Mr. Riccardi was working for an Italian university at the time, 10 years ago, and had to go to the city of Potenza in the south of the country for a conference. He wanted to book an environmentally-friendly hotel, but it was not so easy to find one online and book.
So it gave him the idea for a business — a website called Ecobnb, where people can search for sustainable accommodation. When someone finds a place that they would like to book, Ecobn b does not take the payment. Rather it contacts the property, which then emails the person directly. Ecobnb makes its money by charging the accommodation providers a monthly subscription to list on its website.
Today Ecobnb, based in Trento, in northern Italy, lists more than 3,000 properties worldwide, from an organic farmhouse in Tuscany, to an eco-mountain cottage in Costa Rica. 2.8 million travellers now use Ecobnb per year, up from 780,000 in 2018. Mr. Riccardi says the number is still rising. Some accommodation providers offer discounts for guests arriving by bicycle, or those not using a car during the trip.
“Holidaymakers are rethinking their relationship with planet Earth,” Mr. Riccardi says. “Thereis a new awareness, especially in young people, about our responsibility for our future and for the planet.” Statistics appear to back this up. A study has found that 69% of travellers are now actively seeking sustainable travel options.
Although Ecobnb is focused on sustainability, how sustainable is it when many people might be flying to arrive at the accommodations it lists? “The impact of the travel of the flights is very big,” agrees Mr. Riccardi. “We are pushing the staycation (就近旅游) model a lot, inviting people to discover their own countries and to avoid the flights when it’s possible.”
“More people are interested in green lifestyles every day,” he says. “And now they are looking for the same green choices also during their holidays. These little choices can come together, and we can change things and make something different. We can be the change we want to see in the world.”
1. What inspired Mr. Riccardi to start the website Ecobnb?| A．His pursuit for a better future. | B．His motivation to find a green hotel. |
| C．His teaching experience in an university. | D．His desire to invest in sustainable tourism. |
| A．It enjoys great popularity. | B．It owns 3,000 properties in Italy. |
| C．It offers discounts to all visitors. | D．It charges payment from customers. |
| A．To promote sustainable travel. | B．To attract more young travelers. |
| C．To reduce the accommodation list. | D．To make flights available for others. |
| A．Discouraged. | B．Tolerant. | C．Uncertain. | D．Optimistic. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】After a long winter，spring is the ideal time for sightseeing and exploring London’s green spaces．
Explore London’s parks and gardens
Springtime is one of the perfect times of year to explore London’s parks and gardens，when the city’s Royal Parks will be blooming with flowers．Go and admire the rainbow of azaleas(杜鹃花) at Richmond Park or hire a deckchair in St James’s Park with a view of Buckingham Palace.
Enjoy the entertainment at a Spring Festival
There are a good many festivals and events held in London throughout spring．Make the most of the cultural exhibitions at the British Library Spring Festival, the Sundance Film Festival or the London Literature Festival；head to Shakespeare’s Globe，which hosts open-air Shakespeare performances from late April until early October．
Get active
Warmer weather means there’s no excuse for staying indoors，so go for a walking or cycling tour of London．Alternatively，walk the Thames Walkway，which follows the river all the way from central London into the countryside；make the most of London’s “Boris Bikes”，which are available for hire all around the city and are free of charge for the first half hour．If you’re really looking for a challenge，sign up for the famous London Marathon，held annually in April．
Take to the waters
Whether cruising(航行) along the Thames River，hiring a rowing boat in Hyde Park or riding a canal boat around Little Venice，there are lots of fun ways to get on the water in London．Held every year since 1829，the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race allows teams from England’s most famous universities to compete against each other，and draws huge crowds of watching people．
1. If you are interested in British culture，you are advised to ________．| A．visit Richmond Park | B．row a boat in Hyde Park |
| C．attend the London Festivals | D．walk the Thames Walkway |
| A．You can see Buckingham Palace from St James’s Park． |
| B．London’s Boris Bikes are free to use for a whole day． |
| C．Outdoor Shakespeare performances are held only in spring． |
| D．The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race has a history of over 200 years． |
| A．Watching Boat Race． | B．Joining in London Marathon． |
| C．Cruising along the Thames River． | D．Cycling around London． |
| A．introduce tourist attractions in London |
| B．stress the importance of exploring London |
| C．suggest ways to enjoy spring in London |
| D．show the beauty of spring in London |
【推荐2】The only thing better than a vacation is a well-planned vacation with friends. With careful preparation and good communication, you can ensure that your group will stay enthusiastic through the whole trip.
Choose friends you get along well with. You‟ll be spending a lot of time with your travel companions, so think of people who have similar general travel habits and are flexible and relaxed.
