1 . The Best National Parks to Visit in Winter
While most parks tend to draw families in the summer and fall, there are also ideal spots for adventurous winter trips.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
The country’s oldest and best-known national park takes on an almost otherworldly atmosphere in winter: the air filled with rolling steam, the strong colors of hot springs, the surrounding white landscapes, let alone the impressive wildlife during this time, like bison, wolves, and playful red foxes. Just book a guided hiking tour to get a ranger’s perspective on the park and local people.
Joshua Tree National Park, California
With its giant red rocks and unique trees, you’ll feel like stepping onto a foreign planet as you spend hours hiking the Panorama Loop or Maze Loop. The park is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, featuring virtually zero light pollution and the country’s best views of a starry sky.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
A significantly lower number of visitors in winter means you can take in unblocked views of the South Rim, and get to see the rare beauty of the Grand Canyon dusted with snow. For those adventurous and daring, it is recommended to hike the Bright Angel Trail and take the chance to see the canyon’s wintertime wildlife, including mule deer, elk, and bald eagles.
Virgin Islands National Park, St. John
Surprise! Not all wintertime national park trips need to involve snow. Virgin Islands National Park is most famous for its white-sand beaches. You can also hike inland to visit old sugar plantations, or venture out to the water to swim along with sea turtles and manta rays. You will definitely enjoy a different winter here.
1. Which park will one choose if he/she is interested in stars?| A．Yellowstone National Park. | B．Joshua Tree National Park. |
| C．Grand Canyon National Park. | D．Virgin Islands National Park. |
| A．We can have a poor view of the South Rim there. | B．It lies in an area with rolling steam and hot springs. |
| C．There is a slight decline in visitor numbers in winter. | D．The Bright Angel Trail is challenging in cold weather. |
| A．Hiking. | B．Skiing. | C．Swimming. | D．Hunting. |
2 . There are three things you can watch forever: Instagram feeds, YouTube videos and water. Among them, water is definitely something no one argues about, and there are many unusual water attractions that you can find around the world.
Bangkok Floating Markets
There are many floating markets where goods are sold from boats. While modern markets are more popular, floating markets still are a huge attraction for local tourism. Any visitors can purchase local foods and traditional handcrafted (手工的) souvenirs. Bargaining is a part of experience. So, start low and get the price you are ready to pay.
Bregenzer Festspiele
The Bregenz Festival is held every year from July to August in Vorarlberg. It has the world’s largest stage on the water. The performances are different every year but they are usually united by one theme. The decorations are very impressive and are worth seeing.
Marina Bay Stadium
This stadium was built as a temporary solution while Singapore National Stadium was rebuilt. The stadium was used for the opening and closing ceremonies during 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. It was a floating platform where the Formula One Grand Prix event was successfully held.
Archipelago Cinema
Archipelago Cinema is probably one of the world’s most scenic open-air cinemas that floats in the middle of a lake. The cinema was designed by German architect Ole Scheeren, who built it using techniques popular among local people. This cinema stage was built specially for the film festival Film on the Rocks Yao Noi.
1. What is special about Bangkok Floating Markets?| A．Local foods are free to taste. |
| B．Visitors can make boats by themselves. |
| C．Bargaining for a good price is an experience. |
| D．Performances on water are impressive to see. |
| A．Archipelago Cinema. | B．Marina Bay Stadium. |
| C．Bregenzer Festspiele. | D．Bangkok Floating Markets. |
| A．They both hold ceremonies every year. |
| B．They both used local building techniques. |
| C．They were both built for a special purpose. |
| D．They both provide visitors with sports events. |
3 . A national park is created for the purpose of conservation. Yellowstone National Park in the US was the first national park in the world. Here are some other national parks in the world.
Northeast Greenland National Park, Denmark
The national park is the largest one in the world. It covers an area of 927，000 km²，It is also the most northern national park in the world.
Around 5,000 to 15,000 musk oxen (麝香牛) as well as polar bears live in the park. Some of the birds also live there.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia
The park is the second largest national park in the world. It protects a large part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef from being damaged in any way.
All commercial ships must stay on specific shipping routes that avoid the most sensitive areas of the park. The Great Barrier Reef has the world's largest number of corals and other sea life.
