9 . Serendipity - an unexpected delight – is the word that comes to mind when describing the seven-day hike my wife and I recently did in the wild and undeveloped northwest coast of Galicia, Spain.
Simply ________, anyone who is adventurous, loves traveling to Europe and is fit enough to do 10-mile hikes should seriously consider doing this hike.
Before this experience, I had never heard about On Foot Holidays programs that allow hikers to go at their own pace, with maps and detailed hiking ________, but without a guide or other travelers, while still enjoying a high level of local support.
What ________ caught my attention was an announcement about On Foot Holidays’ newest hike, the Lighthouse Way, which they described as a journey along“the last ________ coast of Europe.”This particular hike sounded both challenging and rewarding enough to ________ a try.
On Foot Holidays booked our lodging each night and ________ a taxi to take our baggage to the next destination, so we just had to carry our daypack essentials. Each day we ________ or spoke with the company’s local expert who was available ________ emergency, but whose main function was to keep us informed about the daily weather forecast and to make special taxi arrangements when we decided to ________ a couple of 14-mile hikes to less than 10 miles.
The ________ of the trails and scenery made every hike a delight. One of our hikes followed a narrow trail along a steep, rocky cliff ________ the steel-blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean that thrash against jagged rocks hundreds of feet below us. We stopped to picnic and watch the only living things we saw that whole day: a herd of goats above us, and a group of dolphins jumping in the waves below. In the distance, many of mountain peaks ________ sparkling wind turbines（涡轮机）like candles on a cake.
Silence and loneliness were the features of each day’s accommodation. The only sounds we heard were birds singing, the wind blowing through trees or the waves breaking against the shoreline. The air was clean and the temperature brisk, with frequent ________ of cloudy, cool, windy and rainy weather interspersed（点缀）with glorious bursts of sunshine.
There was remarkably little litter, the exception being spots along the shore where ocean currents ________ mostly fishing items.
My wife and I realized that we are pilgrims searching for meaning, awareness and joy on our journey through life, and our Galician hiking ________ had moved us further down that path in ways we won’t forget.
1. | A．lost | B．moved | C．urged | D．put |
2. | A．strings | B．instructions | C．devices | D．materials |
3. | A．initially | B．gradually | C．smoothly | D．firmly |
4. | A．recommended | B．developed | C．unspoiled | D．discovered |
5. | A．warrant | B．provide | C．imagine | D．evaluate |
6. | A．prepared for | B．arranged for | C．paid for | D．turned to |
7. | A．negotiated | B．discussed | C．contacted | D．texted |
8. | A．in addition to | B．in need of | C．in case of | D．in favour of |
9. | A．shorten | B．extend | C．decrease | D．expand |
10. | A．appearance | B．variety | C．character | D．route |
11. | A．displaying | B．reflecting | C．following | D．overlooking |
12. | A．established | B．lightened | C．sported | D．structured |
13. | A．changes | B．intervals | C．adaptions | D．interactions |
14. | A．stretched | B．withdrawn | C．floated | D．deposited |
15. | A．experience | B．technique | C．investigation | D．experiment |
