A
Volunteering to help people in need combined with traveling to faraway places is a new trend in the travel industry. It is called voluntourism. People travel to other countries, learn languages and other cultures, and gain new experiences. On the other side, they volunteer to help others who are not as well off as they are.
Recent statistics show that in the past few years voluntourism has been one of the fastest-growing areas of tourism. More than 1. 6 million people around the world are volunteers in other countries. They work in orphanages (孤儿院) , help build schools, assist in hospitals and do farming work in developing countries. Some of them develop lasting bonds with people far away.
There are many reasons why people want to take part in voluntourism. Students see it as a period of time when they can take a break before going to university; others simply want to take time out from a job and do something else. Then there are those who are bored and merely seek adventure. However, many voluntourists do not see volunteering as what it is. They think it is a cheap way of traveling and don’t really want to get involved in hard work.
Not everyone sees voluntourism in a positive way. Critics say that if people really want to help those in need there are many opportunities in their own community to do this. On the other side, volunteers are often not skilled enough for the tasks they do.
Travel experts point out that in some cases voluntourists are taken advantage of by the organization that sets up the trips.
21. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. The origin of voluntourism. B. The future of voluntourism.
C. The concept of voluntourism. D. The importance of voluntourism.
22. According to paragraph 3, which may inspire people to participate in voluntourism?
A. Making money. B. Avoiding adventure.
C. Applying for a scholarship. D. Seeking for a change.
23. What might be talked about after the last paragraph?
A. Cases where people help others in their own community.
B. Tips on choosing voluntourism organizations and projects.
C. Reasons why not all people adopt a positive attitude to voluntourism.
D. Problems caused by volunteers who lack necessary skills for their tasks.