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, Mozambique
This national park covers an area of 99,800 km².It joins some of the famous wildlife areas in southern Africa into a huge conservation area.
In 2006, the Giriyondo tourist access between the Limpopo and Kruger national parks was opened. There were 5,000 animals moving from Kruger to Limpopo National Park, including over 1,000 elephants.
Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada
The park was created in 1922 to protect the wood bison (森林野牛) whose population had dropped from 40 million in 1830 to less than 1.000 by 1900.
The park consists of 44,807 square kilometers of northern plains. It is also the world's only natural living place of the cranes (鹤).
1. Which of the following is the earliest national park?| A．Wood Buffalo National Park. | B．Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. |
| C．Northeast Greenland National Park. | D．Yellowstone National Park. |
| A．Some sea animals. | B．A lot of polar bears. |
| C．Many cranes. | D．Hundreds of elephants. |
| A．It has an area of 44,807 km². | B．It is home to the wood bison. |
| C．It lies in southern Africa. | D．It is the largest national park. |
4 . Most city parks are places where you can escape from big, ugly structures of metal and stone. The Manhattan High Line is different. Raised 25 feet above the ground, this large metal structure once supported a rail line. The line opened in 1934 to bring trains directly into factories. It was hardly used after the 1960s, and much of it was torn down. However, one part remained in a region of Manhattan called Chelsea. Chelsea was becoming high-class as restaurants, art galleries and apartments were built, but the ugly railway structure remained as a dead weight. Everyone knew that at some time, it would have to be removed.
But the High Line was not destroyed. In fact, now the old rail line serves as one of the most peaceful places in the city. It holds an elevated park, with beautiful gardens and great views of the city. The idea to turn the rail line into a park came from Joshua David and Robert Hammond. In 1999, they attended a meeting to decide how to deal with the High Line. David and Hammond were the only people at the meeting interested in saving the historical structure. Later on, when they asked railway officials to take them up to look at the High Line, they saw a mile and a hall of wild flower growing in the middle of the city, and they realized that the High Line had potential to become a park. There was growing interest in improving city centers, and so the project quickly developed and money for construction was easily collected.
The first part of the High Line opened in 2009 and immediately became popular with tourists and locals alike. Each part of the park has a different atmosphere. Some areas are like balconies (阳台) with wonderful city views. Where the rail line goes between buildings, trees are thickly planted. Other sections have wide lawns (草坪) and walkways with wild flowers. Only the final section remains the way it has been for the last fifty years.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Closing a train line. | B．An unlikely place for a park. |
| C．Protection of cultural relics. | D．Improving city transport. |
| A．Something with historical interest. |
| B．Something with potential to be better. |
| C．Something useless which slows progress. |
| D．Something which is a danger to people. |
| A．They wanted to reopen the train line. |
| B．They thought it had historical value. |
| C．They were interested in improving the city. |
| D．They thought it would become a good park. |
| A．Only part of the line remains. |
| B．The railway companies still use the line. |
| C．It began to become popular in the 1960. |
| D．It was designed by David and Hammond. |
After breakfast, I pack my bag and set out again. If today is anything like yesterday, it will be full
6 . Here are some parks in which there are fun family-friendly activities. You can make them great destinations for holidays and summer breaks.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore is an amazing destination for recreating and relaxing. The seashore has many beautiful beaches for the whole family to explore and enjoy. Kids can spend vacation time searching for shells and birding.
Glacier（冰川）National Park, MT
The park offers visitors the opportunity to explore the amazing wilderness of Montana, through biking, camping and hiking. The best time to visit it is the early summer. Children will love all of the open areas to explore, and can enjoy learning about wildlife.
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
The park is a true must-see destination. The enormous canyon（峡谷）at its widest is 18 miles wide and at its deepest is a mile deep. During the summer months both the South and North Rim are open. The whole family can enjoy hiking and scenic drives. Besides, Mule trips can interest your kids most.
Grand Teton National Park, WY
Grand Teton National Park is an amazing location to enjoy the undeveloped landscape and wildlife of Wyoming. The park is open year round and offers a wide range of recreational activities for the whole family as well as summer classes for children. Visitors can hike, bike, camp, fish and boat. During winter visitors can enjoy skiing.
