1 . Set 40 kilometers northeast of the city of Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar, the Zahamena National Park has overall land coverage of 643 square kilometers, but only about 420 square kilometers is open to the public. It receives an average rainfall level of around 6 feet every year and experiences frequent rain showers even during the dry season between April and October. And elevations (海拔) inside the park range from 250 to 1,560 meters, which has resulted in a diversity (多样性) of climates.
One really interesting thing about the Zahamena National Park is its unique highland landform (高地地貌). The development of several ecosystems that all together exist within its area greatly depends on it. And this is also the reason why the types of wildlife living in one area of its wide range are different in another, which makes it quite exciting to explore.
This protected region’s main area is divided into two parts: the eastern and western areas, with a separate piece of ground in the middle where many small villages are located. Zahamena means “red trees”, which suggests a tree species scientifically called Diatum unifoliatum. It lives only in Zahamena and is characterized by its typically deep reddish-orange color.
Established as a strict natural highland habitat for nature conservation (保护) in 1927, the Zahamena National Park was officially awarded the honorary title of national park in 1997 and was finally opened to the public. Due to its amazing landform and unique local biodiversity, this national park was later listed as a key part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in 2007.
Unluckily, there are no hotels or restaurants around the national park. So Zahamena is not an easy rainforest—this national park needs people with a high level of fitness and people with low requirements concerning accommodations. Everyone who is not discouraged by this will be able to expect an amazing rainforest experience in a location which has a small number of tourists.
1. What do we know about the Zahamena National Park?| A．It is hard to reach due to conservation rules. |
| B．It has changeable weather all year round. |
| C．It has a great difference in elevations. |
| D．It is famous for its traditional villages. |
| A．The complete food chain of wildlife there. |
| B．The wet weather condition there. |
| C．The conservation efforts there. |
| D．The special landform there. |
| A．A cultural belief. | B．A local tree species. |
| C．The unique geography. | D．The local village group. |
| A．The tough condition of Zahamena. | B．People’s high level of fitness. |
| C．Its geographical location. | D．The diversity of climates. |
2 . Disneyland’s opening day, July 17, 1955, was a terrible experience. Rides broke down. Restaurants ran out of food and drink and drinking fountains were in short supply... All in front of a national audience of 90 million, then the largest live broadcast in television history on a day that would be known in Disney history as Black Sunday.
But Disney’s story actually started two decades earlier with what Walt Disney called “Daddy’s Day”. On Saturdays in the 1930s and 1940s, Disney would take his two daughters to ride the Griffith Park merry-go-round, which they’d enjoy while he sat on a bench dreaming of ways for families to have fun together. Disney disliked the amusement parks they often visited, seeing them as dirty, unimaginative places run by rude employees.
He thought he could do better. In 1939 he asked two animators (动画片制作者) at his movie studio to work on a plan for an amusement park. By 1952 the idea had expanded into a $1.5 million amusement park proposal that he presented to Burbank. The City Council, which feared such a project would create a carnival (嘉年华) atmosphere, rejected the proposal. Disney counted the rejection as fortunate setback. By now, his dream for a theme park had gone beyond the space available in Burbank. He searched locations throughout Southern California. A 160-acre orange garden, 22 miles south of Los Angeles, was soon selected.
The ABC television network offered $5 million in loans and investments if Disney agreed to produce and host a one-hour weekly show called "Disneyland". The deal amounted to months of free advertising for the park and allowed Disney to introduce TV audiences, particularly kids, to the park.
Disneyland opened then. The 5,000 expected guests increased to 28, 154, thanks to fake tickets. After the madness of opening day, Disney and his new park were criticized in the press. The media predicted a quick and early end. But the public didn’t listen. Visitors arrived in large groups, and within weeks Disneyland was a success.
Over sixty years later, Disneyland’s popularity continues to grow, with total overall attendance topping 700 million and showing no signs of slowing down.
1. What mainly led to Walt Disney’s plan to build his own amusement park?| A．His ambition to expand beyond the movie industry. |
| B．His animators’ suggestion on an entertainment plan. |
| C．His wish to create a better place for family recreation. |
| D．His daughters’ unpleasant experience in the Griffith Park. |
| A．brought good luck to Disney and his park |
| B．contributed to the difficulty of opening the park |
| C．was viewed as a financial obstacle to the design of the park |
| D．presented Disney with a favorable opportunity to rethink his plan |
| A．Everything went on smoothly before it opened. |
| B．It spent $5 million on advertising for its opening. |
| C．People’s enthusiasm for it increased despite criticism. |
| D．Only invited guests could get into it on its opening day. |
| A．Disneyland: How It All Began | B．Disneyland: An Overnight Success |
| C．Disneyland: How It Developed | D．Disneyland: A Park with a Long History |
3 . Going against the tide of flocking to well-known tourist destinations on vacation, a growing number of holidaymakers in China tend to spend their leisure time at lesser-known attractions. Reverse tourism (逆向旅游) has appeared as a new trend among young holidaymakers in China.
