The price of a perfect holiday? Cruises are becoming more and more popular, with around 20 million passengers per year now enjoying holidays on board luxury ships. Many people see a cruise as the perfect way to sit back and do nothing, and enjoy time off work. But what is the effect on the environment of this trend? Although it usually takes less energy for a vehicle to move through water than over land, cruise ships are often huge, with the biggest ones carrying up to 6,000 passengers. Moving such large vehicles requires enormous engines which burn as much as 300,000 litres of fuel a day. One scientist has calculated that cruise ships create as much pollution as 5 million cars going over the same distance. Because they are out at sea, they also burn dirtier fuel that isn’t allowed on land. Unfortunately, no government has control over the amount of air pollution out at sea. Cruises also produce huge amounts of rubbish, and cruise ships aren’t usually good at recycling. Waste water from showers and toilets is usually poured directly into the sea – as much per day as from a small town. Waste food from restaurants isn’t put into the sea, but still causes problems when brought back to the land. Cruise ships also cause difficulties in the cities where they stop. Popular destinations can get five or six ships per day, with thousands of tourists at a time. Good for restaurants? No. Restaurant owners complain that the visitors look around for a few hours and then return to their ship to eat. What’s more, the crowds can put off other tourists, who complain that the streets are too busy. Some towns have banned cruise ships or put a limit on the number that can stop at the same time. People who care about the environment worry that as the cruise industry continues to grow, so too will the issues for our planet.

1. The purpose of the text is to A persuade people that a cruise is a wonderful holiday.

B criticise people who go on cruise ships.

C explain some of the problems that cruise ships cause.

D persuade governments to ban cruise ships. 2. One reason cruise ships cause a lot of air pollution is because A they carry large numbers of cars as well as passengers. B their engines are not as efficient as those of other ships. C it takes more energy to move through water than over land. D they use types of fuel that are not permitted on land. 3. What do we learn about the waste products on cruise ships? A All the waste products are carried back to shore. B Waste food is often thrown away at sea. C Most cruise ships recycle their waste products. D An enormous amount of the waste water isn’t recycled. 4. Why are cruise ship passengers not popular in some cities? A They are sometimes rude to other tourists. B They don’t spend money on meals. C They fill up the restaurants, so other tourists can’t get in. D They complain when the city is too crowded. 5. Which best describes large cruise ships? A They seem to offer ideal relaxing holidays, but they aren’t environmentally friendly. B They are becoming very popular, and they bring a lot of benefits, in spite of their problems. C They used to cause a lot of pollution, but things are improving now. D They cause pollution in the sea and on land, so cities are planning to ban them in the future.

The price of a perfect holiday?

Cruises are becoming more and more popular, with around 20 million passengers per year now enjoying holidays on board luxury ships. Many people see a cruise as the perfect way to sit back and do nothing, and enjoy time off work. But what is the effect on the environment of this trend? 

Although it usually takes less energy for a vehicle to move through water than over land, cruise ships are often huge, with the biggest ones carrying up to 6,000 passengers. Moving such large vehicles requires enormous engines which burn as much as 300,000 litres of fuel a day. One scientist has calculated that cruise ships create as much pollution as 5 million cars going over the same distance. Because they are out at sea, they also burn dirtier fuel that isn’t allowed on land. Unfortunately, no government has control over the amount of air pollution out at sea.

Cruises also produce huge amounts of rubbish, and cruise ships aren’t usually good at recycling. Waste water from showers and toilets is usually poured directly into the sea – as much per day as from a small town. Waste food from restaurants isn’t put into the sea, but still causes problems when brought back to the land.

Cruise ships also cause difficulties in the cities where they stop. Popular destinations can get five or six ships per day, with thousands of tourists at a time. Good for restaurants? No. Restaurant owners complain that the visitors look around for a few hours and then return to their ship to eat. What’s more, the crowds can put off other tourists, who complain that the streets are too busy. Some towns have banned cruise ships or put a limit on the number that can stop at the same time. People who care about the environment worry that as the cruise industry continues to grow, so too will the issues for our planet.

1. The purpose of the text is to 

A  persuade people that a cruise is a wonderful holiday. 

B criticise people who go on cruise ships. 

C  explain some of the problems that cruise ships cause. 

D persuade governments to ban cruise ships.

2. One reason cruise ships cause a lot of air pollution is because  

A  they carry large numbers of cars as well as passengers. 

B  their engines are not as efficient as those of other ships. 

C  it takes more energy to move through water than over land. 

D  they use types of fuel that are not permitted on land.

3. What do we learn about the waste products on cruise ships? 

A  All the waste products are carried back to shore. 

B  Waste food is often thrown away at sea. 

C  Most cruise ships recycle their waste products. 

D  An enormous amount of the waste water isn’t recycled.

4. Why are cruise ship passengers not popular in some cities? 

A They are sometimes rude to other tourists. 

B They don’t spend money on meals. 

C They fill up the restaurants, so other tourists can’t get in. 

D They complain when the city is too crowded.

5. Which best describes large cruise ships? 

A They seem to offer ideal relaxing holidays, but they aren’t environmentally friendly.

B They are becoming very popular, and they bring a lot of benefits, in spite of their problems.

C They used to cause a lot of pollution, but things are improving now.

D They cause pollution in the sea and on land, so cities are planning to ban them in the future.

Yosemite National Park, located in the eastern central region of California, covers an area of 761,266 acres which includes the slope of the Nevada mountain chain. It is about six hours north of Los Angeles and is known internationally for its natural features like the great cliffs, waterfalls, streams and flora to fauna diversity. That is why more than 3.5 million people visit this park every year.