Plan transportation
Buy plane tickets early to avoid higher prices. Use public transportation if your group is small enough to keep together. Consider renting a car if you‟re traveling with small children or a larger group.
Choose a destination
Decide on daytime and nighttime activities
Research popular attractions in your destination and share them with your group.
Now, it‟s time to start getting ready to plan the trip.
| A．Ask everyone to tell the planners one or two things they definitely want to do. |
| B．If you enjoy trips with lots of walking or hiking, consider whether your friends have the similar hobbies. |
| C．Choose a road trip for a small group that gets along well. |
| D．Discuss a budget early on. |
| E．It‟s fine to bring bigger luggage, but they‟ll have to carry all their own bags. |
| F．Choose your friends, destination and activities wisely and your group will enjoy a fun and memorable holiday. |
| G．If you want to experience a new culture, try booking a trip to a foreign country. |
Bangkok has become the world’s top tourist destination, with 15.98 million visitors projected to visit Thailand’s capital city this year, according to the third annual Global Destination Cities Index released by MasterCard on Monday. Based on data MasterCard collected from governments, central banks, related public agencies and airlines so far this year, the projection for the entire year says Bangkok is surpassing (超过) London, the previous holder of the top place, by a very narrow margin.
Monday’s report marked the first time an Asian city has been projected to be the top-ranked tourist destination. London came in second, with 15.96 million visitors expected in 2013, and Paris, third, with 13.92 million visitors. MasterCard looked at 132 cities.
Other Asian cities that made it to the Top-20 Global Destination Cities in 2013 include Singapore at number four, with 11.75 million visitors; Kuala Lumpur at number eight, with 9.2 million visitors; Hong Kong at number nine, with 8.72 million visitors; Seoul at number 11, with 8.19 million visitors; Shanghai at number 14, with 6.5 million visitors, Tokyo at number 16, with 5.8 million visitors, and Taipei, with 5.19 million visitors.
The study found that Bangkok is experiencing a large increase in its number of tourists in 2013, up 9.8% from 2009. That compares to New York’s increase at 5.0% and London’s at 3.8%. Paris, meanwhile, saw a small dip in its number of tourists (negative 0.7%).
Caroline Lledo, who was visiting Bangkok from France, said Thailand has many offerings. “We like culture and the people are so nice. We also love shopping here,” Ms. Lledo said. MasterCard Worldwide’s global economic adviser Yuwa Hedrick-Wong cited (引用) overall value for money spent for why Bangkok is attractive. That is true for Thailand overall as well.
1. From the passage we can know that ________.
| A．Bangkok defeated London by a wide margin |
| B．there are 15.96 million visitors visiting London in 2013 |
| C．Paris is experiencing an increase in its number of tourists |
| D．London topped List of World’s Tourist Destinations in 2012 |
| A．Seven. | B．Eight. |
| C．Nine. | D．Ten. |
| A．People and buildings. |
| B．Shopping and environment. |
| C．Culture, people and shopping. |
| D．Culture and natural scenery. |
| A．MasterCard surveyed 131 cities. |
| B．Caroline Lledo was MasterCard’s adviser. |
| C．MasterCard collected data from private agencies. |
| D．It is the third time that MasterCard has released the Index. |
【推荐1】SGT. JACOB KOHUT finally had some downtime during his 12-hour shift standing guard outside the U.S. Capitol. He could have spent his lone break napping or cracking jokes with fellow National Guardsmen. Instead, he sat in the back of a Humvee, flute in hand, teaching students via his laptop how to play Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Kohut, 35, was one of the more than 20,000 troops providing security ahead of then President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration(就职) in January. That meant he was on double duty, as an active member of the National Guard and as a devoted school band teacher.
Kohut has been in the military for 11 years as part of the 257th Army Band, playing the basson and saxophone. He also has been a band teacher for more than a decade, and for the past five years, he’s taught music at two schools in Virginia---Canterbury Woods Elementary School in the morning and Frost Middle school in the afternoon.
When he was called up for duty, “my first thought was, What about my kids?” says Kohut. “The last thing these students need is a disruption(中断) in their teaching. I would rather teach the class, even if that means I’m tired.”
When on duty, Kohut’s days began in the morning with teaching his elementary class remotely from the drill floor of the DC Armory, finishing the lesson mere minutes before his Guard shift started at 10 a.m. Later in the day,during his break, he would go online to teach his middle school students from the back of a Humvee.
Kohut’s double duty has caught the attention of parents at Canterbury Woods Elementary.“I just wanted to share how impressed I am with Dr. Kohut this week,” Susi Brittain wrote in an e-mail to Leipzig. “This morning he taught band online from DC, in his fatigues--which just seems so beyond the expectations of a teacher in these circumstances.”