1. What can children do at Glacier National Park, MT?| A．Learn about wildlife. | B．Swim. |
| C．Fish. | D．Search for shells. |
| A．Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC. |
| B．Grand Canyon National Park, AZ. |
| C．Grand Teton National Park, WY. |
| D．Glacier National Park, MT. |
| A．There are glaciers in them. |
| B．Visitors can ski in them during winter. |
| C．They are located in the wide canyon. |
| D．They are suitable for children. |
When you picture Hawaii, you
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| Jiu Zhaigou National Park Location: in the north of Sichuan Famous for: green lakes,waterfalls, Colorful forests,snow peaks, Tibetan customs and blue ice, UNESCO World Heritage Site Best time to visit: from June To September. | Huangshan Mount Location: in the south of Anhui Famous for: unique guest-greeting pines, absurd stones, sea of clouds and amazing hot springs Abundant in: natural resources and various species, for which it has been listed as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site. Best time to visit: Different seasons around a year witness various and unique beauty. | Yungang Grottoes Location: in the south Datong,Shanxi Reasons to visit:Listed among top 4 grottoes in China, one of UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is said to be the best preserved Buddhist cave art in China with 53 caves containing over 51,000 Stone carvings of Buddha and Buddhist dating from the 5th and 6th centuries. Best time to visit: summer and autumn for cool weather. | Suzhou Classical Gardens Location: in the downtown area of Suzhou,Jiangsu Reasons to visit: Listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997,the gardens of Suzhou represent the Development Chinese landscape garden design ove more than 2000 years, including three most featured gardens in Suzhou: Humble Administrator's Garden, Master of the Nets Garden and Lingering Garden. Best time to visit: all year around. |
| A．Unique waterfalls | B．Snow-covered peaks |
| C．Ancient culture and art | D．Beautiful natural scenery. |
| A．Being far from city. |
| B．Being a man-made wonder. |
| C．Being rich in natural resources |
| D．Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| A．Yungang Grottoes | B．Huangshan Mount |
| C．Suzhou Classical Gardens | D．Jiu Zhaigou National Park |
9 . Tips for Green Travel with Kids
Traveling doesn’t mean letting go of all the eco-friendly choices we work so hard to achieve in our daily life. Here are a few tips for green travel with kids:
Booking nonstop flights whenever possible will reduce carbon emissions (碳排放). If the closest local airport doesn’t have nonstop flights to a certain place, check in with other local airports to see if nonstop flights are available.
Whether you’re flying or driving, it’s easy when traveling to pull into fast food restaurants for snacks.
Reusable water bottles are easy to bring along whenever you travel. At the airport, keep your reusable bottles empty until you have passed through the security (安检).
| A．Too much carbon emissions seriously pollute the environment. |
| B．But you can pack healthy food before starting off. |
| C．In this way, you can save water and energy. |
| D．Fill them up on the other side of the security checkpoint. |
| E．Security check is a necessary part of each trip. |
| F．Save energy by turning off the hotel room lights when you head out for the day. |
| G．You might have to drive a bit further, but saving on carbon emissions makes it worthwhile. |
10 . It’s only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”?
Viti Levu — Great Fiji — is the largest island. Here you’ll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.
With less than a million people living on islands, you’ll never feel crowded. And with a climate (气候) that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come.
From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.
Whenever you come, wherever you go, you’re sure to see some unforgettable events, from war dances to religious (宗教的) songs, from market days to religious days. It’s not just staged for tourists; it’s still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji’s spirit by being part of the traditional (传统的) sharing of yaqona — a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.
So why not join us for the experience of a lifetime?
1. Where is the international airport of Fiji?| A．In Suva. | B．In Sydney. |
| C．On the island of Vatoa. | D．On the island of Viti Levu. |
| A．They invented “Fiji time” for visitors. |
| B．They stick to a traditional way of life. |
| C．They like to travel from place to place. |
| D．They love taking adventures abroad. |
| A．its comfortable hotels |
| B．its good weather all year round |
| C．its exciting football matches |
| D．its religious beliefs |
| A．In a personal diary. |
| B．In a science report. |
| C．In a travel magazine. |
| D．In a geography textbook. |
