1 . When it comes to travel, sometimes wandering is one of the most exciting things you can do. In a time when travellers are both more adventurous and eco-conscious than ever, it’s no surprise that there’s a wealth of new vocabulary to describe how we travel, when we travel and how the experience makes us feel. Here are eight of our favourite travel words that you may not have heard before.

We’ve kicked off a blog with the staycation, “a holiday in one’s own country”. The term first became popular in the mid-2000s, when the global financial crisis meant people had less income to spend on flash holidays and instead searched for cheaper local choices. Since 2020, the staycation is experiencing a revival (复兴). Benefits of staycations include cheaper travel costs, no spending hours in the airport and, of course, no need to worry about whether your passport expired (过期) last year.

Once upon a time, if you wanted to meet new people on your travels, you could stay at a hostel or with a host on Airbnb. Now, you can couch surf. And not just in “the staying at various friends’ houses until you find a new place to rent” sense: couch surfing is quickly becoming a hot new travel trend. Travellers can now choose to couch surf all across the world via a website which treats travel as a cultural exchange, allowing people to connect with willing hosts and crash on their sofas.

Given that single-use and climate strike were selected as the Collins 2018 and 2019 Words of the Year respectively, it’s clear that the climate crisis is very much on everybody’s mind. This desire to make more sustainable choices is also affecting the way we spend our vacation days. Ecotourism is another popular travel trend, defined as tourism that is designed to contribute to the protection of the environment. Examples of ecotourism include ditching short-haul flights, staying at eco-friendly resorts, or booking a staycation.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

4 . How to Plan a Panda Tour

There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But the four panda bases around Chengdu are the best places to see giant pandas. Which one is best for you depends on how much time you have and what kind of experience you want to have.

If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you go to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. You can see pandas at all different ages from the oldest to the newborns. This base is huge but usually crowded. You can finish your trip in one day.

If you want a deeper panda experience, there are three recommended activities.

Join in a Panda Volunteer Program

Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases. Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 and 3 days respectively. Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making cakes for pandas, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas’ enclosures (围栏).

Join in a Red Panda Volunteer Program

Unlike with giant pandas, you can have a zero-distance encounter with red pandas—you can feed a group of them without a fence in between. If you are interested in red pandas, you can join in our red panda volunteer program.

Hike Into the Habitat of Wild Pandas

If you are a lover of pandas and outdoor activity as well, consider having a hike in wild panda habitat in Wolong. Go panda tracking, and see if you will be lucky enough to see a wild panda.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

Science Sunday is for everyone interested in the world around them, whose lectures are designed to make science interesting and “user-friendly” for everyone. Lectures are one hour long. Doors open to the lecture hall at 1:00 pm. Lecture passes are available at the admissions counter at 12:30 pm. Seating is limited and first-come, first-served. No late seating. Lectures include time for a few questions at the end.

Celebrate the warmth of the holiday season with crafts, games, music, and enjoyment from the early 20th century. We’ll busy your hands with holiday wreath-making (花冠), invite you to join in an old-fashioned sing-along around the player piano, and provide you with materials to make Victorian and Mexican holiday crafts. Come play games, take a draft-horse carriage ride, decorate the tree, and create decorations to bring home to your own tree.

Explore the hidden world of art! Visit artists in their studios, learn about their processes, purchase original works of art. Free mobile app and printed guide have artist information and maps. Open Studios is a free self-guided tour, produced by Arts Council Santa Cruz County, which invites the public into more than 300 artist studios across Santa Cruz County.

Step into the incredible world of steam power at the Steam & Harvest Festival. Welcome Fall with traditional children’s activities like candle making, and gold panning. See a variety of steam and belt-powered equipment on display. Admission is free for the whole family.