Overtourism: A growing global problem
The summer holidays are in full swing—and protests against overtourism 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, there were 30 million overnight visitors in 2017, compared to a resident population of 1,625,137 in Barcelona.
While many tourists want to “live like a local” during their visits, 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 noisy bars. Overtourism is harming the landscape, damaging beaches, and pricing residents out of the housing market. It is a hugely complex issue that is often oversimplified.
It can have an impact in multiple ways. The international cruise(游轮) 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 offer service to tourists, the global travel supply chain advances. This goes with increasing property speculation(房产投机) and rising costs of living for local communities. Airbnb, for example, has been accused of reducing housing affordability and displacing residents.
In addition, overcrowding and the establishment of typical tourism-focused businesses, such as clubs, bars and souvenir shops, overpower local businesses—and noisy and unmanageable tourist behaviour is common. This weakens the uniqueness of destinations and leads to crowd and waste management pressures.
Clearly, tourism brings jobs, investment and economic benefits to destinations. But overtourism occurs when tourism expansion fails to acknowledge that there are limits. Local government and planning authorities have so far been powerless to deal with the irresistible 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 rejection, mistrust and disrespect for tourists.
Dealing with overtourism must now be a priority. Managing the flow of tourists seems an improbable and unwelcome task. But some cities have taken extreme measures to limit the effects of overtourism, including the introduction of new or revised taxation arrangements, fines linked to new local laws, and “demarketing”, whereby destinations focus on attracting fewer, high-spending and low impact tourists, rather than large groups.
Overtourism is a shared responsibility. City administrators and destination managers must acknowledge that there are definite limits to growth. Putting the wellbeing of local residents above the needs of the global tourism supply chain is vital. Primary consideration must be given to ensuring that the level of visitation fits within a destination’s capacity. We need to urgently rethink the way cities are evolving to uphold the rights of their residents.
1.Why is Barcelona mentioned in Paragraph 1?
A.To describe how unique the city is.
B.To warn people away from popular cities.
C.To show how crowded a destination can be.
D.To compare the number of visitors to that of locals.
2.What is the problem of overtourism?
A.It has destroyed local businesses.
B.It has led to higher living expenses.
C.It has increased the unemployment rate.
D.It has caused mistrust among local communities.
3.The reason for overtourism is that _______.
A.destinations misjudge their capacity
B.tourists lack a sense of responsibility
C.governments fail to support the supply chain
D.tourists’ travelling preference is oversimplified
4.According to the writer, what should the local governments do?
A.Take full advantage of tourism.
B.Guarantee local people’s welfare.
C.Advocate a ban on global tourism.
D.Control tourism-related businesses.
Love the way you walk
Listen carefully to the footsteps in the family home, and you can probably work out who is walking about. The features most commonly used to identify people are faces, voices and fingerprints. But the way they walk is also a giveaway.
Researchers have used video cameras and computers to analyze people’s gaits, and are now quite good at it. But translating such knowledge into a practical identification system can be tricky. Cameras are often visible, are difficult to set up, require good lighting and may have their view blocked by other people. A team led by Dr. Ozanyan and Dr. Scully have been looking for a better way to recognize gait. Their answer: pressure-sensitive mats.
Such mats are nothing new. They have been part of security systems. But Ozanyan and Scully use a complicated version that can record the amount of pressure applied in different places as someone walks across it. These measurements form a pattern unique to the walker. The researchers turned to an artificial-intelligence system to recognize such patterns, and it seemed to work. In a study in 2018, they tested the system on a database of footsteps of 127 people. They found its error rate in identifying who was who was a mere 0.7%. And Scully says even without a database of footsteps to work with, the system can determine someone’s sex and, with reasonable accuracy, a subject’s age.
One application of the mat-based gait-recognition system might be in health care, particularly for the elderly. A mat placed in a nursing home or an old person’s own residence could monitor changes in an individual’s gait that indicates certain illnesses. That would provide early warning of someone being at greater risk of falling over.
Gait analysis might also be used as a security measure in the workplace, monitoring access to restricted areas, such as parts of military bases, server farms or laboratories dealing with dangerous materials.
