Did you watch the popular TV series Meet Yourself (《去有风的地方》) during your winter vacation? In the TV series, the heroine Xu Hongdou travels to a village in Yunnan province and volunteers at a local cafe. She gets free meals in return. As the show finds a growing audience, volunteer travel — an old-yet-modern form of travel similar to Xu’s type of work — has attracted more attention.
Volunteer travel refers to taking a trip where all or part of the purpose of the trip is to participate in an arranged service opportunity to help others, according to Wise Tour, an online provider of tourist information.
It seems as if these long journeys could only be made possible in recent years by modern transportation. Nevertheless, volunteer travel dates back to the 1960s, when Alec Dickson and his wife Mora from the UK founded Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), an international volunteer organization.
Traditionally, the volunteer activities take place in a foreign country. However, just as what Meet Yourself depicts, more volunteer trips have taken place within the same countries or regions the volunteers originate from in recent years. Sanlian Lifeweek magazine commented that volunteer projects in rural areas are now attracting more urban visitors as a break from the fast and stressful pace of urban living. Yang Yan, a founder of a volunteer platform, told the magazine that it has indeed been a growing trend for urban residents to volunteer in rural areas.
People try volunteer travel for several reasons. By working voluntarily while traveling, travelers may make a real, positive impact on the world. The services volunteers provide can be through charities with lower costs for the communities they serve. Another benefit of volunteer travel is that it helps urban dwellers (居民) to get a taste of rural life. For those who are sick of urban pressure but can’t make up their minds whether to move permanently to the countryside, volunteer travel can be a solution.
1. Why does the author mention Meet Yourself in the beginning of the article?A.To introduce a new way of travel. | B.To raise readers’ interest in the TV series. |
C.To lead up to the topic — volunteer travel. | D.To show the popularity of this TV series. |
A.It dates back to the 19th century in the UK. |
B.Travelers can earn money on their trips. |
C.It requires travelers to be highly educated. |
D.It combines travel with meaningful work to help others. |
A.describes | B.advocates | C.generalizes | D.comments |
A.A new trend of volunteer trips. | B.Different reasons for volunteer trips. |
C.The significance of volunteer trips. | D.The current development of volunteer trips. |
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【推荐1】Great holidays in Europe!
Do you like the beach but want a bit more?
Then come on an Active Beach holiday at one of our centers in Greece, Turkey or Croatia. All the centers are near beautiful beaches and all offer sailing, windsurfing or waterskiing with our excellent instructors. For a change from the water, you can also book a short trip to a nearby village and visit the colorful markets or eat in a local restaurant. At the end of the day, relax in your hotel room or dance the night away at one of our open-air clubs.
Who was King Arthur? Where did he live?
Join us on a five-day UK Road Trip holiday. Imagine life hundreds of years ago as we visit ancient Stonehenge, Roman Bath and Tintagel Castle, the home of King Arthur. Learn the history of these interesting places from your guide as you travel in one of our famous blue coaches. In the evenings, we stop at some of the best youth hostels in the country. They have everything you need. You don’t even need to pack a sleeping bag!
Are you bored with the usual holidays? Do you want to do something you really enjoy?
Then Fame Camp is for you! Spend a week at Hightree House in Yorkshire and learn how to play the piano, violin and guitar! Bring your tent and stay at a campsite near the house. At the end of the week, try your new skills in a live performance.
How many countries can you see in 21 days?
On our Explore Europe holiday, you can see ten! Learn about them from our best guides as you watch them go past from the window of an air-conditioned coach and stay at some of Europe’s top campsites on the way. Of course, we’ll also have time to do the important things such as visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the historic Sistine Chapel in Vatican and eating applestrudel in Vienna.
For more information about these holidays, call 08453334523 or visit www.comeuithusuk.com.
1. Tourists who go on an Active Beach holiday ________.A.can do some water sports | B.need bring sleeping bags |
C.will enjoy an open-air concert | D.may visit some historic spots |
A.Active Beach. | B.UK Road Trip. |
C.Fame Camp. | D.Explore Europe. |
A.It offers free meals. | B.It’s a five-day holiday. |
C.It runs music courser. | D.It’s a guided coach tour. |
【推荐2】You may look forward to visiting an amazing real-life castle. If you do, here are some good options for you.
Mont-Saint-Michel, France
If you saw Disney’s movie, Tangled, then Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy would look familiar to you. The castle where the long-haired princess is kept looks much like the impressive ancient church.
Mont-Saint-Michel is one of France’s most visited historical places, with about 2.5 million tourists having a close look at the impressive medieval(中世纪的) architecture every year.
Catherine Palace, Russia
Many castles stick to natural colors, but not the Catherine Palace. Located about 18 miles south of St. Petersburg, Russia, the palace features a sky blue and white facade (正面) covered with gold. Inside the palace sits the extraordinary Amber Room. Completed in 1770, the room was decorated beautifully with golden carvings and mirrors, and the room had its own caretaker.
