever.

The Dead Sea, for example, known for being one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world is in danger of disappearing. Tourists are in the rush to the lake to float（漂浮）in its waters and put its mineral-rich mud on their skin. However, the water level has been dropping more than three feet per year in recent years. In fact, if nothing is done by 2050, it will be too late.

Madagascar’s rainforests could also be gone in about 30 years. They once covered 120,000 square miles, but due to logging（伐木）and forest fires, only 20,000 square miles remain today. This is sad for many animals that call Madagascar home. About 80 percent of the species（物种） that live there can’t be found anywhere else in the world, and there are even many more yet to be discovered.

There are also many man-made places of interest with long history around the world that are at risk of disappearing. One of these is Machu Picchu. A trip to these Inca ruins is on many people’s plan lists. However, Machu Picchu has been in danger, too. If steps are not taken to protect the ancient site, it could be gone in the near future.

Another place in danger is the Great Wall of China. Around one-third of the wall, built over centuries and completed in the Ming dynasty, is already gone. Wind and rain have weathered it and plants that grow in the wall have weakened it further. Also, poor villagers have stolen its bricks in order to sell them or build homes with them.

It’s hard to believe that so many amazing places could soon be gone for good. If you have your heart set on visiting any of these places, pack your bags and get to them before time runs out!

4 . Setting off on a solo trip, I soon realized I was never really alone.

After traveling to the UK to visit my _________ who studied there, I decided to return to America. I didn’t sleep well the night before I _________. In fact, although I had really _________ every minute of my pleasant stay, I was once again _________ about traveling alone. Directions were not my strong suit. _________, I was faced with a new _________: I had to change planes in Frankfurt, Germany. “You made it here, Mom. _________ yourself. You’ll also go back home _________,” Whitney said when she saw me off at the train station.

The first ride was _________ enough, but after getting off the __________, I had no idea where to find the bus to Gatwick Airport. I was swept up in a sea of people. Filled with __________, I asked help from a man beside me. “I’m going that way,” he said. “__________ me.” He never slowed down but kept an eye on me while we went across the bus station. “There it is,” he said, pointing as we reached the bus.

I arrived at Gatwick with plenty of time to spare, and I __________ my plane without any difficulty. I was never so happy to get on a plane. I sat down in my seat with a sigh of __________. I’d been worried about traveling alone, but the __________ I’d received made me feel I was never really alone.

5 . How a guided tour can offer more

Visiting new places, seeing new cultures, meeting new people..., it’s always exciting dreaming of your next travel experience. If you have a list of destinations to visit, start planning your holiday with Travel Department.

They know the best spots and have expert local guides to talk you through every aspect and cultural experience.     1     Here are some top reasons why you should consider a fully guided holiday.

See incredible destinations

    2     They know destinations inside out, so you can be sure to have the best holiday plan possible and see the main highlights wherever you travel. You may want to experience the unseen beauty of a classic destination uncover more unusual places and ancient sites. Wherever you travel, on a fully guided holiday you’ll have everything planned for you.

Enjoy real experiences

Guided tours can also give you a more authentic travel experience. Travel Department have spent years perfecting their plans so you can trust them to put together a highly enjoyable schedule. Their local, expert guides have a huge wealth of local knowledge to give you the best and most authentic inside r information.

    3     knowing that every hotel and restaurant has been inspected. With each trip created carefully around the diverse needs of different travelers, guided tours offer the very best of each destination, ensuring you don’t waste a moment.

    4    

It’s often the people you meet on holiday that are the highlight of the entire trip.     5     If you’re a solo traveler, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to make new friends. The holiday mood is positive and friendly making for a fun, inclusive group where everyone feels welcome.

Sometimes fellow travelers get along so well that they even arrange to meet up after the trip or go on another Travel Department holiday!

