1 . The summer holidays are in full swing and protests have begun in a number of popular European cities. Barcelona, in particular, is at the centre of these mounting concerns about the rapid growth of tourism in cities, especially during peak holiday periods. In fact, Destination Barcelona estimates that there were 30 million overnight visitors in 2017, compared to a resident population of Ⅰ 625, 137. Overtourism is not a new problem.
While many tourists want to “live like a local and have an authentic and immersive experience during their visit, the residents of many tourism-dependent destinations are seeing the unique sense of place that characterised their home towns vanish beneath a wave of souvenir shops, crowds, tour buses and rowdy bars. They are also suffering as local amenities (便利设施) and infrastructure are put under enormous strain. It is a truly global issue. Recently, Thai authorities were forced to act when a number of tourists visiting Maya Bay, the beach made famous by Danny Boyle's film The Beach, led to shocking environmental damage.
Overtourism is harming the landscape% damaging beaches, putting infrastructure under enormous strain, and pricing residents out of the property market. It can have an impact in multiple ways. The international cruise industry, for example, delivers thousands of passengers daily to destination ports. While comparatively little is returned to communities, cruise activity creates physical and visual pollution.
City residents also bear the cost of tourism growth. As cities transform to cater tourists, the global travel supply chain prospers. This coincides with increasing property speculation and rising costs of living for local communities. AirBnB, for example, has been accused of reducing housing affordability and displacing residents.
Overcrowding and the establishment of typical tourism-focused businesses, such as clubs bars and souvenir shops, overwhelm local businesses, and rowdy and unmanageable tourist behaviour is common. This diminishes the unique ambience of destinations and leads to crowd and waste management pressures.
Local government and planning authorities have so far been powerless to deal with the overwhelming influence of the global tourism supply chain. This has led to widespread “tourist—phobia” first described by Manuel Delgado more than a decade ago as a mixture of repudiation, mistrust and contempt for tourists.
1. What's the purpose of writing the first paragraph?| A．To present a phenomenon. | B．To introduce the topic, overtourism. |
| C．To give readers a vivid description. | D．To show the protests in Barcelona. |
| A．Maya Bay in Thai is a popular tourist destination attracting a great number of visitors |
| B．visiting famous places shown in movies is a global phenomenon |
| C．too many visitors will cause great damage to local environment, amenities and infrastructure |
| D．many local governments have already taken action to prevent overtourism |
| A．improve the local cruise industry | B．make the local business boom |
| C．cause the rising costs of living for the residents | D．increase the business of AirBnB |
| A．Measures to deal with overtourism. | B．Problems caused by overtourism. |
| C．Protests caused by overtourism. | D．Environmental pollution caused by overtourism. |
2 . When you go to St. Petersburg, the number of attractions can seem overwhelming. If you’re short on time, or just want to make sure to hit the highlights, these are the top must-see sights in St. Petersburg.
The Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Museum is one of the most important sights to see for any visitor to St. Petersburg. There you can see lots of different paintings of old masters inside the Hermitage. Prepare to come face-to-face with classic Western artists.
The Russian Museum
The Russian Museum holds one of the largest collections of Russian art in the world. View Russian art creations through the ages, from Byzantine (拜占庭)-style icons to the Socialist Realism of Stalin’s times.
Kizhi Island
Kizhi Island is an open-air museum of wooden buildings from the Karelia Region of Russia. These impressive structures are made without any nails (钉子) — the wood fits together with joints and grooves (沟槽).
Peterhof
Peterhof is as beautiful as it is fun. You’ll be charged for admission (门票), but go to Peterhof when the fountains (喷泉) are working — during the day in the summer. They are shut off in winter as well as in the evenings.
The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood
Love it or hate it, the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood is an attractive must-see sight. The beautiful look may make your eyes brighten, and the paintings inside the church will make you say “Wow!”
The Bronze Horseman Statue
The Bronze Horseman is a part of Russian Culture and a symbol of St. Petersburg. Made famous by Alexander Pushkin (普希金), this statue of Peter the Great sitting on his horse can truly show Peter the Great’s influence on the Russian idea of greatness.
1. If you’re interested in paintings, you’d better go to _____.| A．the Hermitage Museum and Peterhof |
| B．the Hermitage Museum and the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood |
| C．Kizhi Island and the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood |
| D．the Russian Museum and Kizhi Island |
| A．Peter the Great | B．Alexander Pushkin |
| C．Byzantine | D．Stalin |
| A．show the wonderful history of Russia |
| B．introduce the famous buildings in Russia |
| C．persuade artists to study St. Petersburg |
| D．attract tourists to visit St. Petersburg |
3 . I’ve come back to check on a baby. Just after dusk I’m in a car down a muddy road in the rain, past rows of shackled (戴镣的) elephants, their trunks swinging. I was here five hours before, when the sun was high and hot and tourists were on elephants’ backs.
