2 . This is the last Christmas that Faye and Matthew have spent in their house, which has already been sold. Faye and Matthew Gooding and their five young sons appear to have perfect lives. For the couple themselves, however, this “materially perfect world” was lacking in something—so now they are giving up all their possessions to travel around the world with their children. Most of their belongings have been given to their neighbors. Faye said, “It is a relief to get rid of so many possessions. Thankfully, our parents understand and support us.”

“I hesitated for a while because some friends think Faye and I are mad to give up so much. When we told the older boys, they were so excited that they were going to have so much time as a family. It made me realize the amount of toys or material possessions can’t replace time spent with our children. They’ve had to give away so many toys, bikes and books. My wife Faye was so determined to keep to our plan,” said Matthew.

They will leave this month and plan to start their travels in Sweden where they have friends. Faye said, “My older boys plot where we go next but we hope to see Europe and over two years travel as far as Japan, America, Bali and Thailand. We don’t plan to hire any tour guides. We just depend on a compass and local people to move in the right direction.”

Faye, who posts on Instagram as a mother of five boys, added, “It is a risk because we are giving up so much. I, however, even plan to quit my job after the travel. We can’t wait to spend more time with our sons without the stresses of everyday routines. We don’t know what will happen, but we do know if we didn’t do this we would always regret it.”

1. How will Faye and Matthew cover the travel costs?

A．By selling their house.	B．By doing part-time jobs.
C．By asking parents for help.	D．By borrowing from neighbors.

2. What is Faye’s attitude towards traveling around the world?

A．Worried

B．Excited

C．Uncertain

D．Firm

3. Who will decide where the family will travel?

A．Faye

B．Matthew

C．The children

D．The tour guide

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A travel guidebook

B．A life journal

C．A paper

D．A diary

3 . People living on Rum are hoping it will be recognised as a Dark Sky Island. They have been preparing to achieve it.

In recent years, the community of just 30 people on Rum have tried their best to change the island’s lighting system(系统). There are no streetlights, hardly any buildings and no traffic. When the sun sets, locals and visitors can experience a naturally dark sky, and enjoy views of stars.

The island community has been taking readings with special equipment (设备)which is used to determine the brightness of the night sky. “We have to take these through our whole season so we get to know what the sky is like at different times of the year and night,” Mr Mumford, the island’s visitor services manager, said. “We need to make sure there are plans for the future in terms of what it’s going to look like and what this means.”

Dark Sky status (地位)would also help Manx Shearwaters, a bird which depends on the darkness to find the direction to South America every year.

“Manx Shearwaters are attracted to man-made light; they can be hurt at this time of year when they’re returning from migration (迁徙), and in September when young birds first fly to South America,” said Nature Scot’s Lesley Watt, a local.

“On that flight, if there are any man-made lights in the village, they could be attracted to those lights instead of reaching the sea for their onward journey. If they do get grounded, they have very little chance of making it out to sea.”

It is also hoped that by achieving Dark Sky Island status, Rum would be able to make use of this chance and bring in visitors.

“Most people aren’t coming to Scotland from October to March, which is the best time to view the night sky,” Mr Mumford said. “This is the perfect chance to help with that. We want to show off what we have here, and the work we’ve put in to protect that. We want to show people what we get to see every day.”

1. What does the author try to show in paragraph 2?

A．People on Rum live a hard life.	B．Rum does well in researching stars.
C．There are few unnatural lights on Rum.	D．The lighting system on Rum is out of date.

2. Why does the community of Rum take readings with special equipment throughout the season?

A．To keep an exact record of stars.

B．To check the use of lights on the island.

C．To collect information of weather conditions.

D．To know sky better to prepare for future plans.

3. How can Dark Sky status be useful to Manx Shearwaters?

A．It is helpful for them to find more food.

B．It makes their migration journey smoother.

C．It offers them a good environment of producing.

D．It protects them from being eaten by other animals.