Perhaps the most interesting use of the mats, though, would be in public places, such as airports. For that to work, the footsteps of those to be recognized would need to have been stored in a database, which would be harder to arrange than the collection of photographs and fingerprints that existing airport security systems rely on. Many aircrew or preregistered frequent flyers would welcome anything that speeded up one of the most tiresome parts of modern travel.
1.What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2?
A.Research equipment. B.Research findings.
C.Research assumption. D.Research background.
2.According to Paragraph 3, the mat is used to _______.
A.collect data B.ensure safety
C.determine age D.analyse pressure
3.The gait-recognition system might be applied to _____.
A.monitor security work progress B.detect potential health problems
C.keep track of travelling frequency D.warn passengers of possible dangers
4.The main purpose of the passage is to _____.
A.compare and educate B.examine and assess
C.discuss and persuade D.explain and inform
I said, “Papi, let me finish school.” None of his other daughters completed more than three grades. “I still can do my chores(家务),” I told him. “Pay for me to finish school.”
He dug his boot into the dry earth of Quanajuato, the state he never left in his entire life. But he still was the smartest man in our village. He read books about Egypt and knew how to handwrite, unlike my mother, who never had an education.
“Why do you want to return to school?” he said, lowering his eyes to me. “So you can meet a man, marry, and quit? You want me to pay for that?”
“No, Papi,” I said. “I won’t marry in school and I promise I’ll graduate.”
The wind whistled through the trees. My father saw a fisherman with a pole bent over the riverbank. I said urgently, “Papi,” and I almost grabbed his thick brown wrist. In the country, my father would stop and talk with any stranger, no matter what he was doing.He would talk aboutthe harvest, the weather, the family, but mostly, he would listen.
He turned, making his way to the fisherman. I followed behind him in my open-toed shoes, carefully picking my steps. I knew I had lost his attention and I searched around me for something to fill the time I would spend waiting. But there was nothing and nobody.
“Buenos dias,” my father said to the fisherman.
I took my seat ten feet from them. The two men stared across the lake and talked. Their voices droned on and were blended with the wind. I daydreamed.
“Marta, come here,” my father called to me.
I lifted myself up and walked very slowly toward them without lifting my feet off the ground.
“Marta,” my father said, “I have asked Don Toms what he thinks about your promise.”
I stared at this fisherman, this stranger, and then back at my father with wide eyes.
“I told him about your promise to stay single, and he told me—let her go.”
The fisherman looked down at his worn shoes. “If you want it,” he said to the earth beneath his feet.
Later, I became Father’s only daughter to complete high school education, and the only one to leave his house unmarried.
1.The author spoke to her father to ________.
A.share her school life
B.beg for her school fee
C.learn about her sisters’ study
D.complain about the housework
2.The author felt ________ when her father went over to the fisherman.
A.ashamed B.tired
C.angry D.helpless
3.Why did the author’s father talk with the fisherman?
A.To offer help. B.To talk about harvest.
C.To ask for advice. D.To get away from the author.
4.The last paragraph suggests that the author _______.
A.kept her words B.missed her father
C.regretted the decision D.lived a comfortable life
At Beaver Creek, The Extraordinary Awaits You
Are no two snowflakes alike? The snowflakes we see in the winter are most likely completely unique from one other.
Beaver Creek is a great place to experience the beauty of the snow, with programs for everyone—from children, teens, and women-only lessons to small groups and private-guided experiences.
First Track, from Beaver Creek Reserve, lets you be the first on the mountain, with an adventure that begins at 7:30 a.m. when you are met by ski professionals and taken on a private, guided tour—before the mountain is open to the public. Once you have skied, you are treated to a delicious breakfast at Allie’s Cabin.
If you are looking for a higher level of comfort there is the White Carpet Club, from Beaver Creek Reserve. Located in the heart of Beaver Creek Village, it maximizes your time on the mountain by streamlining your access to it. At the club, there are private lockers and boot dryers, along with preferred self-parking and a slope-side ski waiter. A receptionist can assist with lift tickets, pass purchases, dinner reservations, and activity recommendations.
