1 . Would you take a trip if you couldn’t use your cellphone? A new tour company called Off the Grid is asking travellers to put their cellphones away and not even use them for photos. The company founder, Zach Beattie, is developing his business, using money he saved from a tech job at a mapping company. He’s hired guides for every trip but will help lead the first few himself.
The first trip is to Lisbon, Portugal, in July. It takes 7 to 10 days, with small groups of up to 16 people. Prices range from $1,500 to $1,650, including accommodations, meals and ground transportation. The plan includes at least three excursions (远足) and two social events, with an emphasis on unique experiences over bucket-list sightseeing. The tour also includes surfing lessons, yoga on the beach, a day of sailing and dinner with a local family.
“When you’re somewhere new, there’s a lot to see and a lot of cool and interesting people to meet,” Beattie said. “Your phone can distract (使分心) you.” The phone ban won’t be enforced quite as strictly as it seems at first glance. “We want it to be voluntary,” he said. “We’re not collecting phones and throwing them in a locked trunk. It’s held by you, but put in your pocket, and you state your intentions for the week, whether that’s checking your social media once or twice a day or a total blackout.”
Tour-goers also get a “dumbphone” without Internet access that’s loaded with numbers for group leaders and other participants, both for emergencies and to promote socializing. Participants may bring regular cameras, but Beattie is hiring a photographer for each tour so there will be plenty of photos to remember the trip. Once the trip is over, participants will have access to those photos for use in social media posts.
1. What can be learned about Zach Beattie?| A．He set up his business at his own expense. |
| B．He is always guiding every trip personally. |
| C．He forbids tourists to take along cellphones. |
| D．He used to earn his living in a tour company. |
| A．The trip features sightseeing. |
| B．Participants live in homestays. |
| C．Air ticket is covered in the cost. |
| D．Tourists experience water sports. |
| A．Lock their phones in a trunk. |
| B．Post their photos on social media. |
| C．Free themselves from their phones. |
| D．Shift their focus onto dumbphones. |
| A．Take photos. | B．Access the Internet. |
| C．Record the trip. | D．Contact group members. |
2 . “Is this making us old or keeping us young?” my husband asked as he lifted the three heavy backpacks from the canoe.
“I don’t know,” I replied. The heat and mosquitoes were getting to me, and I was wondering whether we were crazy to have started a canoe trip during the hottest week of the summer. But even in fall, our canoe trips—while certainly cooler—are no easier.
I’ve always loved getting away from civilization to enjoy the peace of nature, to be on a news blackout (封锁) and to reflect on the past year and the year to come, which is why we’ve been doing this regularly for most of the 38 years we’ve been together.
Now as we’re getting older, it’s getting harder—aching knees, aching feet and aching backs. So, we’re changing our habits. Instead of extreme white-water trips in the far north, we’re going on lake trips closer by. Instead of pulling on the heavy pack myself and rising from a sitting position, my husband lifts it up while I thread my arms through the belts. Along the way, I might stop to admire the green plants beside the path or feel the soft surfaces of the moss, and my husband is usually waiting at the other end, wondering why it’s taken me so long. During the night, we no longer stay up late to see the stars. Instead, we now get into the tent by 9 p.m.—exhausted after one day’s hard work—and drift into sleep listening to birds’ sorrowful call.
Over the years, my canoe-tripping experience has evolved to focus less on the physical and more on the abstract things. Like a solar battery, I store up the energy I absorb from the forest, rocks and waters to help me through the rest of the year. The rhythm of paddling becomes a process of deep thinking rather than an endurance test.
“How long can we continue doing this?” asked my husband at the end of the last trip.
“I don’t know,” I answered, but inside, I thought, “As long as our bodies and minds hold out, I hope forever.”
1. According to the passage, the author and her husband’s canoe trips ______.| A．were difficult to complete |
| B．made the couple crazy |
| C．made the couple look younger than their age |
| D．became dangerous because of the summer heat |
| A．the stars are not beautiful any more |
| B．birds’ night call is more attractive now |
| C．their habits have changed over the years |
| D．they are too tired to do the same things |
| A．Do extreme white-water trips. | B．Go on a trip to a nearby lake. |
| C．Bring the heavy pack themselves. | D．Catch birds in the darkness. |
| A．An Unforgettable Trip | B．My Trip with My Husband |
| C．Life Is a Hard Trip | D．Love for Canoe Trips |
3 . In a recent email to an old friend, I mentioned that our family planned on taking our four-week road trip in our motor home. My friend emailed back and said he thought I was very “brave” to set out on such an adventure with two young children (aged two and five). I laughed when I read his email and wondered if he knew how much he was missing out on by giving up the idea of such a fun RV (旅行房车) trip with one5s family.
