3 . Top 4 Ecotourism Destinations in the World

Travelling often comes with an environmental cost一but by choosing to travel more responsibly and sustainably, you can help to reduce the negative effects of tourism. Here are four destinations that have already signed up to a more sustainable way of life.

Costa Rica

So, you want to escape? Imagine a country that’s one -quarter national park, a place where you could hike in a rainforest in the morning and surf tropical waves in the afternoon. Imagine an adventure Eden where all kinds of unique animals run before your eyes.

That country is Costa Rica Conservation has been developed here since the 1970s, with measures to protect areas, close z00S and reverse deforestation.

About 80% of the Osa Peninsula is protected; much of it is in Corcovado National Park, where visitors can follow guided trips with local groups. Activity options range from rainforest hikes to whale-watching, diving at Isla del Cano and surfing at Cabo Matapalo.

Finland

It’s a nation where 80 percent of the territory is covered by forests Meanwhile, Finland’s air and water is claimed to be the clearest.

The Finish Tourist Board has launched the Sustainable Finland programme to help visitors plan the most eco-friendly travels and engage with nature and local culture, knowing every step of their trip has been looked at from an economical, ecological, social and cultural perspective.

Bhutan

Until 1974, the Kingdom of Bhutan remained closed to tourism. Then one day, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck declared Bhutan open to visitors. Today, only those who have booked guided tours through approved travel agencies can enter Bhutan. Permits are charged at a peak- season nightly rate of ＄250 per person, which includes a 37 percent tax that goes towards improving infrastructure (基础设施) and strengthening the healthcare and the education systems. This strict policy means tourism is controlled, with local life largely untouched by its impact.

Botswana

As one of the most convenient locations to spot the “Big Five”, Botswana’s infrastructure has long been under pressure to meet the demands of the world’s safari (游猎) market. Thankfully, the team at Great Plains Safari has been taking measures to minimize impact and invest in community-based opportunities to help local villages develop. One such measure is a kids’conservation camp, where children are invited to week-long courses to learn about their surroundings, the value of conservation and the role of environmental tourism.

1. What can tourists do in Costa Rica?

A．Camp and swim.	B．Hike and hunt.
C．Watch and catch whales.	D．Dive and surf.

2. What challenge is Botswana faced with?

A．It is no longer a location to spot the “Big Five”.

B．Children don’t care about environmental tourism.

C．The government invests little in local development

D．Its infrastructure has been impacted by the safari market.

3. Of the four ecotourism destinations, which has a strict tourism policy?

A．Costa Rica

B．Finland

C．Bhutan

D．Botswana

5 . The input Dad has on my career is incomparable. My earliest memories are of Dad sitting in the kitchen playing the guitar, listening to his favourite song by his favourite singer, and encouraging his little girl to poke (戳) keys randomly on the piano. Even watching Top of the Pops, he would get so passionate about music in it. We weren’t a religious family, but there was something spiritual about Dad’s connection with music.

Music also became a source of comfort for me. I failed to do well academically at school and had no friends. Being at school consumed so much of my emotional energy. Instead of going to school to learn stuff, I felt as though I was simply trying to get people to like me. Things were better, but the only time I truly felt happy was when I was at home listening to music with Mum and Dad or writing songs on the piano —and the older I got, the more powerful music felt.

Dad was always my biggest supporter. When I started giving live performances at the local bar, he was the one who drove me there and back. Freeing up that time wasn’t easy for an actor. His job might mean three weeks in the Czech Republic or working with George Lucas on The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones in Hollywood.

Dad has been involved with some amazing stuff, but Daddy Pig is the one that’s had the biggest impact all over the world. When I was flying to Australia for my first tour, I was trying to find something to watch on the little screen and I noticed they had Peppa Pig. If I’m missing home and family, I always put it on. Daddy Pig is a fairly real version of my dad —he loves chocolate cake, he’s funny and usually breaks things when he’s trying to mend them. Mum and Dad were friends with one of the producers of the show and I often wonder if he looked at my dad and thought, “That’s him …that’s Daddy Pig.”

1. What can we learn about the author’s father?

A．He was good at writing songs.

B．He was attached to music in his soul.

C．He encouraged her to play the guitar.