Of course, there is more to explore during the winter in Beaver Creek as well. There is ice skating, snowshoeing, shopping, and spas—you name it, Beaver Creek has it. It is the perfect place to take advantage of the snow and be in the moment, in the mountains, together.
The extraordinary is a rare combination of one-of-a-kind experiences designed to be shared with service that exceeds expectation. The extraordinary brings you closer to one another and offers a special place to belong together. Belong in The Extraordinary.
1.First Track can offer visitors ________.
A.an early visit B.an ice skating show
C.a tasty lunch D.a free skiing lesson
2.What is the White Carpet Club special for?
A.Skillful trainers. B.Quiet living experience.
C.Thoughtful service. D.Good views over the mountain.
3.The passage is written to ________.
A.attract visitors B.compare different programs
C.appeal for sports D.introduce training courses
My bulletin board was covered with pictures of Carmen and me at Camp Flaming Rock. Every summer for the past five years, we had been camp bunkmates（室友）. We were great ______, so I was excited to be returning to camp for another fun summer together.
You can imagine my ______ when I got to the Camp and discovered that I would bunk with Kaitlyn. ______ could Kaitlyn and I bunk together? We were like the opposite ends of a magnet（磁铁）. It was hard to imagine that I would______ two weeks with her as my bunkmate.
When I dragged ______ to our small wooden house, Kaitlyn was already at the bunk. She was sorting her belongings, completely ______ me. For the rest of the day, neither of us spoke. It was obvious that she was ______ happier about the arrangement than I was.
At Camp Flaming Rock your bunkmate is also your ______ for daily activities. That meant Kaitlyn and I would be together all day long. At first, we tend to avoid each other. But as the days passed on, both of our attitudes started to ______. While one day my hand was hurt in a boat race, Kaitlyn rowed the rest of the way all by herself. When we got to the shore, she was all wet with ______. But she didn’t complain（抱怨）; she just walked with me to the nurse station. Another day we played a game based on ______. I was blindfolded and had to find my way to Kaitlyn by ______ to the sound she made. When she started making the snoring（打鼾） noises I had been hearing every night, I was able to find her ______ no time. As soon as the blindfold came off, we both laughed loudly.
Over time, as we began to ______ up to each other, I started to see how Kaitlyn and I were really ______. We both loved singing, we both had annoying little brothers, and we both ______ on sleeping in woolen socks.
The end of the camp rolled around ______ than either of us could have imagined. We were both ______ at what close friends we had become. Although I______ bunking with Carmen, I’m glad I made another close friend. Now there’s a new ______ on my bulletin board at home. It’s of me and Kaitlyn. And both of us are wearing woolen socks!
1.A.friends B.students C.players D.campers
2.A.delight B.relief C.shock D.curiosity
3.A.Why B.How C.When D.Where
4.A.waste B.give C.lose D.spend
5.A.easily B.slowly C.eagerly D.suddenly
6.A.ignoring B.frightening C.attracting D.bothering
7.A.even B.still C.far D.no
8.A.partner B.reporter C.model D.guide
9.A.work B.understand C.change D.regain
10.A.water B.sweat C.blood D.paint
11.A.looks B.words C.gestures D.sounds
12.A.listening B.dancing C.awaking D.relaxing
13.A.at B.by C.in D.from
14.A.make B.open C.come D.play
15.A.alike B.popular C.strong D.young
16.A.tried B.relied C.carried D.insisted
17.A.better B.harder C.faster D.later
18.A.mad B.angry C.disappointed D.surprised
19.A.minded B.enjoyed C.missed D.imagined
20.A.name B.picture C.design D.form
Charlie Chaplin was an extraordinary performer 1. acted in and directed many outstanding comedies. Few were bored in 2. (watch) his moustache, his gestures or his entertaining reactions when chased by detectives. Being drunk, sliding on a banana peel or whispering his own failures to nobody, he made 3. (we) feel more satisfied with our life without even having to use one word. His unique sense of humor 4. (astonish) people across the world even till this day.
