【题文】The Negative Impacts of Volunteer Tourism

Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an increasingly popular form of altruistic travel. Its appeal lies in being an experience that allows visitors to feel good by being a part of some kind of meaningful change. But despite good intentions from participants, volunteering abroad has been the target of heavy criticism over the past few years.

Voluntourists only have a limited amount of time, and the ability to change the systems and provide support for the places they visit. Being volunteers, they also simply don’t have the skills to do so. And they can sometimes inadvertently perpetuate unhelpful and even patronizing(自视高人一等的)ideas about the places they visit. A number of studies have shown that volunteer tourism can have negative impacts, ___________benefiting the local communities.

*Unskilled labor creates more work

Previously, volunteering opportunities were often___________to skilled professionals, but this is not the___________of volunteer tourism. Anyone can become a voluntourist, which brings a series of problems. Though___________, they are often unskilled, especially when it comes to work such as construction and digging. This can often lead to locals being forced to take on the added responsibility for rebuilding homes and schools that would have been___________inadequate.

*Volunteers take local jobs

In the meantime, this takes jobs away from locals who would have been paid to do the same work. It also prevents them from learning or being taught the skills that could then be used to___________the community. As a famous proverb says, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” The time and efforts of volunteers could be better___________making local communities more economically independent and self-sufficient, allowing them to improve___________even after they depart.

*There is no long-term commitment

Lots of communities do need the help and assistance of volunteers, but what are they able to address in the few short weeks of their “___________”? Most places tend to benefit more from long-term engagement, and often the largest number of meaningful volunteers come from the communities themselves, rather than from____________eager to fix things. While short-term volunteers can do a lot of good, it is often so only when they have skills and training that____________the specific needs, such as medical aid, construction, conservation, teaching, or even religious work; as well as having experience doing the required work and with different cultures.

* There is a lot of focus on__________the volunteer

Voluntourism tends to place a lot of emphasis on the volunteers, sometimes even at the expense of the community they are looking to help. Travel companies attract individuals with promises of____________but immediately-rewarding experiences. This, in turn, can lead to large numbers of volunteers who, instead of helping create a change, can actually____________local communities from becoming more economically independent due to their very presence.

What Can We Do Instead?

Short-term volunteers, especially students, also need to be given the opportunity to explore various different cultures and destinations. But they should take the time to learn about the socio-cultural backgrounds of the places they visit. Short-term placements thus become more about experiences and____________exchange, where they may gain knowledge and respect other cultures, rather than go on trips that “help the poor”.

This kind of cross-cultural engagement can do a lot of good in a world that is increasingly leaning towards violence and xenophobia.

【小题1】

A．let alone

B．in terms of

C．rather than

D．thanks to

【小题2】

A．transmitted

B．restricted

C．appointed

D．delivered

【小题3】

A．cast

B．concern

C．agreement

D．solution

【小题4】

A．well-understood

B．well-organized

C．well-bred

D．well-meaning

【小题5】

A．seemingly

B．unexpectedly

C．otherwise

D．extremely

【小题6】

A．serve

B．survive

C．sustain

D．support

【小题7】

A．invested in

B．removed from

C．devoted in

D．set aside

【小题8】

A．immediately

B．continuously

C．carefully

D．incredibly

【小题9】

A．appeal

B．campaign

C．efforts

D．visit

【小题10】

A．locals

B．organizers

C．foreigners

D．technicians

【小题11】

A．overshadow

B．match

C．deserve

D．pair

【小题12】

A．rewarding

B．cultivating

C．praising

D．motivating

【小题13】

A．cost-effective

B．energy-boosting

C．short-lived

D．long-term

【小题14】

A．distinguish

B．suspend

C．shelter

D．prevent

【小题15】

A．stock

B．cultural

C．idea

D．information

Unit 2 Volunteering Unit Test B卷 (上外版2020)