What's your dream vacation? Watching wildlife in Kenya? Boating down the Amazon? Sunbathing in Malaysia? New chances are opening up all the time to visit the world. So we visit travel companies, compare prices, and pay our money.
We know what our vacation costs us. But do we know what it might cost someone else? It's true that many poorer countries now depend on tourism for foreign income. Unfortunately, though, tourism often harms the local(本地的) people more than it helps them.
It might cost their homes and lands. In Myanmar, 5,200 people were forced to leave their homes among the pagodas(佛塔) in Bagan so that tourists could visit the pagodas.
Tourism might also cost the local people their jobs and dignity(尊严). Local workers often find only low-paying jobs in the tourist industry. And most of the money do not help the local economy（经济）. Instead, money return to the tour operators in richer countries, When the Maasai people in Tanzania were driven from their lands, some moved to poor places of the city. Others now make a little money selling things or acting for photos.
Problems like these were noticed more than 20 years ago. But now tour operators and local governments are working together to begin correcting them. Tourists, too, are putting on the pressure.     
The result is “ethical（合乎职业道德的）tourism”. Ethical tourism has people at its heart. New international agreements and rules can help protect the people's lands, homes, economies and cultures. The beginnings are small, though, and the problems are complex(复杂的).
But take heart. The good news is that everyone, including us, can play a part to help the local people in the places we visit. Tour operators and companies can help by making sure that local people work in good conditions and earn the money they should get.
They can make it a point to use only locally owned hotel, restaurants and guide services. They can share some money to help the local economy. And they can help the local people plan and manage tourism.
What can tourists do? First, we can ask tour companies to provide information about the conditions of local people. We can then make our choices and tell them why. And while we're abroad, we can:
Buy local foods and products.
Pay a fair price for goods and services and not bargain for the cheapest price.
Ask before taking photographs of people.
They are not just part of the scenery!
Let's enjoy our vacation and make sure others do, too.
【小题1】Which of the following is not mentioned?

A．Local people protected the pagodas in Bagan well.

B．Tourists may stay in hotels opened by local people.

C．Local people are mainly provided with low-paying work.

D．Tourists had better not bargain with local people for a cheap price.

【小题2】 The underlined phrase "take heart" means"      ".

A．pay attention

B．take care

C．cheer up

D．give up

【小题3】 According to the passage, the writer thinks          .

A．tourism is not a promising industry

B．dream vacations should be spent abroad

C．the problems caused by tourism are easy to settle

D．tourists should respect local customs and cultures

【小题4】What is probably the best title for the passage?

A．Tourism Causes Bad Effects.	B．Tourism Calls for Good Behavior.
C．Vacations Bring a Lot of Fun.	D．Vacations Cost More Than You Think.

Just how popular was Mini? Very. Every year her classmates voted(推举) her the favorite student. The friends she had were much more than those of anyone else.
One day Mini was caught yakkety-yakking(大声说笑) and ordered to stay back as punishment(惩罚). Staying back meant doing something “useful”, like helping in the library after school.
Now Mini’s school had a rule. Once a month, if you had something else to do the day you were punished, you could ask a friend to stand in for you.
Unluckily, her aunt was visiting Mini that day. That afternoon was the only chance Mini had of seeing her for another five years.
Mini needed someone to stand in for her. She asked Betty, her “best” friend. “Oh, no, Mini, I can’t,” Betty said. “I must help my brother do his homework.”
“Tony, will you stay back for me?” Mini asked another friend. “I wish you’d told me earlier. I have to go to a relative’s house with my father,” he said.
Now, Mini was beginning to doubt(怀疑) if even one of her friends would agree to stay. But she tried again. She asked three more friends and each one refused.
So, after school Mini stayed to help the librarian. And, when she found Mini crying after everyone had left, it was she who surprised Mini by allowing her to leave to meet her aunt. “I may have many friends,” Mini said to herself, “but in reality I have none.”
【小题1】What does staying back mean in Mini’s school?

A．It means you have to do more homework.

B．It means you must study harder.

C．It means you have to do something “useful”.

D．It means you should ask a friend for help.

【小题2】How many friends did Mini ask for help? 

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

【小题3】Who helped Mini in the end?

A．The teacher.

B．Tony.

C．The librarian.

D．Nobody.

【小题4】What is the meaning of the underlined phrase “in reality”?

A．最后

B．事实上

C．终于

D．首先

【小题5】 Which of the following can describe Mini’s feeling?

A．Happy.

B．Excited.

C．Sad.

D．Bored.