According to data from an online travel agency, the number of rooms booked at hotels in less-traveled cities during the holiday was up 30 percent year-on-year. Bookings for four-star or five-star hotels in less-traveled places all increased ten times at a minimum. Some lesser-known scenic spots posted double-digit (两位数的) growth during the holiday. Baimaiquan Park in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, received 52,100 visits in the seven days, up to 15.78 percent year-over-year.
Besides crowds, some vacationers chose less-traveled places to save on the cost of trips to popular destinations. In addition, lesser-known attractions are not as “commercial” as developed ones and are able to offer more actual experiences and natural encounters.
Essentially speaking, total relaxation is becoming a real expectation for many people when they travel. Changes in demand may be the fundamental reason for the popularity of reverse tourism. COVID-19 is another key factor fueling reverse tourism. As preventive measures continue, traveling has an unpredictable quality. Travelers have thus become more cautious and tend to choose local attractions or places with fewer tourists.
“The rise of reverse tourism is not a bad thing,” said Zhengzhou Daily. It means that vacationers now have more options, which brings more possibilities to the tourism market. More importantly, it noted, the trend is set to force popular destinations to improve themselves instead of resting on their past honor.
Jiang Han, a senior researcher, said that reverse tourism will become one of the future directions for the market. To give a real boost to the tourism market, Jiang suggested that more efforts be made to tap the potential of underestimated, lesser-known destinations. It is necessary to dig deeper into the local customs and highlight the local characteristics to improve the quality of local tourism.
1. What do the statistics in paragraph 2 tell us?| A．The popularity of travel agency in China. |
| B．The high income of hotels during holidays. |
| C．The contributions of tourism to the economy. |
| D．The increasing trend of reverse tourism in China. |
| A．The impact of COVID-19. |
| B．Holidaymakers’ changing needs for travel. |
| C．The lower cost of heading to less-traveled places. |
| D．The lack of innovative improvements in famous attractions. |
| A．It will drop with the recovery of economy. |
| B．It benefits both tourists and the tourism market. |
| C．It is beneficial to spread local culture to tourists. |
| D．It blocks the development of some popular resorts. |
| A．Upgrading the supporting facilities in tourist areas. |
| B．Improving the management rules of tourist attractions further. |
| C．Exploring the potential and features of lesser-known attractions. |
| D．Promoting the local characteristics of China through online media. |
4 . Coming into the town of Santa Catarina Palopó, in the highlands of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, the first thing you notice is the bright colors. Most of the buildings along the main street are eye-catching, in deep, varied hues of blues and greens; interspersed with red and yellow to form complex patterns and designs.
Santa Catarina Palopó was once a sleepy town of 5,000 people, most of them indigenous (土著的) and dependent on agricultural work. As agriculture began to dry up here, decline for the town and poverty for many of its families came. To deal with poverty and stimulate economic growth through tourism, a small but mighty group of laborers, artisans, domestic workers and stay-at-home moms created the Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó project.
The project was initially to paint all 850 homes and buildings in bright colors, in an effort to change the hillside town into a work of art. “We wanted to paint the houses with colors and figures that represent the community,” says the project’s executive director Stephany Blanco. “A range of designs were created so that families can choose designs for their house that are representative of the family.”
One of the most representative characteristics of the region is the blue huipil, a traditional blouse which has been worn prominently by local women since the 16th century. That deep sky blue was chosen as the primary color for the Pintando project, with secondary colors found in the sunsets and the nearby lake to make the design more attractive. As for the designs that would be used, they would also find inspiration in local culture, symbols such as volcanoes, flowers, Mayan-styled butterflies and the national bird of Guatemala.
Each week, local artists, community members and tourists pick up paintbrushes to make buildings colorful. “At first, the idea of the project left many unsure about participating, but now you can see a considerable difference in the town,” Melissa Whitbeck said. “The color of the buildings is believed to improve the quality of life of the people. It uplifts the people’s mood and encourages them to be proud of where they come from.”
1. What problem did Santa Catarina Palopó face?| A．A labor shortage. | B．Poor economic conditions. |
| C．A rapid increase in population. | D．Outdated agricultural technology. |
| A．Building art galleries in Guatemala. |
| B．Creating job opportunities for local artisans. |
| C．Developing local tourism by selling artworks. |
| D．Transforming the town into a cultural destination. |
| A．The nearby lake. | B．Mayan-styled butterflies. |
| C．A type of traditional clothing. | D．The national bird of Guatemala. |
| A．Positive. | B．Uncaring. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Disapproving. |
5 . 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. |
| A．The long distance. | B．The inconvenient transport. |
| C．The financial burden. | D．Their lacking in experience. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
6 . Expecting to travel abroad but lacking a loose budget? Interested in meaningful volunteering programs but worried about issues like your security or working conditions? Here comes a right place for you — Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary (保护区).