More than 95 percent of Yosemite National Park has wildlife in it, including five types of vegetation zones: oak woodland, lower and upper montane, subalpine and alpine. The park is one of the largest habitat centers in all of Nevada and it has an elevation range of 600 to 4,000 meters. There are also huge rocks that are more than 10 million years old scattered throughout the natural areas.

For tourists, there are also several hotels and accommodations throughout the park, including restaurants and shops. Many visitors enjoy visiting during the summer to enjoy everything the park has to offer.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Last year, there were millions of international tourist arrivals across the globe. Whether they were students on their (1)______ years looking for overseas adventure, stressed-out workers hoping to get away for a weekend, or retirees (2)_______ to relax in an exotic locationclearly none of them thought they could find the same experience at home. The question is whether foreign travel brings more advantages or disadvantages.

An obvious positive point is that going abroad sometimes helps people to expand their knowledge of the world. If they are (3)_____ minded, they can learn about new cultures and hopefully gain a more accurate understanding about their way of life. In addition, there is the economic benefit of tourism to countries which have few other resources. It can provide an income to many people within the industry.

Having said that, some people simply go to a foreign resort (4)____ by high walls and therefore learn little about their holiday (5)_____ . Another issue is that hordes of tourists often spoil the “unspoilt” places they visit. The most recent example of this is Antarctica, where last year cruise ships took thousands of visitors to view the disappearing icebergs and wildlife. Vegetation, nesting penguins and resting walrus are vulnerable when humans intrude.

Điền vào số 1

A. space

B. break

C. pause

D. gap

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word(s) to each of the questions

Last year, there were millions of international tourist arrivals across the globe. Whether they were students on their (41)______ years looking for overseas adventure, stressed-out workers hoping to get away for a weekend, or retirees (42)______ to relax in an exotic location- clearly none of them thought they could find the same experience at home. The question is whether foreign travel brings more advantages or disadvantages.

An obvious positive point is that going abroad sometimes helps people to expand their knowledge of the world. If they are (43)_____ - minded, they can learn about new cultures and hopefully gain a more accurate understanding about their way of life. In addition, there is the economic benefit of tourism to countries which have few other resources. It can provide an income to many people within the industry.

Having said that, some people simply go to a foreign resort (44)______ by high walls and therefore learn little about their holiday (45)______. Another issue is that hordes of tourists often spoil the “unspoilt” places they visit. The most recent example of this is Antarctica, where last year cruise ships took thousands of visitors to view the disappearing icebergs and wildlife. Vegetation, nesting penguins and resting walrus are vulnerable when humans intrude.
Question 44:

A. covered

B. surrounded

C. sheltered

D. stopped

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Last year, there were millions of international tourist arrivals across the globe. Whether they were students on their (1)______ years looking for overseas adventure, stressed-out workers hoping to get away for a weekend, or retirees (2)_______ to relax in an exotic locationclearly none of them thought they could find the same experience at home. The question is whether foreign travel brings more advantages or disadvantages.

An obvious positive point is that going abroad sometimes helps people to expand their knowledge of the world. If they are (3)_____ minded, they can learn about new cultures and hopefully gain a more accurate understanding about their way of life. In addition, there is the economic benefit of tourism to countries which have few other resources. It can provide an income to many people within the industry.

Having said that, some people simply go to a foreign resort (4)____ by high walls and therefore learn little about their holiday (5)_____ . Another issue is that hordes of tourists often spoil the “unspoilt” places they visit. The most recent example of this is Antarctica, where last year cruise ships took thousands of visitors to view the disappearing icebergs and wildlife. Vegetation, nesting penguins and resting walrus are vulnerable when humans intrude.

Điền vào số 4

A. covered

B. surrounded

C. sheltered

D. stopped

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word(s) to each of the questions

Last year, there were millions of international tourist arrivals across the globe. Whether they were students on their (41)______ years looking for overseas adventure, stressed-out workers hoping to get away for a weekend, or retirees (42)______ to relax in an exotic location- clearly none of them thought they could find the same experience at home. The question is whether foreign travel brings more advantages or disadvantages.

An obvious positive point is that going abroad sometimes helps people to expand their knowledge of the world. If they are (43)_____ - minded, they can learn about new cultures and hopefully gain a more accurate understanding about their way of life. In addition, there is the economic benefit of tourism to countries which have few other resources. It can provide an income to many people within the industry.

Having said that, some people simply go to a foreign resort (44)______ by high walls and therefore learn little about their holiday (45)______. Another issue is that hordes of tourists often spoil the “unspoilt” places they visit. The most recent example of this is Antarctica, where last year cruise ships took thousands of visitors to view the disappearing icebergs and wildlife. Vegetation, nesting penguins and resting walrus are vulnerable when humans intrude.
Question 41:

A. space

B. break

C. pause

D. gap

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Last year, there were millions of international tourist arrivals across the globe. Whether they were students on their (1)______ years looking for overseas adventure, stressed-out workers hoping to get away for a weekend, or retirees (2)_______ to relax in an exotic locationclearly none of them thought they could find the same experience at home. The question is whether foreign travel brings more advantages or disadvantages.

An obvious positive point is that going abroad sometimes helps people to expand their knowledge of the world. If they are (3)_____ minded, they can learn about new cultures and hopefully gain a more accurate understanding about their way of life. In addition, there is the economic benefit of tourism to countries which have few other resources. It can provide an income to many people within the industry.

Having said that, some people simply go to a foreign resort (4)____ by high walls and therefore learn little about their holiday (5)_____ . Another issue is that hordes of tourists often spoil the “unspoilt” places they visit. The most recent example of this is Antarctica, where last year cruise ships took thousands of visitors to view the disappearing icebergs and wildlife. Vegetation, nesting penguins and resting walrus are vulnerable when humans intrude.

Điền vào số 5

A. direction

B. destination

C. departure

D. situation