【推荐1】How to Travel to Machu Picchu

Mysterious. Brilliant. Powerful. These words describe the Inca (印加). Every year, visitors rush to the Incan citadel (堡垒) of Machu Picchu (meaning “the ancient peak”) in search of the lost civilization. But getting to this UNESCO World Heritage site isn’t cheap and easy. Here’s how to expertly navigate your way to Peru’s most famous destination.

Hiking to Machu Picchu

* The most famous way to hike to Machu Picchu is along a section of one of the Incan roads built as the empire expanded. Dozens of tour operators offer Inca Trail hikes with varying durations and levels of comfort (though all require camping).

* For those who would like a less crowded experience, there are a number of diverse hiking alternatives, one of which is around Salkantay Mountain, one of the most imposing peaks in the Peruvian Andes. Several tour companies offer the treks, but Apus Peru offers an express Salkantay trek, which shaves a day off the normal itinerary for those eager to push their physical limits on their way to Machu Picchu.

* Travelers interested in archaeology should consider the Choquequirao Trek with a Machu Picchu extension. This itinerary includes spectacular hiking in the less-traveled steep Apurimac Canyon and exploration of the Choquequirao archaeological site before heading for Machu Picchu. Note that the trail is closed in December every year for regular maintenance.

Tips for Visiting

* Getting Acclimated (适应水土): Where you`re coming from is probably much lower than Machu Picchu. We highly recommend you go to Aguas Calientes first, and spend a night getting used to it before exploring Machu Picchu. Meanwhile, avoid alcohol and physical exertion to help your body slowly adjust to the thinner air.

* Entrance tickets: If you’re traveling independently, you can buy individual entrance tickets, though you should note that you’ll be required to hire a local guide before entering the site. If you book a tour package through a travel agency, all services should be included. Moreover, all entry tickets are timed, allowing entrance on the hour, and you’re allowed to stay at the site for up to four hours.

*Bring: Water and a rain jacket, even if it looks like a beautiful sunny day. And speaking of sun, remember that the ozone layer (臭氧层) over Peru is compromised. That, combined with the elevation, makes the sun extremely strong, so wear a hat and use high SPF sunscreen.

* Don’t bring: Drones, walking sticks, trekking poles or umbrellas since they’re all prohibited at Machu Picchu. Travelers who require sticks for mobility can bring them in but only with protective rubber tips over the ends.

1. Andy is a college student majoring in archaeology. He is also a keen lover of extreme sports and a seasoned hiker eager to explore the unbeaten track. Now he is considering hiking to Machu Picchu this Christmas. Which of the following routes is he most likely to choose?

A．The Inca Trail.	B．The Apus Peru Trek.
C．The express Salkantay Trek.	D．The Choquequrao Trek.

2. Which of the following information is TRUE for travelers to Machu Piccu?

A．Vigorous exercise isn’t recommended during the hike for fear of altitude sickness.

B．Visitors should bring rain jackets or umbrellas due to the changeable weather there.

C．Visitors can enter the site anytime during the opening hours and stay for four hours.

D．Tour guide services are necessary for individual and group visitors to enter the site.

3. The underlined word “compromised” can be best replaced by ________.

A．harmed	B．strengthened
C．detected	D．lowered

【推荐2】When Joy Ryan set out to visit all 63 national parks with her grandson Brad, traveling during a global pandemic wasn’t on the to-do list. But seven years—and countless hours spent in the air and on the road—later, the 93-year-old grandma and her grandson have reached their final and most remote destination: the National Park of American Samoa.

In 2015, their journey began, when Brad discovered that his grandmother had never visited a mountain in person. He invited her on a road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is between North Carolina and Tennessee, and after that, the pair kept planning more trips.

The journey to the South Pacific wasn’t an easy one. The National Park of American Samoa is the only U.S. national park south of the equator, also making it the furthest from Ohio, where Joy resides. The adventurous pair touched down late Monday after nearly three days of travel with breaks in between.

“We took a two-day break in Oahu before boarding our final flight to Pago Pago, American Samoa, on Monday. Three flights and nearly seventeen flying hours were required before we touched down in American Samoa on Monday evening,” Brad said.

Visiting national park number 63 is a “bittersweet” milestone, Brad continued. It marks both the end of their mission and a historic achievement for Joy, who officially became the oldest person to visit all 63 national parks.

“Standing at the finish line in American Samoa affirms that seemingly impossible goals are in fact possible if you pursue them with passion and pure intention,” Brad said. “Grandma Joy has taught the world that you are never too old to show up and live the adventurous life of your dreams. It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be in the driver’s seat as Grandma Joy made history to become the oldest person to achieve this ambition.”

1. What inspired Joy Ryan and her grandson Brad to start their journey?

A．A goal to visit the most remote parks.	B．A desire to escape the global pandemic.
C．A friend’s invitation to explore the South Pacific.	D．Brad’s realization that Joy hadn’t been to a mountain.

2. What was the pair’s biggest challenge on the journey to the South Pacific?

A．The long distance.	B．The inconvenient transport.
C．The financial burden.	D．Their lacking in experience.

3. Why is visiting the National Park of American Samoa a significant achievement for Joy Ryan?

A．It marks the end of a difficult journey during the pandemic.

B．She achieved her personal goal of visiting all national parks.

C．It was done with the company of her grandson.

D．She became the first person to visit all national parks.

4. What does the author mainly convey in the last paragraph?

A．It is never too old for us to learn new things.

B．It is wise and thrilling to pursue practical goals.

C．Family members are those who we can always rely on.

D．Passion and intention lead to remarkable accomplishments.

【推荐2】City parks have long been a place for urban residents to get a small amount of green. As cities increasingly feel the impacts of rising seas and temperatures, people are rethinking the roles of urban parks.

All of the dark-gray asphalt (沥青) in cities collect heat. Dallas is one of the country’s fastest-warming cities thanks in part to its extensive impervious (不透水的) surfaces, but with a new $312 million bond package, the city is hoping to change that. Using satellite data, the city is able to see what neighborhoods most need the cooling effect of green spaces.

Cities are increasingly flooding and city planners think parks can help with this issue too. A report published in February by The Nature Conservancy looked at the best ways to deal with flooding in Houston, a city with many neighborhoods built on floodplains and regularly flooded by rising waters. Offering affected homeowners buyouts and transforming homes into green spaces would save more money than installing infrastructure (基础设施) like pipes, they found.

Brendan Shane, a climate program director, says parks can create opportunities for people to exercise and play, in addition to cooling neighborhoods and absorbing floodwater. “The stronger the bonds are from neighbor to neighbor, the better they are able to react to a shock,” he says.

“Not a single solution by itself will avoid the climate crisis. We see parks as an important part of it, but there isn’t a silver bullet,” says Diane Regas, CEO of The Trust for Public Land. “Parks are an example of what we in the environmental community need to do to reach solutions that address climate change at the same time and make people’s lives better.”

1. What does the city Dallas want to deal with?

A．The lack of green spaces.	B．The way of collecting heat.
C．The effect of rising seas.	D．The bond between neighborhoods.

2. What can be inferred from the report by The Nature Conservancy?

A．Cities in the world are frequently flooded.	B．City parks may help prevent city flooding.
C．Cities needn’t invest much money in infrastructure.	D．City parks affect people’s choice of a neighborhood.

3. What does Brendan Shane say about parks?

A．They can enable people to get over a shock.	B．They can reduce air pollution effectively.
C．They can perform positive social functions.	D．They can help people to keep a cool head.

4. What does the underlined phrase “a sliver bullet” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．A fast and effective solution.	B．A successful example.
C．An immediate and clear cause.	D．An impractical method.