Walking now, I can hardly see the path with my phone’s flashlight. When the wooden fence post stops me short, I point my light down and follow a current of rainwater across the floor until it washes up against three large, gray feet. A fourth foot twisted above the surface, tied tightly by a short chain and choked by ring of metal spikes (尖刺). When the elephant gets tired and puts her foot down, the spikes press deeper into her ankle.
Meena is four years and two months old, still a child as elephants go. Khammon Kongkhaw, her caretaker, told me earlier that Meena wears the spiked chain because she tends to kick. Kongkhaw has been responsible for Meena here at Maetaman Elephant Adventure, near Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, since she was 11 months old. He said he keeps her on the spiked chain only during the day and takes it off at night. But it’ s night now.
I ask Jin Laoshen, the Maetaman worker, why her chain is still on. He says he doesn’t know.
Maetaman is one of many animal attractions in and around tourist-crowded Chiang Mai. Meena’s life is set to follow the same track as many of the roughly 3,800 captive (被捕获的) elephants in Thailand. When Meena is too old or sick to give rides—maybe at 55, maybe at 75, she’ll die. If she's lucky, she’ll get a few years of retirement. She'll spend most of her life on a chain.
1. Why does the author decide to come back?| A．To check the baby elephant Meena. |
| B．To feed those shackled elephants. |
| C．To release those shackled elephants. |
| D．To help an injured worker in Maetaman. |
| A．The author is scared walking in the path. |
| B．Meena is treated badly and very painful |
| C．Meena only has three healthy legs. |
| D．One of Meena’s leg is badly broken. |
| A．Indifferent. |
| B．Critical. |
| C．Sympathetic. |
| D．Negative. |
| A．to describe those elephants to attract tourists around the world |
| B．to draw people’s attention to caring about the fate of those elephants |
| C．to tell readers the story of a baby elephant in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
| D．to tell the reason why the number of elephants is decreasing |
4 . Villa d’Este, Tivoli (Italy) --- Official Site Useful Information
Call Center 199766166
Number to dial from all of Italy for pre-sales and reservations for: tickets, guided tours, school groups, instructional visits.
Bookings from abroad:
email: villadestetivoli@teleart.org fax: 0039 0412770747
Visiting Hours:
Opening 8.30 – closed one hour before sunset.
The ticket office closes one hour before the closing of the monument.
The hydraulic organ of the Organ Fountain is active daily, from 10.30 am, every two hours.
The Fontana della Civetta functions daily, from 10.00 am, every two hours.
Ticket Prices:
(from May 17 to October 20, 2015)
Full ticket (exhibition + villa and gardens, not divisible): €11.
Reduced ticket: €7.
These prices will be valid during the daytime openings of the Villa until the closure of the exhibition, due on the 20th of October, 2015 (From the 22nd of October, 2015)
Full ticket: €8 Reduced ticket €4
These fares may vary in conjunction with exhibitions set inside the Villa. The right to purchase reduced price tickets belongs to all citizens of the European Union between the ages of 18 and 24 as well as permanent teachers of state schools (upon presentation of identity documents).
School Visits:
Reservations are required. The management of Villa d’Este, in the aim of preserving the monument and better distributing the flow of students, has limited the number of students allowed into the Villa to 100 students per hour. Should any school group arrive at the Villa without having made a reservation, it will be admitted to the Villa according to space availability at a particular time and asked to wait until such space becomes available. Right of reservation cost: €1,00.
Notices:
Certain areas of the villa may be closed for restoration: for information inquire at the ticket office. Please pay particular attention to the areas marked with signs indicating danger (in Italian: pericolo).
1. How can a visiting Chinese professor of architecture in Rome make a booking?| A．By dialing 199766166. |
| B．By writing an email to villadestetivili@teleart.org. |
| C．By calling 0039 04127 19036. |
| D．By sending a fax to 0039 0412 770747 |
| A．the exhibition inside the villa | B．the Organ Fountain |
| C．the gardens | D．the Fontana della Civetta |
| A．Reservations are more economical. |
| B．Reservations enable as many students as possible to visit the monument. |
| C．Reservations ensure a pleasant visit for students and a manageable one of the Villa. |
| D．Reservation fees can help preserve the site. |
5 . Flying down a 488-meter-long slide provides plenty of excitement for most people. But for those who like more extreme adventures, Nicaragua offers an even more exciting slide experience. The thought of racing down an active volcano with only a board is enough to get most people hot under the collar. But for thrill-seeking sports fanatics, boarding down a 2,380-foot-high volcano at the speed of 80 km/h is the coolest sport around.