4. What can we learn about Mr Mumford from the last paragraph?

A．He is addicted to watching stars.	B．He is hopeful of achieving the status.
C．He is looking forward to visitors’ coming.	D．He is eager to improve local people’s life.

4 . The New Jersey State Botanical (植物学的) Garden (NJBG) is a part of Ringwood State Park, New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, Department of Environmental Protection. It appears on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Membership

It’s easy to join NJBG or renew your membership—or a gift membership—online, by phone or by mail. And it’s very important to the Botanical Garden. Your membership dollars help to protect the Garden, and provide educational activities for the general public. Thank you for your support!

To join or renew, please click on the section below for safe and convenient online payment. If you prefer to join by phone or mail, call the NJBG office at (973)962-9534 to get more information.

Membership Benefits

NJBG is an exciting and beautiful place to visit, with formal gardens, native woodlands, and about 5,000 species and varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers. Your NJBG membership enables you to purchase plants at a reduced price at plant shops.

Join NJBG Today

New Member	Individual	Family	Student
Yearly	$35	$60	$25
Two Years	$60	$110	$40

Renew Membership

Membership Renewal	Individual	Family	Student
Yearly	$30	$50	$25
Two Years	$50	$90	$40

1. What’s one of the purposes of the money paid for membership?

A．To provide service for the public.

B．To build a new botanical museum.

C．To improve the educational level of the gardeners.

D．To update NJBG’s payment system.

2. What benefit does the NJBG members get?

A．Joining in activities for free.	B．Visiting the Garden anytime.
C．Learning to care for a garden.	D．Buying plants at a lower price.

3. How much do you need to renew the two-year membership for you and your parents?

A．$60.

B．$90

C．$100.

D．$110.

5 . Why are you doing this? I often hear that or similar questions. Many people don’t understand why I like travelling by bicycle.     1     But for me, it’s the best way to travel.

When I sit on the bike, I am free and flexible. I can stop at any time to eat or start the stove to enjoy a coffee with breathtaking views. I’m not dependent on bus or train.     2     I come to places I would never have seen. My bike makes it possible for me not to plan beforehand, which leaves space for adventure. Because adventures don’t come around the corner during a planned hotel-vacation.

I am in the nature the whole day. The wind blows across my face.     3     I see monkeys hanging directly above me in the tree, whales swimming along the coast, a bear waving at us and many more animals. Smelling the blackberries, I’m stopping to fill my stomach. In the car, bus or train, I would have missed all of these.

    4     Some long-term cyclists spend 4,000 dollars per year or less. And I spend about 350-450 dollars a month. This is due to two reasons: I have no transport costs. And I also have the freedom of wild camping, during which I can cook for myself. All these factors contribute to a cheap travel.

I could tell hundreds of stories. Because of getting to know so many people, I have experienced a lot. The travel form itself invites many to ask questions. And the best thing about it is that all these stories make me rich. I’m rich in memories, of which I always think with laughter.     5    

A．I listen to the birds singing.

B．And they think it’s so tiring.

C．It will change the way you see the world.

D．I can decide for myself when and where to go.

E．Before my start, I was fascinated by the bike touring community.

F．Nobody can ever take them away and they are of great value to me.

G．Compared to other travel forms, bike touring is one of the most affordable.

6 . The local government of Zibo, East China’s Shandong Province, has issued two open letters in a short time to all citizens, extending its gratitude for their warmth and hospitality toward visitors who have come to enjoy the city’s signature barbecue, which has recently become a hit across the country. Such an unexpected success has shown the city’s spirit of unity and tenacity (坚毅), further boosting its tourism and economic development.

For a long time, Zibo was an average city in almost all aspects on the Chinese scale. However, since early March, Zibo local barbecue has caused a sensation (轰动) online. The little double-layer stove, small pancakes, green onions and sauce became icons among netizen. “Taking the high-speed train to taste barbecue in Zibo” miraculously became a trending hashtag (话题标签) for this non-traditional tourist city.

