1. 阅读理解

One day in March, seven years ago, during happy hour at a bar in my hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas, I made a surprising announcement to my friends：I was going to shut down my law practice and attempt to travel around the globe in a year.What's more, I would do it without taking any flights or making a single advance reservation of any kind.My announcement drew mixed reactions from my friends.Some offered support and encouragement, while others were more doubtful.

Once I had said the words, there was no turning back.It took months to shut down my law practice and get things in order.Once I set off on my adventure in December 2008, I found travelling without using planes was not easy.Trying to circle the globe in 16 months (it took me a bit longer than the initial 12 months I planned) made it even harder.Even so, travelling overland was the most amazing way to truly understand the immensity(浩瀚无际) of our wonderful planet.

I took three consecutive(连续的) overnight buses to travel 3,000 km through Argentina, from Ushuaia to the capital Buenos Aires.I would look out of the windows for hours on end at the completely unspoiled plains, as if humans had never touched it.

It took seven consecutive days and nights on trains to get from Moscow to Beijing, each day spent staring out of the windows for hours as the Siberian plains swept by.Sometimes, I wouldn't see a village or a human being for 10 hours.Later in my journey, it took 22 days on a cargo freighter(货船) to get from New Zealand through the Panama Canal and back to Philadelphia, to finish my round­the­world adventure.

It turned out that travelling with no reservations was far less difficult than I had imagined.Pulling into a city on a bus with a backpack, looking in a guidebook for a few suggestions of accommodations(住所), and then finding an empty room was never much of a problem anywhere.It also kept me flexible(灵活) and open about all my travel plans, which is advice I give everyone who asks—plan far less than you think you should.

1. （1） The author's trip was special in that         .

   A . he made it at the expense of giving up his job B . it hardly cost him anything C . he did not make advance booking or travel by air D . it was a global trip
3. （2） The author most probably returned to the United States in         .

   A . June 2009 B . December 2009 C . February 2010 D . April 2010
5. （3） The author's travelling route was         .

   ①Moscow②Philadelphia③New Zealand④Ushuaia⑤Beijing⑥Buenos Aires

   A . ⑤④①⑥③② B . ④⑥①⑤③② C . ④⑤①⑥③② D . ⑤①⑥④③②
7. （4） What did the author think of his around­the­world tour?

   A . Challenging but pleasant. B . Dangerous but wonderful. C . Boring and disappointing. D . Costly and painful.