Kohut insists he is not doing anything extraordinary--he’s simply taking care of what needs to get done.”We are here to do what’s needed, and if that means standing outside for 18 hours straight in the freezing cold, we’re ready to do that,”he says.
But during the long and sometimes stressful hours of standing guard, Kohut said his teaching time offers comfort.As the 11 instruments played by his virtual students synchronized in song, the familiar melody of “Ode to Joy” rang through the Humvee.In that moment, Kohut realized there wasn’t a timelier tune to teach his students.
“It’s a symbol of unity and peace,” he says. “And that’s what the world needs right now.”
1. We can know that Kohut is a ______ person.| A．eager and confident | B．generous and strict |
| C．determined and selfless | D．talented and energetic |
| A．He was too tired to carry out the teaching practice online. |
| B．He was willing to do whatever was needed for kids and army. |
| C．He was ready to stand outside for 18 hours straight just for fun. |
| D．He would rather stand outside for 18 hours straight than teach the kids online. |
| A．Providing security for Joe Biden |
| B．Fighting for country and Beethoven |
| C．Teaching music online at two schools |
| D．Being an active member of the National Guard |
【推荐2】When I was ten years old, Mum got paralyzed (瘫痪) . Before that, she was a lively and active woman who amazed many with her energy. I admired her for all the things she did.
However, everything changed when she turned thirty-one.
I still have vivid images of her before her paralysis. She would play popular music, creating a cheerful atmosphere for lively gatherings. She would joyfully rearrange the furniture to make room for friends to abandon themselves to dance. She often spent hours filling the house with flowers, which we picked fresh from the gardens.
After Mum’s paralysis, I began to take care of my 2-year-old sister, Mary Therese. In no time at all, I learned to bathe and feed her. For me it was a giant step beyond playing with dolls. One moment stands out even today: the time Mary Therese fell and skinned her knee, burst into tears and ran past my mother’s outstretched arms into mine. Too late, I noticed slight hurt on Mum’s face, but all she said was, “It’s natural that she should run to you, because you take such good care of her.”
When I was grown and entered the field of corrections, Mum became interested in working with prisoners. She taught writing to them. One day, she asked me to mail a letter to one prisoner, Waymon. I asked for my mother’s permission to read it first. It read: when you said that I couldn’t imagine what it is like to be in prison, I felt like I had to tell you that you are mistaken. When I awoke one day to find that I was completely paralyzed, I felt trapped, overwhelmed by a sense of being imprisoned in a body that would no longer allow me to dance or carry my child in my arms. But then, I made a choice about whether I would smile when I saw my daughters again or I would weep. I made a decision to live as fully as I could.
By the time I finished Mum’s letter, my vision was clouded by tears. For the first time, I saw my mother in a clearer light.
1. How can we describe Mum before her paralysis?| A．Creative. | B．Ambitious. | C．Adventurous. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．Mum had a sharp insight |
| B．Mum was emotionally generous |
| C．Mum was worried about her position |
| D．Mum was absent-minded at the moment |
| A．She regretted for what she had done. |
| B．Waymon’s experience was saddening, |
| C．She witnessed Mum’s character shining through. |
| D．There was some secret between her and her mother. |
Born in 1984, she began making up stories when she was about three years old. “I never stopped and said, ‘I want to write’,” Amelia remembers. “I loved stories and created stories before I was old enough to know how to write them down.”
In her family, reading was basic and fun. “My parents encouraged me to read — and to read anything I wanted, so long as I was reading,” she said. “They never restricted what I read. Later, when I started writing, they never criticized what I did or said I was ‘too young’. They never said it was impossible for me to achieve what I have.”
In her short but successful career, Amelia has tried different styles. But vampires were the first characters to really come alive in her work. From them she has developed a whole world, one which she always enjoys learning more about.
As a published teen writer, Amelia’s advice to other teens who dream of being authors is: just do it! “I believe anything is possible. Don’t give up your dreams just because you fear failure. Getting a book published is difficult, but if I can do it, others can too. ”
1. What can we learn about Amelia Atwater - Rhodes?
| A．Reading widely helped her a lot in her career. |
| B．She found getting a book published was easy. |
| C．Vampires have been the only characters in her books. |
| D．Her parents began to teach her to make up stories when she was 3. |
| A．They helped her with writing stories. |
| B．They fully supported her. |
| C．They thought she was too young to read. |
| D．They chose what she read. |
| A．Vampires | B．different styles |
| C．Teenagers | D．characters in her novel |
| A．Good News for Teen Writers |
| B．Is It Possible for a Teen Writer to Be Published? |
| C．Advice on Being Teen Writers |
| D．A Top-selling Teen Writer Pens Vampire Tales |
