The Trip of a Lifetime - Unit 8

B2 First · Multiple Choice Reading · Ready for B2 First 4th Edition, Macmillan Education Limited

You are going to read an article written by a woman called Rosie, who went travelling as part of a gap year between school and university. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

I felt slightly ashamed when my exam results came out, despite the loyal praise from my parents. The grades were more than respectable, but they weren't quite good enough for the university degree course I was hoping for, so I called the admissions office, asked them to reconsider, but the reply was unequivocal – I hadn't met the entry requirements, so I should make alternative plans. I slowly pulled myself together, gathered some perspective, began to feel proud of my achievements and sensed to turn disappointment into opportunity; I would take time out to travel, then reapply the following year for a different course. It would be stretching the truth to say that I intended to broaden my horizons, develop as a person, discover my true self. Things may have turned out that way in the end, but at the time, I knew only that I had a year on my hands, and an extended trip abroad sounded like a worthwhile way to spend it. Or at least part of it – I'd need to work first to fund myself, so I took a job as a receptionist at a local doctor's surgery. It was a tough six months; the patients were very demanding and I often got shouted at, but it gave me the opportunity to gain some work experience, develop some useful skills, and importantly, save money for the more enjoyable part of the year. In the meantime, I managed to talk a friend from school into coming with me – Lowri, who also failed to get the grades she needed. After months of planning, we set off for Cuzco in Peru, where we'd volunteered to work for two weeks in an orphanage. I'm not sure what good we thought we could do. We took gifts of toys and played with the children, but I don't think our presence was of much value. The owners didn't expect a great deal from us and seemed more interested in the money we'd paid to be there, which went towards food, clothes and the upkeep of the building. Everything appeared unstructured and disorganised, but the children were full of life and clearly happy, so the orphanage was obviously doing something right. The next six weeks we spent travelling around South America as part of a tour group. In Peru we went white water rafting, horse riding and then sandboarding on dunes by the desert oasis of Huacachina. In Bolivia, some courageous, if foolhardy, members of the group cycled down the infamous Death Road. This no doubt earned them bragging rights for years to come, though personally, I'm content with being able to tell everyone that I saw the incredible Uyuni Salt Flats, vast plains of white salt which stretch out as far as the eye can see. Then in Brazil we spent time exploring parts of the Amazon, before finishing the tour in Rio de Janeiro. After Rio we flew to South Africa, where we stayed for two weeks with friends in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and relaxed mostly, before moving on to the third and final stage of our trip in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos: another continent, different cultures, new experiences. Unlike in South America, nothing was pre-planned. We booked all the transport and cultural trips ourselves using local tour companies in each country, which added an element of spontaneity, and gave us more freedom of choice and a greater sense of independence. And yes, when it all came to an end, I did feel I'd developed as a person. Travelling taught me so much. I learnt how to manage my money; I had to be organised and continually think ahead; I became more flexible and open-minded, readily adapting to a wide range of places, people and their cultures. Perhaps Lowri and I overfilled things in this respect; maybe we should have heeded the old adage that 'less is more'. We packed as many countries into the four months as possible, and in doing so, gained only a very general idea of life in each one. Still, I'm sure I'll find time to go back to some of them in the future. Won't I?

She felt that her family could have been more supportive.

She realised the goals she'd set herself had been unrealistic.

She thought her exams might have been marked incorrectly.

She gradually changed the way she felt about her grades.

How did Rosie react after she received her exam results?

It would be more fun than working.

It seemed like a good use of her time.

It was a chance for self-improvement.

It would help her university application.

What does Rosie say was her reason for travelling?

She thought the owners were not doing enough for the children.

She felt that her work was of little benefit to the orphanage.

She sensed that the children did not appreciate her gifts.

She had suspicions that the owners were corrupt.

What does Rosie say about her experience in the Peruvian orphanage?

entitled them to receive special treatment

made them feel fortunate to have survived

gave them the opportunity to impress people

helped them appreciate the beauty of the country

What does 'earned them bragging rights' mean in line 43?

each country

local tour companies

transport and cultural trips

making our own bookings

What does 'which' refer to in line 55?

might have benefited from visiting fewer places.

didn't leave themselves enough time to relax.

should have spent less time in each place.

took too many things with them.

In the final paragraph, Rosie suggests that she and her friend Lowri

The Trip of a Lifetime

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