D．He was passionate about watching TV series.

2. How did the author’s father support her career?

A．By picking her up in a tight schedule.

B．By doing a demanding job as an actor.

C．By watching her musical performances.

D．By giving live performances at the local bar.

3. Why did the author mention Peppa Pig?

A．It’s her favourite childhood cartoon.

B．She saw her father through Daddy Pig.

C．She took pride in this world famous cartoon.

D．It’s a cartoon about her hometown and motherland.

4. Which of the following can best describe the author’s Dad?

A．Funny and honest.	B．Strict and hardworking.
C．Famous and patient.	D．Supportive and influential.

6 . Scientists at the University of Central Florida (UCF) have created a new kind of paint that’s very light and very strong. The colors in the new paint aren’t at all like those in most paints. Instead, they’re more like the colors on a butterfly’s wings.

The colors in most paints come from pigments (色素)—small amounts of colored things mixed into the paint. For hundreds of years, humans have been blending different minerals, metals or chemicals together to produce different colors of paint. But nature has another way to create color, called “structural color”. Structural color comes from small shapes on the surfaces of things like wings or feathers. Normally, we never see the shapes that create these colors.

Researchers at Dr. Debashis Chanda’s lab at UCF weren’t really planning on making paint. They were trying to create a special mirrored surface. But they found super-tiny clumps (簇) of aluminum atoms (铝原子) on the surface. They realized that these clumps made colors when light hit them. So they turned their discovery into paint.

The new paint is so light that it could reduce the amount of fuel used by planes and cars. Normally, it takes about 500 kilograms of paint to cover a Boeing 747 airplane. It’d only take 1.3 kilograms of Dr. Chanda’s structural paint to do the same job. American Airlines once figured that cutting 30.4 kilograms from its flights could save 1,514,000 liters of fuel every year. Structural paint could save over 16 times as much.

In regular paints, pigments break down and become less bright over time. That’s not true for the new paint. “Once we paint something with structural color, it should stay for centuries,” says Dr. Chanda. Besides, the new paint doesn’t heat up like regular paint. The new paint can keep surfaces up to 16.6° Celsius cooler than normal paint.

The scientists know how to make small amounts of the new paint in the lab. Now they’re trying to figure out how to make large amounts of the paint cheaply, and hopefully, it will soon come onto the market.

1. What does the underlined word “blending” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Mixing.

B．Buying.

C．Creating.

D．Discovering.

2. How was the new paint discovered?

A．Smartly.

B．Carefully.

C．Purposefully.

D．Accidentally.

3. How does the new paint help to reduce planes’ consumption of fuel?

A．By improving their quality.	B．By making them fly faster.
C．By reducing their weight.	D．By using more pigments.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the new paint?

A．Disapproving.

B．Positive.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Doubtful.

7 . Humans are emotional beings who experience all kinds of emotions. Living a joyful life doesn’t mean refusing painful emotions. Instead, it means developing a mindset (心态) that prefers a positive view of the world. At the same time, it means developing healthy ways to deal with difficult emotions.     1    

Joy strengthens relationships. When you have a positive attitude, you tend to approach the people in your life from a place of gratitude and love.    2     You also tend to appreciate the strengths in others, rather than focus on what you don’t like in that person.

Joy improves physical health.    3     According to a study in BMC Cancer, researchers found that happiness may protect against breast cancer. The same goes for heart disease, with a study from Psychosomatic Medicine suggesting that depression may be linked to coronary (冠状动脉) disease.

    4     According to Scientific American, happy people are open to all sorts of ideas, and people are more likely to come up with new ideas when they are in a good mood. This is because they tend to see the bigger picture, which, in turn, inspires greater imagination.

Joy creates more joy! When you surround yourself with positive people, you experience more happiness in your own life.    5     People who spend more time with cheerful friends are more likely to have a happier behavior. By spending more time with happy people, you may feel happier, which inspires even more joy in those you meet!

A．Joy promotes creativity.

B．Joy makes you more productive.

C．This helps others feel more valued.

D．In recent years, science continues to prove this.

E．Research shows that happiness spreads in social groups.

F．Here are some reasons why joy is a powerful life choice.

G．When you live joyfully, you may create better results in life.