Highlights
Volunteering with elephants and bringing them back into their natural habitat
Making a difference in the conservation efforts to save elephants living under awful conditions
Helping teach English to the communities and raising awareness about the captive (圈养的) elephant situation
Wandering the forests and observe elephant’s natural behaviors in their home environment
Our Sanctuary
Our sanctuary has rescued 5 elephants from the tourism industry and we have now brought them home to live out their lives in the forest, in semi-wild conditions. We need volunteers to help us keep these elephants happy and healthy in their natural habitat. With volunteer support, we hope to return more elephants to the forest soon.
Your tasks
Performing research on the natural elephant behaviors and the surrounding forest
Taking part in community projects such as teaching English at the school and to other locals
Carrying out litter pick-ups with the kids to educate on waste management
Your Rough Schedule:
Day 1: Pickup from Chiang Mai at 9 am. Travel through a national park and stunning mountains until you arrive in our unique village. Meet your homestay family and the other volunteers, and immerse yourself in hill tribe culture.
Day 2: Wake up early to hike in the forest and find our elephants. Spend the morning recording and learning about these amazing animals and their natural behaviors. Return to the village in the late afternoon and take part in our community & camp & teaching projects.
Day 3: Another early start to hike to observe our elephants one last time. Return to Chiang Mai in the afternoon.
1. Which of the following is a feature of volunteer work at the sanctuary?| A．Looking after captive elephants with the locals. |
| B．Seeking and observing elephants in natural forests. |
| C．Helping rescue elephants living in the poor environment. |
| D．Teaching people to conserve elephants’ natural habitat. |
| A．You should participate in anti-poverty projects. |
| B．You should have the great ability to go hiking for days. |
| C．You should master local languages and know about tribe culture. |
| D．You should undertake research into wild elephants independently. |
| A．A holiday brochure. | B．A travel journal. |
| C．A geographical essay. | D．An educational website. |
7 . For most people traveling abroad, their first choice is probably to make a beeline for (直奔) tourist sights. For me, I find lots of joy in grocery (食品杂货店) shopping on holiday.
As a vegetarian (素食主义者), finding restaurants that meet my needs is not always easy abroad.
The variety of foods attracts me every time I travel somewhere new. In Malta, I found the most delicious chocolate-filled cakes, a product I would struggle to find even in the UK.
Grocery shopping on holiday sounds unusual. But it means being involved in the day-to-day lives of a country’s citizens. I can pretend I am a local and put myself in their shoes. I can watch kids begging their parents for sweets, an international experience that needs no language, or watch couples pick up snacks and drinks for a party on a Friday night.
| A．I ended up eating these every day for breakfast. |
| B．The challenge of finding food is interesting, too. |
| C．So I always make sure to book a place with a kitchen. |
| D．Grocery shopping was a vital part of the holiday experience. |
| E．It’s an act of understanding people as much as of buying food. |
| F．Corn pancakes always require a trip to the bigger grocery store. |
| G．By wandering around in a new country, I start to see what they value. |
8 . In the Arab world, a souk is a market usually held in an open-air location. Souks are an important part of life in the Middle East.
Most major souks probably started as informal meetings of merchants (商人) in open spaces, which slowly developed into more formal markets.
Everything from glassware to meat can be found at a souk,with merchants coming from nearby areas to sell their products.
If you happen to be traveling in the Middle East, just pay a visit to a souk. Some regions have famous markets with a long and interesting history, and a souk is a great place to get souvenirs. You can find a local guide for your visit to ensure that you know local cultural rules well.
| A．Europeans prefer to pay the list price. |
| B．Many countries in the Middle East have long artistic traditions. |
| C．That will certainly allow you a more enjoyable day at the market. |
| D．People may be shocked at the long process of making a deal at souks. |
| E．There are many cultural differences between the West and the Middle East. |
| F．Nowadays, souks make special designs to create a customer-friendly environment. |
| G．Many visitors to the Middle Eastern countries enjoy going to souks to buy great goods. |
9 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．harmed | B．strengthened |
| C．detected | D．lowered |
10 . Traveling means going from one place to another or from one country to another. It is immensely beneficial in many ways. From cutting down on stress to lowering your chances of developing heart disease, the health benefits of traveling are huge. Furthermore, traveling fosters understanding between nations. It is an important factor in establishing world peace.
Traveling and education both are interrelated. During traveling, a traveler visits different places and comes into contact with people in different regions. Thus it provides the traveler with first-hand knowledge. The knowledge we acquire in schools and colleges is mainly bookish in nature.
In general, it can be said that traveling essentially has a great educative value. Traveling is adventurous, exciting, and a great stress buster. So, educational institutions of our country should give greater facilities to their students to undertake tours to various places of importance at home and abroad.
| A．Finally, traveling has great educative value. |
| B．Traveling widens our view and removes our stress. |
| C．Thus, traveling should be made an essential part of our education. |
| D．Traveling is to gather experience, and wisdom comes from experience. |
| E．They seldom go out of their classroom and most have a narrow outlook. |
| F．But we can know much more of them if we see those with our own eyes. |
| G．In most cases, theoretical studies have no practical applications in our life. |