But how did Zibo rise to fame? This has not been some random coincidence.

First, it comes down to the city government’s ambition, determination and creativity. From July 2022 to February 2023, Zibo organized many trips to the city for university students. Despite reaching peak visitation numbers, there was no sense of panic. Instead, several supportive policies were promptly introduced, such as establishing a “Golden Stove Award”, forming a barbecue association, creating a map of Zibo barbecue restaurants, and launching 21 dedicated tourist routes that go beyond just barbecue. It also organized volunteers to guide tourists and appointed personnel to ensure public safety.

Second, Zibo’s sudden boom in popularity also resulted from the post-pandemic tourism revival China has experienced. The city aims to recover its tourism industry and ensure sustainable growth. To achieve this goal, it has created a welcoming environment with convenient services for young people, particularly university students. For instance, non-local students can enjoy three free stays per year at youth inns, each lasting two nights. The city has also invited students from distinguished universities to visit Zibo for free, signaling its eagerness to attract talented young individuals.

1. What is the purpose of the two open letters?

A．To express the city’s gratitude to its citizens.

B．To introduce the city’s impressive sights to tourists.

C．To specially promote the city’s signature barbecue.

D．To boost the city’s tourism and economic development.

2. What mainly contributes to Zibo’s rise to fame?

A．The city’s perfect location on the Chinese scale.

B．The city’s reputation as a traditional tourist city.

C．The government’s ambition, determination and creativity.

D．People’s desire for a taste of barbecue after the pandemic.

3. Why does the city invite students from famous universities to Zibo?

A．To offer part-time jobs for those students.

B．To encourage young people to be volunteers.

C．To provide students with chances to get practical knowledge.

D．To attract talented young people to work there after graduation.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards this sensation?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Supportive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Opposed.

8 . Welcome to Musée Rodin

The Musée Rodin, a hidden jewel in Paris, is actually the former residence of famed 19th-century sculptor Auguste Rodin. Here you can enjoy Rodin’s emotive sculptures, including The Walking Man, The Kiss and The Thinker, among many more. In addition to the sculptures, the museum houses 8,000 of the artist’s drawings in its collection — some of those are on display. Visitors will also get to view pieces from Rodin’s personal art collection, including paintings by Van Gogh.

Another big favorite for visitors, as much of a highlight as the art, is the beautiful on-site gardens. To travelers, the gardens create a peaceful atmosphere not found at other top Parisian museums.

Transport

The Musée Rodin is just a short walk from the Varenne stop and Saint-Francois-Xavier stop, both of which lie on Metro Line 13.

Opening times

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.

Admission charges

Admission to the museum (including the gardens and permanent and temporary exhibits) costs 13 euros (around $14) per adult and is free for kids who are 17 and younger; audio guides cost an extra 6 euros (about $6). The museum is free to visit on the first Sunday of the month from October to March.

1. What makes Musée Rodin different from other top Parisian museums?

A．On-site gardens.	B．Many sculptures.
C．Personal art collections.	D．Famous artists’ drawings.

2. When can you visit Musée Rodin?

A．At 9:00 am on Monday.	B．At 3:00 pm on Thursday.
C．At 7:00 pm on Friday.	D．At 8:00 am on Sunday.

3. How much should a couple with a kid aged 5 pay to enter the museum on Tuesday?

A．€39.

B．€32.

C．€26.

D．€13.

9 . Here are some of the world’s best railway trips that offer towering mountain views.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Built by British East India Company, the railway was used to transport tea, rice and other produce up and down the Himalayan foothills. Since 1881, this old steam train has been a hit with Indian families on weekend breaks. On a clear day, passengers will be treated to beautiful views of Mount Kanchenjunga. The train departs New Jalpaiguri daily at 10:30 am and arrives into Darjeeling at 5:30 pm. A one-way ticket starts from ₤10.

Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Connecting Xining in Qinghai province to Lhasa in Tibet, China, this 22-hour journey is the highest rail route in the world. Travelling around the Qinghai Lake through the night, passengers wake up to see peaceful yaks wandering in the grassland at the icy sides of the Kunlun Mountains. A one-way ticket in a hard sleeper starts from ₤55.

The Skeena

Known locally as the “Rupert Rocket”, the Skeena train departs Jasper three days a week, taking passengers into the deepest wilderness of Prince Rupert in British Columbia, Canada. With the snow-capped tops of the Rockies all around it, passengers can spot black and grizzly bears, white-tailed deer as well as bald eagles circling in the sky. A one-way ticket starts from ₤98.

California Zephyr

Journeying from Chicago to San Francisco, the California Zephyr climbs both the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada before reaching the Pacific coast on its 2,447-mile journey across the heartland of America. A one-way seat in coach starts from ₤120. The California Zephyr first ran from 1949 to 1970 and was restored in 1983 by Amtrak. Since then, this scenic route linking popular resort towns and America’s railroad and gold rush history has remained popular.

1. How long does it take the steam train to travel from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling?

A．10.5 hours.

B．10 hours.

C．7.5 hours.

D．7 hours.

2. Which is the highest railway?

A．The Skeena.

B．Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

C．California Zephyr.

D．Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

3. What do the last two railways have in common?

A．They go through the same mountain.

B．They journey across the heartland of the US.

C．They are two of the oldest railways in the world.

D．They were built by a British company to transport tea.

10 . When I checked into my hotel in Kaanapali, Maui, I was asked what brought me to the island. I told the employees at the front desk that I was writing a story about how to be a respectful tourist in Hawaii. One of the staff members nodded with a significant smile and said he thought tourists really have to be responsible.

What exactly does “responsible” mean? The state’s tourism board has created a program so that it’s easier for tourists to figure it out — and act accordingly. The Malama Hawaii Program is, on its surface, classic voluntourism. Visitors spend a day cleaning a beach, say, in exchange for a free night's stay at their hotel. But there are a number of experiences that focus on cultural stewardship (管理), and it’s that kind of responsibility and respect that Native Hawaiians are increasingly looking for.

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation offers one of these experiences. Tourists can volunteer to help the foundation with its archives (档案). The three-hour experience includes working with staff to describe historical documents and measuring artifacts (手工艺品), and a tailored tour of one of the foundation’s sites or museums.

Kalapana Kollars, the foundation’s cultural programs director, says he is seeing increased interest from tourists in the island’s cultural history. “That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other people that come here just to enjoy the weather,” he says. “But when someone comes through our door to join us here it’s a purposeful search.”

The experience runs just twice a week, which is intentional. Kollars says: “We haven’t scaled up (扩大规模) that much. We like our connection to be really high grade instead of touching a lot of people very lightly.”

Micah Kamohoali’i is a cultural ambassador. For the past 10 years he’s been working with the island's tourism board to better reflect Native Hawaiian culture and traditions.

Since, the tourism board has cooperated with Native Hawaiians to develop the experiences available to visitors and the stories shared. “I think it completely changed the face of our tourism,” Kamohoali’i says. “Now we’re actually proud of it. We can have people learn about our island in a responsible way.”

1. Why did the author go to Hawaii?

A．To take part in a cultural program.	B．To find inspiration for her writing.
C．To visit her friends.	D．To take a holiday.

2. How can tourists get a free hotel stay after joining the Malama Hawaii Program?

A．By cleaning beaches.	B．By taking photos for artworks.
C．By sorting historical documents.	D．By serving as a cultural ambassador.

3. What does Kollars expect of the experience offered by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation?

A．It can be more accessible to tourists.

B．It can attract more tourists to the island.

C．It can offer a wider range of activities to tourists.

D．It can help tourists go deeper into the island’s culture.

4. What does Kamohoali’i think of the effort made by the island’s tourism board?

A．It is inspiring.	B．It is ambitious.
C．It is successful.	D．It is pioneering.