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 . How to Survive in the Woods

Getting lost in the woods can be a scary situation. Whether you’ve got lost on a hike, your car broke down on a wilderness road, or any other reason, surviving in the woods is difficult.     1     Here are some tips on how to get out of the woods.

Don’t panic. Panicking can cause you to make poor decisions and affect your judgment. If you’re going to get out of the woods, you need to have a clear head.     2    

Avoid using too much energy.     3     Try not to sweat or use too much energy by doing things like running around and screaming for help if you’re by yourself. Save as much energy as you can for doing things like building shelter, fire, and searching for water.

    4     If you become lost in the woods for whatever reason, people will look for you at your last known location. Trying to find your way out can make you more lost and make it harder for anybody to find you. Stay in one location for a better chance at being rescued.

Signal your location with smoke signals. Build a fire and add a bunch of green leaves or pine needles to create a lot of smoke. Take a large branch with green leaves on it and cover the fire for 3-4 seconds to stop the smoke from escaping.     5     Repeat the process to form a line of clouds of smoke in the sky.

A．Build a shelter.

B．Stay where you are.

C．However, it can be done.

D．Search for a source of fresh water.

E．Take deep breaths and focus on the tasks at hand.

F．It may be difficult for you to find adequate food and water.

G．Then, remove the branch to allow the smoke cloud to escape.

3 . In the early 1990s, Ashok Kumar and I ran TRAFFIC-India, an organisation that worked to stop illegal wildlife trade in India. That was when the first letter from the famous American conservationist (自然环境保护主义者), George Schaller, arrived on our desk. Tibetan antelopes were being killed in their thousands, he wrote, and their wool (毛) was taken illegally to India. “No use in India for antelope wool,” we wrote back, not knowing the seriousness of the illegal trade here. Schaller sent us back pictures to prove it and asked us to begin a Tibetan investigation.

We dug around and found that Schaller was right. We realised that antelope wool was the same as shahtoosh, the famous Kashmiri shawl (披肩). The shawl was made from the underwool of Tibetan antelopes, considered the warmest and softest wool in the world. A single shawl needed the wool of three to five antelopes. We had to save the animal.

Then began India’s first campaign (运动) to protect Tibetan antelopes. A lot of designers and models joined us. Slowly, the message was being driven home: shahtoosh was out of style, shahtoosh was illegal and alternative (可替代的) shawls would save the antelopes from extinction.

There were, of course, those who tried to buck the campaign. The wife of a well-known army officer of India refused to give up her shahtoosh till she was forced out of it. She said: “I know the lovely antelope is dying and I so want to save it. But, the shawl is so light on my shoulders!”

Someone suggested farming the antelopes, but studies showed that it was an impractical idea. The antelopes could not even survive in low altitude zoos. The underwool is nature’s gift to the animal to keep it warm at great heights. Later, we set up a business to process high quality pashmina wool and make an alternative shawl.

In 2000, good news came in from China. With strict policies in place, the number of Tibetan antelopes was on the rise again.

1. What did the author think of the antelope wool trade Schaller mentioned at first?

A．It wasn’t true.	B．It wasn’t unusual.
C．It was a serious matter.	D．It was difficult to deal with.

2. What can be inferred about India’s first campaign to protect Tibetan antelopes?

A．It got a lot of support.	B．It was unacceptable to models.
C．It failed to achieve its purpose.	D．It was brought to an end by Ashok Kumar.

3. What does the underlined word “buck” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Lead.

B．Fight against.

C．Change.

D．Keep up.

4. What measure did India take to save Tibetan antelopes?

A．Cutting down the shawl business.

B．Asking farmers to raise antelopes.

C．Stopping keeping antelopes in zoos.

D．Encouraging the use of pashmina wool shawls.

4 . What Are Grasslands?

Grasslands are wide areas of land covered with low growing plants such as grasses and wildflowers. Grasslands don’t get enough rain to grow tall trees and produce forests, but they get too much rain to form a desert. Temperate (温带的) grasslands have different seasons including hot summers and cold winters.

    1    

Grasslands are generally found between deserts and forests. The major temperate grasslands are located in central North America in the United States, in southeast South America in Uruguay and Argentina, and in Asia along the southern part of Russia and Mongolia.

    2    

A variety of animals live in the grasslands, including dogs, wolves, and eagles. A lot of smaller animals hide down in the grass, such as snakes, mice, and rabbits.

    3    

Different kinds of grass grow in different areas of the grasslands. There are actually thousands of different kinds of grass that grow in this type of environment. Where they grow usually depends on the amount of rain that area gets. In wetter grasslands, there are tall grasses that can grow up to six feet high. In dryer areas the grasses grow shorter, maybe only a foot or two tall. Other plants that grow there include sunflowers, butterfly weeds, and butterweeds.

    4    

Grasslands play an important role in human farming and food production. They are used to grow crops such as wheat and corn. They are also good for feeding farm animals such as cows.

    5    

Unfortunately, human farming and development has caused the grasslands to become gradually smaller. Governments have carried protection measures to try and save the grasslands that are left, along with the endangered plants and animals that live there.

A．The Narrowing Grasslands

B．Animals in the Grasslands

C．Some Important Temperate Grasslands in the World

D．Farming and Food

E．Wildfires in the Grasslands

F．Types of Temperate Grasslands

G．Plants in the Grasslands

5 . 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。

I've always loved the ocean. In the    1     (seven) grade,I started volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. I was upset to learn that many sea animals eat plastic garbage,     2     (think)it is food.

I decided to do something     3     (educate) people about this problem. I held presentations at schools to teach kids about plastic waste. I wanted to reach businesses too. I decided that if I learned of a company    4     used a lot of plastic, I'd send it an email urging it to cut back.

One day, I saw a commercial for a health-care company. People in the ad were using plastic straws （吸管）.   I found the contact information of the company    5     emailed its president. I told him how     6     (harm) plastic could be to the environment and asked him to consider using more eco-friendly options. I was so    7     (excite) when he wrote back to me.He said he would make sure that the company cut its use of plastic straws in half.

I kept going. Whenever I heard of businesses using plastic, I'd send an email. One of the biggest companies I wrote to     8     (be) Alaska Airlines Paris. A company     9     (represent) wrote back and told me the airline was switching over     10     plastic to paper cups on all of its 1,200 daily flights.