Thousands of travelers are heading to the foothills of Nicaragua’s Cerro Negro to take part in the new sporting craze (狂热). Surfers, dressed in protective jump suits, knee-pads and helmets, receive brief instructions and then try sliding down a short slope(斜坡). After that, it’s time for the real thing. Sitting on their specially-constructed boards, surfers push off and fly straight down a 488-meter-long slope. The black volcanic ash provides a dusty, dirty ride. But boarders usually arrive at the bottom with smiles on their faces.
Phillip Southan, owner and manager of Bigfoot Hostel and Green Pathways Tours, said, "We started offering this trip in 2005 and it has become so popular. This is a unique tour as nowhere else in the world can you board down an active volcano."
"What we offer is a tour for everyone with absolutely no experience. One of the greatest attractions of the tour is that you get a bit of everything. Since 2005, more than 10,000 people have traveled to Cerro Negro to give it a try."
"When you are on the top you will have the opportunity to stand near the crater(火山口) and see a smoking volcano. But the biggest risk is that you will take the chance of getting some scratches if you fall over."
"Many years of experience has taken this tour to a level where it is safe but still fun and for some people a little frightening. We are always working on ways to continue improving it for the future."
1. Which words can best describe the slide in Cerro Negro?| A．Secure but tiring. | B．Enjoyable but risky. |
| C．Popular but demanding. | D．Worthwhile but painful. |
| A．Sliding down the volcanic slope. |
| B．Escaping the black volcanic ash. |
| C．Heading to the mountaintop alone. |
| D．Receiving professional slide instructions |
| A．It is available to everyone. |
| B．It has the longest slope worldwide. |
| C．It is based on an active volcano. |
| D．It offers specially-constructed boards. |
| A．High-tech safety facilities. |
| B．Knowledge and skills from practice. |
| C．Advanced training guidance on the slide. |
| D．Staff’s familiarity with the surroundings. |
6 . “City Cycling USA: Los Angeles,” a pocket-sized tour guide to seeing Los Angeles on two wheels, is seemingly for visitors; for locals, its series of bike-friendly paths and itineraries (行程) are a road-map to becoming tourists in their own city again.
“City Cycling” explores five neighborhoods in the Westside and Eastside and generally north of the 10 and south of the 101. Itineraries fit the period of a day, beginning with spots for coffee, walking along museums and shops, and finishing off with recommendations of where to buy a well-deserved drink. Published by Thames and Hudson in association with London cycling brand Rapha Racing, the guidebook is among the first U.S. sections — alongside New York, Chicago and San Francisco — in a series launched in 2013 with biking tours of eight European cities.
Greatest hits such as the Bradbury Building and Echo Park Lake are included in the neighborhood tours, with plenty of fashionable places for where to eat — Eggslut, Pine & Crane and Gjusta. The guide is a reminder of how crowdedly packed each enclave (飞地) of L.A. is with unusual destinations, the large number of places to explore within a few square mile radius (半径), easily done once we step out of the car.
Los Angeles’ famously pleasant weather makes it an ideal city for exploring by bike; neighborhoods have different styles. While the car still plays an important role, cycling culture, like CicLAvia, already has full support, and is prepared to grow with the implementation (实施) of Mobility Plan 2035, which aims to make the city more bike friendly. “City Cycling USA: Los Angeles” is a start.
1. Who is City Cycling USA: Los Angeles really intended for?| A．Locals on bikes. | B．Visitors on bikes. |
| C．Tourist on bikes | D．Bicyclists |
| A．Where there is a café. |
| B．Where it is convenient for tourists on bikes. |
| C．Where drink can be bought easily. |
| D．Where there are museums and shops. |
| A．Destinations you can reach within a day. |
| B．Places where you can eat. |
| C．Guides to a enclave of L.A. crowded with unusual destinations. |
| D．Places where you can see the Bradbury Building and Echo Park Lake. |
| A．Because of its pleasant weather. | B．Because of cycling culture. |
| C．Because of Mobility Plan 2035. | D．Because it is bike friendly. |
7 . Mi Teleferico, Bolivia
Crossing the Bolivian capital of La Paz, the Teleferico is both the highest and longest city cable-car system on the planet. Built to relieve the city’s extreme road traffic, the three lines of this "subway in the sky" spirit the city’s 2.3 million citizens. At an altitude of 3,700 metres, you' ll feel the thrill of flying as you’re smoothly carried over entire neighborhoods and business districts—all for a ticket price that' s less than a dollar.