My husband and I have been “RVing” for over ten years. When we first started traveling, we certainly had some troubles that were not so funny at the time but seem to be funny now. We forgot our pillows and failed to cook dinner on an outdoor grill for lack of a flashlight. Then we decided to make our dinner in the motor home but could not get the oven lit! So we went to bed a little hungrier than we had planned!
However, that’s nothing compared with the amazing natural wonders we experienced during our RV trips. In addition, we have discovered a new world of family fun and family bonding. We saw the Grand Canyon when our son was only six months old. We play games inside and : out, walk together, talk together, read, solve puzzles, and enjoy music and movies. We have got used to doing things with one another. Our kids love to pick out good, old-fashioned postcards to send off via snail mail to different family members on every trip.
As our world gets more and more overloaded with cell phones, texting, emails and video games, our family sticks more and more tightly to the wonderfully simple idea of unplugging electronic devices for a while and jumping into the seat to take a trip in our motor home. Then we come home with fun pictures of our wandering, and we’re able to build special memories for our kids. Now we want to spread the word and tell families of all kinds what enjoyment can be had from packing up for a trip in the RV.
1. What did the author’s old friend think of her travel plan?| A．A family trip should not last for too long. |
| B．A family RV trip might bring unexpected troubles. |
| C．It was wise of her to let children experience RV trips. |
| D．It was a good opportunity to teach children to be brave. |
| A．It was a pleasant experience. | B．It was ruined by bad weather. |
| C．They didn’t prepare well for it. | D．They lost many things during it. |
| A．They learnt how to solve problems. | B．They built a closer family relationship. |
| C．They developed a great love for nature. | D．They fell in love with adventure travels. |
| A．To show how to make RV trips interesting. |
| B．To encourage kids to take part in RV trips. |
| C．To advise families to take RV trips together. |
| D．To share an unforgettable traveling experience. |
Li Daiyu and her cousin stayed in Toronto for only a few hours. They went on
It
That night they boarded the train heading towards the Gulf of St Lawrence and
Li Daiyu and her cousin Liu Qian were on a trip to Canada to visit their cousins in Halifax. They decided
They spent two days in Vancouver. There they took a boat ride,
Then they boarded the train to Lake Louise, where the blue water took
From Jasper, they caught the train bound
After another day on the train, they
1. What does the man know about Zhuozheng Garden?
| A．It was first built in the Qing Dynasty. |
| B．It tops the other classical gardens in Suzhou. |
| C．It is about 6 miles away from Gusu District. |
| A．They are eighty miles apart. |
| B．They are in opposite directions. |
| C．They are quite close to each other. |
| A．Tuisi Garden. | B．Liuyuan Garden. | C．Zhuozheng Garden. |
| A．It is otherwise known as the Garden Museum. |
| B．It features the Qing Dynasty's garden landscaping. |
| C．It houses relics dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. |
1. What did Tim’s father fail to do last year?
| A．Join a family trip. | B．Finish his project. | C．See Tim in Paris. |
| A．Germany. | B．Egypt. | C．Spain. |
| A．Trying Spanish food. | B．Buying local clothing. | C．Riding a camel. |
| A．Go to a market. | B．Buy some souvenirs. | C．Take a lot of pictures. |
1. What creates a magical atmosphere in the Glowworm Caves?
| A．Starlight. |
| B．Glow-in-the-dark paint. |
| C．Thousands of glowing creatures. |
| A．Australia. |
| B．New Zealand. |
| C．Canada. |
| A．Walking tours. |
| B．Boat tours. |
| C．Helicopter rides. |
| A．Waterfalls. |
| B．Glowing stalactites. |
| C．Thousands of glowworms on the walls and ceilings. |
| A．Because of the dark atmosphere |
| B．Due to the presence of magical creatures |
| C．It resembles a medieval castle |
| A．The smell of caves. |
| B．The sound of dripping water. |
| C．A mesmerizing, glow-in-the-dark experience. |
8. Describe the type of tour visitors can take to explore the Glowworm Caves.
9. Why is the experience of visiting the caves compared to stepping into a fairy tale?
10. What country is home to the Glowworm Caves?
A Four-day Tour of London | ||
| Transportation | Plane | |
| Self-guided tour | Service | |
| Cost | $2,000 | |
| Guided tour | Service | Make a travel schedule for guests, besides making reservations |
| Schedule | • •Go on •Visit Buckingham Palace on the 2nd day •Go to the British Museum on the 3rd day • | |
| Cost | $3,500, including the | |
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