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(尊嚴). Local workers often find only low-paying jobs in the tourist industry. And most of the money do not help the local economy（經濟）. 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（合乎職業道德的）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(復雜的).
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.
小題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. |
小題2: The underlined phrase "take heart" means"
".
| A．pay attention | B．take care | C．cheer up | D．give up |
小題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 |
小題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. |
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