虚拟假期 “virtual holiday” 能让你在预算和时间有限、或者没有护照的情况下到遥远的地方旅游。许多在线服务都能帮助人们足不出户地外出旅行。你可以通过远程游览大英博物馆和印度泰姬陵，甚至通过虚拟的潜水体验看到沉船和珊瑚礁等等。本文讨论互联网和虚拟现实技术带来的旅行体验。
词汇：travel 旅行
Have you ever dreamt of strolling along the streets of Venice, climbing the Eiffel Tower or flying above the Grand Canyon? It's much easier to take a virtual holiday now than ever before. Doesn't it sound adventurous – travelling to breathtaking destinations around the world while never leaving the comfort of your own home?
Digital maps let you roam almost any location on the planet, meaning you can explore the night markets in Bangkok, hover over mountainous regions like the Himalayas or zoom in on tiny islands and imagine you're sunbathing and smelling the sea. Of course, you won't experience the weather and culture in exactly the same way, but at least it's an option.
If you are a nature lover, it's possible to take an interactive virtual tour, with the option of virtual commentary, of a national park like Yellowstone in the USA. This area has a lot of volcanic activity, so you can watch geysers erupt, see sulphur lakes and virtually hike iconic trails. Their website is full of videos walking you to famous viewpoints like Dragon's Mouth Spring and the cascading waterfall at Upper Falls. And then there are oceanic adventures too. National Geographic offers virtual underwater experiences so you can dive with sharks and other marine life, see coral reefs come alive and explore sunken shipwrecks.
You can now tour many museums and landmarks virtually too, like The British Museum in London. You can explore more than 60 galleries where you'll see priceless artefacts from around the world, like the Rosetta Stone, and famous paintings and sculptures. The Taj Mahal is another place you can visit virtually and at a 360-degree angle, so you can scale heights that would be almost impossible if you were there in person.
They say 'the world is your oyster'. So next time you get the travel bug, try a virtual escape. A shoestring budget is no problem – you can still explore the world, and you don't even need a passport.
词汇表
virtual holiday 虚拟假期，通过互联网或虚拟现实技术游玩景点
adventurous 充满冒险精神的
breathtaking destination 令人惊叹的目的地
roam 漫步，闲逛
night market 夜市
interactive 互动式的
commentary 现场解说
national park 国家公园
geyser 间歇泉
sulphur lake 硫磺湖
trail 徒步路线
viewpoint 观景点
tour 游览，参观
landmark 地标
the world is your oyster “世界是你的牡蛎”，比喻世界任人驰骋，人尽可随心所欲
travel bug “旅行虫”，对旅行的强烈兴趣
shoestring budget 非常有限的预算
passport 护照
测验与练习
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. What places are given as examples of where to go using a digital map?
2. What is a downside about virtual travel?
3. What could you add on to an interactive virtual tour of Yellowstone?
4. True or False? You can see shipwrecks virtually with National Geographic.
5. Why can you see more detail visiting the Taj Mahal virtually, rather than in person?
2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1. We're taking a bus so that we can _______ the city without having to walk everywhere.
run tour hike stroll
2. I couldn't fly. I got to the airport and realised I'd left my _______ at home!
commentary passport landmark tour
3. I'm addicted to travelling. My mum says I've got the _______.
trail geyser holiday travel bug
4. I have no money to go out. I'm living on a _______ budget at the moment.
breathtaking virtual adventurous shoestring
5. Do what makes you happy. You only live once, and the world is your _______.
viewpoint oyster national park destination
答案
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. What places are given as examples of where to go using a digital map?
With a digital map, you can explore the night markets in Bangkok, hover over mountainous regions like the Himalayas or zoom in on tiny islands.
2. What is a downside about virtual travel?
A downside about virtual travel is that you won't experience the weather and culture in exactly the same way.
3. What could you add on to an interactive virtual tour of Yellowstone?
It's possible to take an interactive virtual tour, with the option of virtual commentary.
4. True or False? You can see shipwrecks virtually with National Geographic.
True. National Geographic offers virtual underwater experiences so you can explore sunken shipwrecks.
5. Why can you see more detail visiting the Taj Mahal virtually, rather than in person?
Because you can visit the Taj Mahal at a 360-degree angle, which means you can scale heights that would be almost impossible if you were there in person.
2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1. We're taking a bus so that we can tour the city without having to walk everywhere.
2. I couldn't fly. I got to the airport and realised I'd left my passport at home!
3. I'm addicted to travelling. My mum says I've got the travel bug.
4. I have no money to go out. I'm living on a shoestring budget at the moment.
5. Do what makes you happy. You only live once, and the world is your oyster.