3 . Joy Ryan didn’t get a passport until she was aged 91. But a year after becoming the oldest person to visit all 63 National Parks in the US, Grandma Joy is setting out on a new global challenge with her grandson Brad Ryan, 42.
This pair, who became famous in 2023 for exploring their national parks, are now planning to travel to all seven continents in the world together. “I don’t have many years left, so hurry up and go,” Grandma Joy, now 94, says. “If I slow down, I don't get anything done.”
While Brad assumed that traveling with an elderly person might spoil the fun a little bit, he quickly found that this wasn’t the case. In fact, it was quite the opposite. “It made the experience of being in the great outdoors much richer,” he says, explaining that having to move more slowly meant he was able to take everything in in a more meaningful way. “I wasn’t rushing through the places that I was visiting. I was really taking the time to appreciate smaller details.”
In the nearly 10 years since their first trip, Brad has noticed a big change in Grandma Joy’s physical health, explaining that she was quite shaky in the beginning but has become a lot more capable. Being able to share so many special moments with Grandma Joy has also meant that Brad has been able to ask questions that he’s never had the opportunity to ask before. While they clearly get on well with each other. the pair’s significant age gap has unavoidably led to occasional conflicts, especially when it comes to their different tastes in music.
Life is very short. As for Grandma Joy, she’s enjoying making up for lost time, and now has several stamps in her first passport. “As for me, the glass is half full, not half empty. And the people that I meet along the way lift my spirits. Besides, not everybody is lucky enough to have a grandson that’s willing to drag them around,” she says.
1. What is the new ambition of Grandma Joy and Brad?
| A．To get passports. | B．To tour the world. |
| C．To become famous musicians. | D．To visit all national parks in the US. |
2. What does the underlined word “spoil” in paragraph 3 mean?
| A．Bring. | B．Record. | C．Ruin. | D．Spread. |
3. How has traveling together affected Grandma Joy and Brad?
| A．They have built a closer relationship. |
| B．They have collected several glasses. |
| C．They have learned to avoid all conflicts. |
| D．They have developed the same taste for music. |
4. Which word can best describe Grandma Joy?
| A．Humourous. | B．Generous. | C．Honest. | D．Optimistic. |
