美国的目的地“在上升”

America's Destinations 'On the Rise' 美国的目的地“在上升”

New York City may be the most popular place to visit in America, but the country has many small towns that are worth exploring, too. Here are the 2016 “Destinations on the Rise,” chosen by the travel website TripAdvisor.

The expression ‘on the rise’ means that something is becoming better and more popular. The list includes the 10 destinations that saw the largest increase in positive TripAdvisor traveler reviews in the past year.

Most of the cities on the list are small, with less than 20,000 people. Four of the destinations -- including the number-one pick -- are next to some of America’s most famous national parks.

1. Gatlinburg, Tennessee:

Number one on the list is Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is best known as the gateway¹ to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America’s most-visited national park. Gatlinburg offers hiking, fishing, and horseback riding in all seasons. Visitors can ride up to the top of the 100-meter Gatlinburg Space Needle for views of the Smoky Mountains. The area’s scenery attracts painters, photographers and other artists.

2. Orange Beach, Alabama

Number two on the list is Orange Beach, Alabama. Orange Beach sits along the Gulf² of Mexico. It is a popular place for travelers looking for rest and calm on the white sand beaches. Orange Beach serves up excellent Gulf Coast seafood³, like fried oysters⁴ and seafood gumbo. It is known as an excellent location for deep-sea fishing.

3. Destin, Florida

Just two hours east of Orange Beach is Destin, Florida, the third pick on the list. The beach town calls itself the “world’s luckiest fishing village.” It is home to several kilometers of white sand beaches along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The town of 12,000 people welcomes more than 4 million visitors a year. Destin even holds a yearly “Fishing Rodeo.”

4. South Lake Tahoe, California

Number four is South Lake Tahoe, California. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine⁵ lake in North America. Tahoe is along the California-Nevada border. The area offers outdoor adventures and beautiful views. One way to enjoy the mountains and lake view is on the 5-kilometer ride up in the Heavenly Mountain Gondola⁶. In the winter, the gondola takes you up to Tahoe’s famous ski areas. In summer, the same area offers hiking opportunities.

5. Jackson, Wyoming

Next on the list is #5 - Jackson, Wyoming. Jackson is in the valley of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and just six kilometers from Grand Teton National Park. Jackson is also close to Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. Like Tahoe, people come to Jackson Hole in the winter to ski. The spring and summer offer hiking and plenty of chances to see wildflowers and wildlife, from elk⁷ to bison to black bears. The Grand Teton Music Festival brings classical music to the mountains every summer. Summer visitors can also go to a rodeo to experience the Old West.

6. Estes Park, Colorado

Our sixth destination is Estes Park, Colorado. Estes Park sits 2,300 meters above sea level in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The area is a paradise⁸ for nature lovers. Estes Park’s main street is lined with art galleries and shops. The city is the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park, which provides visitors with scenic⁹ drives, rock climbing, and world-class hiking.

7. Anchorage, Alaska

Number seven is Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage is Alaska’s biggest city. It is located near several of the state’s eight national parks, including the Kenai Fjords National Park, known for its glaciers¹⁰ and wildlife. Anchorage marks the start of the famous Iditarod dog sled race, which takes place every year in March. Anchorage is also home to the Alaska Native Heritage¹¹ Center, where visitors can learn about Alaska’s native people.

8. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is known as the Steel City. It is home to more than 400 bridges and 300 steel-related businesses. Pittsburgh is also often called “America’s Best Sports City” because of its many professional sports teams. The city has 90 neighborhoods, which represent the diverse history of Pittsburgh. In 2004, the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Central Northside started providing international writers in exile¹² a place to live through a program called City of Asylum¹³.

9. Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine is #9 on the list. Portland is on southern Maine’s rocky coast. Portland’s city motto is, “Yes. Life’s good here.” The city is famous for its food, art, and nature. Visitors come to eat Maine lobster¹⁴ at one of Portland’s downtown restaurants. Nearby are many beaches, walking trails, and places to go boating or fishing.

10. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Our 10th and final destination 'on the rise' is Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The Big Island of Hawaii has eight of the world’s 13 climate zones. The historic¹⁵ fishing village of Kailua-Kona is on the western, “dry side” of the Big Island. The area grows some of the most prized coffee beans in the world, Kona coffee. From Kailua-Kona, visitors can explore the Mauna Kea volcano. The 4,200-meter top is home to the world’s largest observatory¹⁶ for astronomy¹⁷. The research center has high-powered telescopes that visitors can use to explore the night sky.

Words in This Story

destination - n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent

gateway - n. near the entry to a place

hike - v. to walk a long distance especially for pleasure or exercise?

scenery - n. a view of natural features (such as mountains, hills, valleys, etc.) that is pleasing to look at

rodeo - n. an event in which people compete at riding horses and bulls¹⁸, catching¹⁹ animals with ropes, etc.

alpine - adj. existing in high mountains

gondola - n.  a vehicle that hangs from a cable and is used for carrying passengers (such as skiers) especially up a mountain

festival - n. an organized series of performances

paradise - n. a very beautiful, pleasant, or peaceful place that seems to be perfect

gallery - n. a business that sells paintings, sculptures, etc.

world-class - adj. among the best in the world

sled - n. a small vehicle that has a flat bottom or long, narrow strips of metal or wood on the bottom and that is used for moving over snow or ice

diverse - adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other

asylum - n. protection given by a government to someone who has left another country in order to escape being harmed?

downtown - n. the main or central part of a city or town 

1 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

4 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

5 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

6 gondola   

n.威尼斯的平底轻舟；飞船的吊船

参考例句：

• The road is too narrow to allow the passage of gondola.这条街太窄大型货车不能通过。
• I have a gondola here.我开来了一条平底船。

7 elk   

n.麋鹿

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing.我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。
• The refuge contains the largest wintering population of elk in the world.这座庇护所有着世界上数量最大的冬季麋鹿群。

8 paradise   

n.伊甸乐园，天堂

参考例句：

• My house had a small backyard,the paradise of children.我那幢房子有一个小后院，那是孩子们玩耍的乐园。
• On a hot day a dip in the sea is sheer paradise.热天洗个海水澡是十分令人惬意的事。

9 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

10 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

11 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

12 exile   

n.流放，被流放者；vt.流放，放逐，使流亡

参考例句：

• After an exile of eight years her uncle returned to Cairo.她叔叔背井离乡8年后返回开罗。
• Napoleon was sent into exile on an island.拿破仑被流放到一个岛上。

13 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

14 lobster   

n.龙虾，龙虾肉

参考例句：

• The lobster is a shellfish.龙虾是水生贝壳动物。
• I like lobster but it does not like me.我喜欢吃龙虾，但它不适宜于我的健康。

15 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

16 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

17 astronomy   

n.天文学

参考例句：

• Mathematics is connected with astronomy.数学与天文学有联系。
• Astronomy is an abstract subject.天文学是一门深奥的学科。

18 bulls   

n.公牛( bull的名词复数 )；法令；力大如牛的人；（象、鲸等动物的）雄兽

参考例句：

• Riding bulls is always an exciting event at a rodeo. 骑公牛总是放牧人竞技会上激动人心的表演。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Two white bulls were sacrificed and a feast was held. 献祭了两头白牛，并举行了盛宴。 来自辞典例句

19 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。