8 . Best Outdoor Activities in Orlando

This national monument in Arizona is located within the Sonoran Desert, which spans more than 330,000 acres and is one of the few places in the US where you can see the country’s largest cacti. This “green desert” gets its name from the organ pipe cactus, whose branches mimic the musical instrument. Visitors can explore 31 cactus species and wildflowers through the monument’s many hikes, including the Nature Trail, a short and accessible paved trail. Take your camera, because the area is also home to the Sonoyta mud turtle, desert bighorn, and birds such as the Gila woodpecker and cactus wren.

Located in the center of the state, Red Rock State Park is a popular road trip destination and a must-see attraction during a multi-day trip to the Sedona area. The nature preserve features a visitor center and picnic areas that invite visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Arizona red rocks that surround them. With environmental education and conservation top of mind, Red Rock State Park is a primary place that asks visitors to hike lightly, pack out what they pack in and stick to the trails.

Sedona is regularly described as one of America’s most beautiful places. Nowhere else will you find a landscape as dramatically colorful. The towering red rocks and jagged sandstone hills matched against an almost always blue sky have attracted professional and young artists for years. Plus, filmmakers have chosen these burning rock formations in north-central Arizona as the backdrop for such box-office hits as “3:10 to Yuma,” “Broken Arrow” and “Midnight Run.”

On top of all that exciting lake-borne action, those looking for something exciting can take part in OWC’s Aquapark, a group of LEGO-inspired ships with climbing barriers, slides and more that will wear you and more importantly, your kids out! No special skills are required, life jackets keep things super safe, and hours of fun are virtually guaranteed. The minimum age for the Aqua park is six and reservations are definitely recommended.

9 . The Negative Impacts of Volunteer Tourism

Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an increasingly popular form of altruistic travel. Its appeal lies in being an experience that allows visitors to feel good by being a part of some kind of meaningful change. But despite good intentions from participants, volunteering abroad has been the target of heavy criticism over the past few years.

Voluntourists only have a limited amount of time, and the ability to change the systems and provide support for the places they visit. Being volunteers, they also simply don’t have the skills to do so. And they can sometimes inadvertently perpetuate unhelpful and even patronizing(自视高人一等的)ideas about the places they visit. A number of studies have shown that volunteer tourism can have negative impacts, ___________benefiting the local communities.

*Unskilled labor creates more work

Previously, volunteering opportunities were often___________to skilled professionals, but this is not the___________of volunteer tourism. Anyone can become a voluntourist, which brings a series of problems. Though___________, they are often unskilled, especially when it comes to work such as construction and digging. This can often lead to locals being forced to take on the added responsibility for rebuilding homes and schools that would have been___________inadequate.

*Volunteers take local jobs

In the meantime, this takes jobs away from locals who would have been paid to do the same work. It also prevents them from learning or being taught the skills that could then be used to___________the community. As a famous proverb says, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” The time and efforts of volunteers could be better___________making local communities more economically independent and self-sufficient, allowing them to improve___________even after they depart.

*There is no long-term commitment

Lots of communities do need the help and assistance of volunteers, but what are they able to address in the few short weeks of their “___________”? Most places tend to benefit more from long-term engagement, and often the largest number of meaningful volunteers come from the communities themselves, rather than from____________eager to fix things. While short-term volunteers can do a lot of good, it is often so only when they have skills and training that____________the specific needs, such as medical aid, construction, conservation, teaching, or even religious work; as well as having experience doing the required work and with different cultures.

* There is a lot of focus on__________the volunteer

Voluntourism tends to place a lot of emphasis on the volunteers, sometimes even at the expense of the community they are looking to help. Travel companies attract individuals with promises of____________but immediately-rewarding experiences. This, in turn, can lead to large numbers of volunteers who, instead of helping create a change, can actually____________local communities from becoming more economically independent due to their very presence.

What Can We Do Instead?

Short-term volunteers, especially students, also need to be given the opportunity to explore various different cultures and destinations. But they should take the time to learn about the socio-cultural backgrounds of the places they visit. Short-term placements thus become more about experiences and____________exchange, where they may gain knowledge and respect other cultures, rather than go on trips that “help the poor”.

This kind of cross-cultural engagement can do a lot of good in a world that is increasingly leaning towards violence and xenophobia.