Question

    I wanted a change of pace, a break from routine. The past few years found me working long hours at my marketing job while my husband, Steven, put in equally full days as a physics tutor. We were both burned out from the constant boredom.

Vacation experiences at first glance seem a little difficult for us. How do you find comfort in an ever-changing environment? And I, someone who enjoys more planned fun, had to adapt.

But I was surprised at how easily I was able to adapt to a new mode of operation, a more relaxed version of myself who wasn’t worried where we’d park and sleep each night. The fact that we both became so accustomed to sleeping in the back of a cargo van is another surprise we experienced on this journey. The van was our main transportation and, with a full-size bed in the back, it also provided us with a bit of comfort that made us continue. At first, every sound outside was foreign, and we both took longer to fall-and stay-asleep. But, after a couple of weeks into van life, we let the sounds fade into soft background music.

Over the course of our seven- month trip, one of our big goals was to come away from each park with one spectacular image. That shared goal placed us on the same team: It brought us together, even more than before, gave us more to talk about, and encouraged us to motivate each other along the way.

By this point, you’re probably wondering how we paid for all of this, or maybe you’re assuming we come from wealthy backgrounds. The truth is, we actually managed this entire adventure on a middle-class budget. Steven did part-time remote work about 10 hours per week for his employer from the road. I ended up finding some temporary jobs through the trip. We also continued our photography business, setting up an online shop to sell our landscapes.

We only visited some parks in the 48 states. And the experience would still be worth every penny. It is really a chance to lose and find ourselves in our nation’s park lands.

1.Why did the author want to change?

A.Because she wanted a rest from daily routine.

B.Because she was interested in travelling.

C.Because she fell ill with long working hours.

D.Because she didn't like her marketing job.

2.What did the author think of the vacation before the journey?

A.Exciting. B.Helpful.

C.Doubtful. D.Boring.

3.What can we infer from the last but one paragraph?

A.The couple visited 48 states during the trip.

B.The couple tried different jobs to maintain their trip.

C.The husband worked harder than the wife.

D.The couple came from a middle-class family.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A.Introducing a couple’s daily life.

B.Sharing a couple’s travel experience.

C.Showing the importance of traveling.

D.Advising some travel plans to readers.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文，讲述了作者和丈夫想对常规的生活进行改变而去旅行的经历。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中“I want a change of pace, a break from routine”和最后一句“we were both burned out from the constant boredom”可以看出作者是想改变生活节奏，打破每天惯例，对生活也感到极度无聊，从而想做出一些改变。 故选A项。

2.推理判断题。根据文章第二段“Vacation experiences at first glance seem a little difficult for us. How do you find comfort in an ever-changing environment? （乍一看，度假经历对我们来说似乎有点困难。 你如何在不断变化的环境中找到舒适感？）”可以推断，作者在旅行之前，对这次旅行是否会觉得愉快感到怀疑。故选C项。

3.推理判断题。由文章倒数第二段“Steven did part-time remote work about 10 hours per week for his employer from the road. I ended up finding some temporary jobs through the trip. We also continued our photography business, setting up an online shop to sell our landscapes.”可知，作者夫妇为了维持这段旅行的费用，沿途做了一些不同的兼职工作，同时也继续做摄影业务。故选B项。

4.主旨大意题。作者因为想改变一下生活节奏，打破常规的生活，决定进行一次旅行。在旅行途中，面包车是他们的主要交通工具，并且通过做一些兼职工作来维持旅行的费用。作者觉得这次旅行是值得的。阅读全文可知,作者是在和读者分享她和丈夫的旅行故事。故选B项。