Leeds Castle, England
Leeds Castle in Kent, England, rises off islands in the center of a lake as if from a childhood fairy tale. Six of England’s medieval queens once lived here and Henry Ⅷ (1491~1547) transformed it into an impressive palace so he and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, could visit in true royal luxury. A ticket allows as many visits as one would like in 12 months.
Kylemore Abbey, Ireland
Built as a doctor’s home in 1868, the castle and its walled garden are now home to a community of Benedictine nuns (修女) who make and sell chocolates and other goods. Families are encouraged to visit for the view of the lake, stories of local legends, and performances in the neo-Gothic church.
1. What do we know about Mont-Saint-Michel?A.It is home to many movie stars. | B.It is famous for its ancient structure. |
C.Its original owner is a French princess. | D.It was designed for the movie Tangled. |
A.Its color. | B.Its long history. |
C.The wonderful performances. | D.The interesting story about 3. |
A.They were once built for doctors. | B.They have extraordinary lake views. |
C.They provide special foods for visitors. | D.They were completed in the 16th century. |
【推荐3】These years traveling abroad is becoming more and more popular with ordinary Chinese people. If you want to enjoy such a wonderful travel, your travelling abroad truly requires the most careful of preparations.
Passport. First, be sure to bring your passport along with several copies of it. Accidentally losing your passport can be a difficult experience you should always try to avoid. You may keep digital copies of this important document for backup purposes, too.
Guidebook. Staying in an unfamiliar place doesn’t have to be a headache with the help of a nice guidebook. This one provides you with maps and information you can use as you move from one place to another.
Extra clothes. While travelling, “lightly” is always highly recommended; never make the mistake of bringing lesser than what you actually need.
Medicines. Make it a point to take good care of your health while you are away. Bring enough medicines because some of them may not be available outside your country.
A.Bringing cash is also must. |
B.And when going outdoors, try not to wear expensive jewelry. |
C.Also, try researching about the safety of the specific area you will visiting. |
D.What’s more, you may consider putting your extra clothes inside your carry-on. |
E.Whether you’re a tourist or businessman, there are certain things you must keep in mind. |
F.That way, you’ll have no problems returning to your country once your trip is over. |
G.Besides these must-haves, you also have to obey certain precautions to avoid any problems. |
【推荐1】Plato was upset about the invention of the alphabet(字母表)because, with this “technology”, learners would not use their memories and thus appear to be a know-it-all but actually know nothing. If Plato were alive today, what would he say about ChatGPT? ChatGPT, a conversational artificial intelligence program released recently by OpenAl, is a significant advancement that can produce articles comparable to good high school essays.
When I asked ChatGPT a range of simple questions, the answers were well-reasoned and clear. It’s also interactive: I could ask for more details or request changes. But then, on trickier topics or more complicated concepts, ChatGPT gave completely wrong answers.
However, that doesn’t mean ChatGPT can’t be a useful tool in education. Schools have already been dealing with the internet’s wealth of knowledge, along with its misleading essay factories. One way has been to change how they teach. Rather than listen to a lecture in class and then go home to research and write an essay, students listen to recorded lectures and do research at home, then write essays in class, with supervision, even cooperation with peers(同龄人) and teachers. This is called flipped(翻转的) classrooms, in which students wouldn’t use ChatGPT to create a whole essay. Instead, they’d use it as a tool to generate critically examined building blocks of essays.
Plato was wrong to think that memory itself is a goal, rather than a means for people to have facts so they can make better analyses and arguments. As Plato was wrong to fear the written word as the enemy, we would be wrong to think we should be against a process that allows us to gather information more easily.
The way forward is not just to feel regret for replaced skills, as Plato did, but also to recognize that as more complex skills become essential, our society must fairly educate people to develop them. And then it always goes back to the basics. Value people as people, not just as packs of skills. And that isn’t something ChatGPT can tell us how to do.
1. What would probably be Plato’s attitude toward ChatGPT?A.Favorable. | B.Uncaring. | C.Critical. | D.Unclear. |
A.They apply it to correcting mistakes. | B.They use it as a part of their research. |
C.They rely on it to create a whole essay. | D.They employ it to conduct peer reviews. |
A.He laid stress on memory too much. |
B.He failed to tell facts from opinions. |
C.He doubted easily accessible information. |
D.He used written words to attack his enemy. |
A.Updating and improving ChatGPT. |
B.Breathing fresh life into replaced skills. |
C.Equipping all people with necessary skills. |
D.Bringing people with different skills together. |
【推荐2】When James Haskell started playing professional rugby football, technology’s influence was very limited. One of its first and important uses within the game, he says, was just urine testing (尿检). “A lot has changed since then. Now all the players wear GPS heart-rate monitors,” the former England and Wasps ruby union player says. Data and technology have become important parts of a professional sports team and its players’ lives, Haskell says.