Everest Flights, Nepal
It is no easy work to climb the Everest, a mountain second to none at an altitude of 8 ,848 metres. Most of us know that we'll never move along the Hillary Step and overcome this mountain. Fortunately, a number of local airlines operating out of Kathmandu’s small domestic airport offer a glimpse of this glory for about a hundred dollars. In a few hours, you'll get into the heart of the Himalayas, getting close enough to snap a few fantastic photos from your window seat before circling back. No oxygen tank required !
Rocky Mountaineer, Canada
With select routes that lead through Banff and Jasper national parks as well as Lake Louise, Rocky Mountaineer provides a best opportunity to spot the wildlife of western Canada, including elk, bighorn sheep, and possibly even bears of the black, brown, and grayish variety. Rocky Mountaineer' s multi-day journeys include
breakfasts and lunches prepared by world-class chefs, B.C. wines, and an invitation to sit back, relax, and let the Rockies come to you.
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, South Africa
Few places in the world have appeal like Table Mountain, the flat-topped monolith( 独石) that serves as the backdrop for most tourists' photos— and memories—of Cape Town. Completed back in 1929, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway carries nearly one million sightseers to the summit every year,rising roughly 1,000 metres in fewer than five minutes.
1. The Teleferico was built to .| A．offer amazing views |
| B．draw tourists worldwide |
| C．reduce traffic pressure |
| D．promote its economy |
| A．It requires no skills to climb it. |
| B．It ’s the highest mountain worldwide. |
| C．It has several local airlines. |
| D．It's the best place for taking photos. |
| A．Mi Teleferico. |
| B．Everest Flights. |
| C．Rocky Mountaineer. |
| D．Table Mountain. |
| A．They cost much money. |
| B．They all offer mountain rides. |
| C．They have fancy hotels. |
| D．They are all within Americas. |
8 . How to Plan a Family Road Trip
A road trip, when done right, is the best way to travel. Want to make your family road trips something you actually enjoy? Read on.
Plan together.
Some kids don’t like car travel because the grown-ups don’t let them in on the plan.
Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.
Nothing ruins road trip fun like grown-ups who drive like they’re training for a race.
Tour factories.
Factory tours of companies that make anything from candy to cars are often free; some tours include museums about the history of the company or industry. A word of advice: some “factory” tours are nothing more than a boring walk around a workshop, so call ahead to ask whether you’ll be allowed to peek（窥视）behind the scenes.
Eat beyond the freeway.
Yes, McDonald’s, Subway and Taco Bell are conveniently located along the sides of the freeway.
Take outdoor breaks.
| A．If not, give it a miss. |
| B．It’s always best to confirm they are open. |
| C．Not knowing what to expect can be stressful. |
| D．So schedule plenty of time to take breaks and see the sights. |
| E．You may never taste candies which are popular in other regions. |
| F．Make sure that at least one of your stops each day gives you time to get close to nature. |
| G．But driving even a few miles into the center of a town will not only introduce you to a place you’ve never seen but also regional foods. |
We often carry a lot of things when we’re traveling.
| A．So you’ll know what to bring. |
| B．It’s a kind of vacation, but without your parents. |
| C．Spend money from this wallet till you get to your destination. |
| D．Firstly, distribute (分开) your money if you’re traveling alone. |
| E．You can hook the key chain to your jeans or your handbag. |
| F．On short trips we take things like money, jewelry (首饰), house keys, etc. |
| G．Don’t carry it in your purse, just in case somebody is quick in stealing your purse. |
10 . Want to travel easily? Here are some tips that help you reduce the size of your luggage.
Roll clothes instead of folding them. Many people try to fold their clothes into their little suitcase.
Use vacuum bags(真空袋), when possible.
Always take travel bottles. Even though you are allowed to take full sized bottles in your suitcase, to make sure that you are under the weight allowance, it’s recommended that you still stick to travel-sized bottles.
Research the weather in advance. A great way to prevent packing clothes that you won’t end up wearing is to research what the weather is going to be like where and when you go on holiday.
| A．It will free up enough room for you. |
| B．Don’t put any shoes in your suitcase. |
| C．It will make your suitcase much lighter. |
| D．Purchase a high and soft-sided suitcase. |
| E．Wear anything that takes up a lot of room. |
| F．There are plenty of websites that can predict it. |
| G．This is not the best way to pack your holiday goods. |