Now, there is a new-type school in New York, which has no everyday lessons, no class teachers and even no school buildings. It is called “City-as-School”. The name just means the city itself is the place where students learn their lessons. They are from the age of 15 to 18. The students choose areas of work which interest them. Then they help to do that work. One girl spends her week in a government office helping the public with problems like housing. Then she goes to help in a theatre for a day and she spends a week for first-year courses at college.
Well, students have to pass Maths and science exams before they enter the “school”. These subjects are not easy to provide in“City-as-School”. Teachers watch the progress of the students. The success rate (比率) is high. 80% of the students go to college after the “City-as-School”.
The students like the duty of their work. They have the sense of purpose. They know a lot about different kinds of work in the city. One of the students, Lizette Martinez, writes “ I want to say that I do not know where I would be right now if I had never become part of City-as-School. Leaving my regular high school and going to City-as-School was the best decision I have ever made. The way the school works to get you to go out there and learn different fields instead of sitting in a classroom is wonderful. For all those who are in between school and dropping out, go to CAS and it will change your life forever.”
City-as-School High School is the nation’s leading (引导) external (外部地) learning or experiential (来自经验的) learning model for high school students.
【小题1】What can we learn about“City-as-School”?

A．It has no teachers.

B．It has no school buildings.

C．It has only girl students.

D．It is the only school in the city.

【小题2】What do students do in“City-as-School”most of the time?

A．They do whatever they like.

B．They learn Maths and Science.

C．They help with work in a certain area.

D．They learn all the college courses.

【小题3】According to the passage,“City-as–School” can help _________.

A．all the students go to college

B．students forget the duty of their work

C．students earn much money while studying

D．students learn a lot about different kinds of work

【小题4】What is the best title for the passage?

A．A New City	B．A New School
C．A New-type School	D．A Girl in New York

Now, there is a new-type school in New York, which has no everyday lessons, no class teachers and even no school buildings. It is called “City-as-School”. The name just means the city itself is the place where students learn their lessons. They are from the age of 15 to 18. The students choose areas of work which interest them. Then they help to do that work. One girl spends her week in a government office helping the public with problems like housing. Then she goes to help in a theatre for a day and she spends a week for first-year courses at college.
Well, students have to pass Maths and science exams before they enter the “school”. These subjects are not easy to provide in“City-as-School”. Teachers watch the progress of the students. The success rate (比率) is high. 80% of the students go to college after the “City-as-School”.
The students like the duty of their work. They have the sense of purpose. They know a lot about different kinds of work in the city. One of the students, Lizette Martinez, writes “I want to say that I do not know where I would be right now if I had never become part of City-as-School. Leaving my regular high school and going to City-as-School was the best decision I have ever made. The way the school works to get you to go out there and learn different fields instead of sitting in a classroom is wonderful. For all those who are in between school and dropping out, go to CAS and it will change your life forever.”
City-as-School High School is the nation’s leading (引导) external (外部地) learning or experiential (来自经验的) learning model for high school students.
【小题1】What can we learn about“City-as-School”?

A．It has no teachers.	B．It has no school buildings.
C．It has only girl students.	D．It is the only school in the city.

【小题2】What do students do in“City-as-School” most of the time?

A．They do whatever they like.

B．They learn Maths and Science.

C．They help with work in a certain area.

D．They learn all the college courses.

【小题3】According to the passage,“City-as–School” can help _________.

A．all the students go to college

B．students forget the duty of their work

C．students earn much money while studying

D．students learn a lot about different kinds of work

【小题4】What is the best title for the passage?

A．A New City	B．A New School
C．A New-type School	D．A Girl in New York

Do you want to live a happier, less stressful life? Try laughing for no reason at all. That’s how thousands of people start their day at Laughter Clubs around the world — and many doctors now think that having a good laugh might be one of the best ways to stay healthy.
The first Laughter Club was started in Mumbai, India, in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria. “Young children laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh between 7 and 15 times a day,” says Dr. Kataria, “Everyone’s naturally good at laughing. We want people to feel happy with their lives.” There are now more than 500 Laughter Clubs in India and over 1,300 worldwide.
Many doctors are also interested in the effects of laughter on our health. According to a 5-year study at the UCLA School of Medicine in California, with laughing there is less stress in the body. Laughter improves our health against illness by about 40%.
So, what happens at a Laughter Club? I went along to my nearest club in South London to find out. I was quite nervous at the beginning of the class, to be honest — I wasn’t interested in laughing with a group of strangers, and I was worried about looking stupid. Our laughter teacher told us to clap our hands and say “ho ho ho, ha ha ha,” while looking at each other. However, our bodies can’t tell the difference between fake laughter and real laughter, so they still produce the same healthy effects.
Surprisingly, it works! After ten minutes everybody in the room was laughing for real — and some people just couldn’t stop! At the end of the class I was surprised by how relaxed and comfortable I felt. So if you’re under stress, then start laughing. You might be very pleased with the results!
【小题1】The first Laughter Club was started in _____.

A．Britain

B．America

C．Australia

D．India

【小题2】The writer felt _____ at the beginning of the class?

A．surprised

B．pleased

C．nervous

D．stressful

【小题3】The people in the club began to laugh for real _____?

A．after ten minutes

B．after ten hours

C．after a few seconds

D．after ten days

【小题4】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Fake laughter and real laughter are both good for health.

B．40% of the people in Laughter Clubs are good friends.

C．Adults laugh more often than children in a day.

D．Laughing is the best way to prevent illness.