But this is only the beginning.
“New 5G will bring a whole set of new devices to the sports industry and the connectivity of supply chains that isn’t possible today,” explains Scott Petty, the chief technology officer of Vodafone UK. Vodafone’s recent research shows 70 per cent of decision-makers in the sports industry believe it is behind other industries in adopting new technology.
However, things are changing gradually. The research suggests that 76 per cent of sports leaders say new 5G technology will drive innovation ( 革新) within their organisations. According to research, sport is an area where new 5G will have a huge impact. It has the ability to transform the fan experience and help athletes improve their fitness and training programmes. Around 74 per cent of sports leaders believe 5G will help meet rising fan expectations.
Haskell is looking forward to seeing what 5G will enable in the future. Vodafone’s new 5G network was launched ( 推 出) in July. At the launch, two Wasps players demonstrated an innovative use of the tech when they conducted a joint training session, despite being 100 miles apart. At an event in London, Will Rowlands tackled (擒抱摔倒) a bag and almost at the same time, through wearable devices, De Jongh felt the force of the tackle.
Going forwards, Haskell expects that players will be able to quantify (量化) their performance in new ways. The key to this? The ability to read real‑time data and make training programmes completely personalised. Haskell says: “This ability will be awesome and you’ll suddenly be able to quantify everything!”
This will be game-changing.
1. What does Haskell say about the early use of technology in rugby football?A.It mainly focused on performance data collecting. |
B.It changed his attitude towards rugby football. |
C.It excited people’s attention to rugby football. |
D.It made an impact only to a small extent. |
A.The sports industry should find a new way to meet fan expectations. |
B.The sports industry plays a leading part in adopting new technology. |
C.Most sports leaders have a very positive response to new 5G technology. |
D.New 5G technology will be widely used in the sports industry very soon. |
A.It was a real success. |
B.It raised doubts among players. |
C.It made Vodafone world-famous. |
D.It fell far short of the expectations. |
A.Unnecessary. | B.Impressive. | C.Personal. | D.Impossible. |
【推荐3】What a Messy Desk Says About You
For some time, psychologists have been studying how personality traits affect health and health-related choices. Not surprisingly, they have found that people blessed with innate conscientiousness, meaning that they are organized and predictable, typically eat better and live longer than people who are disorderly. They also tend to have immaculate offices.
What has been less clear is whether neat environments can produce good habits even in those who aren’t necessarily innately conscientious. To find out, researchers at the University of Minnesota conducted a series of experiments. In the first experiment, they randomly assigned a group of college-age students to spend time in two office spaces, one of which was very neat, the other wildly cluttered (乱堆) with papers and other work-related stuff. The students spent their time filling out questionnaires unrelated to the study. After 10 minutes, they were told they could leave with an apple or a chocolate bar. Those students who sat in the orderly office were twice as likely to choose the apple as those who sat among the mess.
A second experiment, however, found that working in chaos has its advantages, too. In this one, college students were placed in a messy or a neat office and asked to dream up new uses for Ping-Pong balls. Those in messy spaces generated ideas that were significantly more creative, according to two independent judges, than those in offices where stacks of papers and other objects were neatly arranged.
The results were something of a surprise, says Dr. Vohs, the leader of the study. Few previous studies found much virtue in disorder. The broken window theory, proposed decades ago, holds that even slight disorder and neglect can encourage indifference and poor discipline.
But in the study by Dr. Vohs, disordered offices encouraged originality and a search for novelty. In the final portion of the study, adults were given the choice of adding a health “boost” to their lunchtime smoothie that was labeled either “new” or “classic.” The volunteers in the messy space were far more likely to choose the new one; those in the tidy office generally chose the classic version. “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition,” Dr. Vohs and her co-authors conclude in the study, “which can produce fresh insights.”
The implications of these findings are also practical. “My advice would be, if you need to think outside the box for a future project”, Dr. Vohs says, “then let the clutter rise and free your imagination. But if your primary goal is to eat well or to go to the gym, pick up around your office first. By doing this, the naturally messy can acquire some of the discipline of the conscientious.”
1. The underlined word “immaculate” in paragraph 1 probably means ______.A.messy | B.tidy |
C.terrible | D.comfortable |
A.Chaos begets chaos. | B.Misfortune may be an actual blessing. |
C.Bad news has wings. | D.When a door shuts, a window opens. |
A.More virtue exists in organized people. |
B.Creativity results from tidiness and discipline. |
C.Disorderly surroundings help to create new ideas. |
D.Workers’ good habits guarantee the success of a project. |
A.The naturally neat people tend to be very creative. |
B.A messy office will cause quite low working efficiency. |
C.Environments can affect people’s way of thinking and behavior. |
D.People’s personalities are determined by their working environments. |