Tips for Cycle Trips

Cycling has many advantages as a form of travel, as it is the fastest way to travel by humanpower, and slow enough to allow the type of local involvement that is impossible with poweredtravel.Cycle travel is a cheap form of transportation.

Distance

On level terrain(地形),without a headwind, a cyclist of average fitness on a touring bike cancomfortably cover 60-120km a day.Distances of up to 250km a day are possible, but anythingmuch beyond 120km willrequire considerable physical tension and not allow many stops to enjoythe places you visit.For many80-100km a day will be the most suitable distance to aim for, as itwill give a sense of achievement and also leave plenty of time for meals and activities.

Geography

The gradient（坡度）of the trip will reduce your range.A basic rule is that for every 100metres of altitude you climb, you should add an extra 15 minutes to your journey time.In hilly ormountainous areas, the easiest routes for cycling are downstream along major rivers, as they will be downhilloverall.A long, roundabout route along a river will usually be easier than a short,direct route over a hill or mountain pass.However, it is worth bearing in mind that the most scenicroutes often come from hilly terrain(地形).

Eat

Food choice depends largely on where you are, so see the respective(各自的) sections for moreinformation about foods. As you will be working hard, it’s important to get enough energy in yourfood. On long trips away from major towns,there may be little quality food available, so beprepared to live on candy bars, prepared meat products and the like(and so on)if the need arises.

Sleep

While you can take a tent with you, many hotels and especially campsites can accommodate(provide … a place to stay)cyclists. However, there are also some hotels that may be less used to accommodating cyclists.Ifyou are exploring an unfamiliar world, asking about the accommodationcanspare you the search for anew place to stay after a long exhausting day of travel.

Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.

    AVOID BIG EVENTS. Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost pf accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival(19 Oct.) cost￡169.15 at Booking. com. A week later, the same room cost￡118.15.

    If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or youˈre looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com. which allow your to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.

    STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION. If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start your of your holiday.

    Donˈt be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodgeˈs Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was￡95.95. A room just a tube(地铁)journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was￡75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just￡62.95.

    LOOK AETER YOURSELF. Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative, consider checking into(入住)a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings, A great example is the historic OˈNeill Flat on Edingburghˈs Royal mile, available for￡420 for five days in late September. with room for four adults.

    GET ON A BIKE. Londonˈs "Boris bikes" have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programs programs that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs. Among the smaller cities with their own programs are Newcastle(not formal members pay around￡1.50 for two hours)and Cardiff(free for up to 30 minutes, or￡5 per day).

A guide to the ski resorts in Scotland

Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.

AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events,concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room.A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival(19 Oct.)cost￡169.15 atBooking.com.A week later,the same room cost￡118.15.

If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com,which allow you to search for events in the UK by city,date and category.

STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station,but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.

Don’t be too choosy about the part of town you stay in.Booking two months in advance,the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was￡95.95.A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was￡75.75.And at Farringdon,a double room cost just￡62.95.

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London,Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune,especially at weekends and during big events.As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen.Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings.A great example is the historic O’Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile,available for￡420 for five days in late September,with room for four adults.

GET ON A BIKE London’s‘Boris bikes’have attracted the most attention,but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace,saving you on public transport or car parking costs.

Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle(casual members pay around￡1.50 for two hours)and Cardiff(free for up to 30 minutes,or￡5 per day).　

The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may 　　　　.

“Farringdon”in Paragraph 5 is most probably 　　　　.

Cardiff’s program allows a free bike for a maximum period of 　　　　.

The main purpose of the passage is 　　　　.

The trip to that city was eye-opening for everyone, and near its end, all the young people in our group began to reflect on what it had meant. We ____  (1)  ____ the first night we had arrived. We had all gone into the markets of the city ____  (2)  ____ the young people could experience its energy. But what we actually saw simply ____  (3)  ____ us all- the run-down houses, the children in rags, the people begging for money ... Walking home, ____  (4)  ____ under a low bridge, we came across ____  (5)  ____ families of homeless people seeking a bit of dry ground to sleep on ____  (6)  ____ the night. We had to step over bodies as we found our way through the darkness.

   The poverty(贫困)was ____  (7)  ____ than anything my young companions had ever imagined. Back in the hotel, an air of sadness settled over the group. Many ____  (8)  ____ and cried. Spending time in this ____  (9)  ____ moves a person to care about humanity.

   That evening, our group spent hours talking about what we had ____  (10)  ____. Gently, I encouraged everyone to talk about the difficult ____  (11)  ____ that day's discoveries had inspired. Sitting together ____  (12)  ____ a circle as everyone had a chance to speak, we all began to realize that ____  (13)  ____ of us was alone in our struggle to cope with our reactions.

   Based on my ____  (14)  ____ in poverty-stricken areas, I suggested that ____  (15)  ____ the emotions we had were painful, they could also be important in helping us to move forward. We all ____  (16)  ____ that we had seen things that should never be allowed to happen. ____  (17)  ____, what could we do about it? Together, we began to brainstorm ways we could help to ease the ____  (18)  ____ we had seen. As I encouraged group members to focus on ____  (19)  ____ they could do, a sense of determination ____  (20)  ____ the previous sadness. Instead of despair, these young people began to feel a call to action.

For kids and many adults, a San Diego vacation means theme parks and other attractions. Before heading to a park, click or check its website for updated hours of operation; many parks have seasonal or holiday hours. Ticket prices listed here are for general admission, single-day use only.

   Sea World San Diego

   A 6-minute ride called Journey to Atlantis, which is to open in late May, tells the legend of the island nation. After the ride of Greek fishing boats, folks can visit a new exhibit of dolphins, which have not been on display at the park since 1998.

DETAILS: General admission is $ 46.95 for adults, $ 37.95 for children aged 3-9, free for children aged 2 and younger. 1-800-380-3203 or www. sea-world. com.

   San Diego Zoo

   There's not much in the way of new attactions. The zoo has a new panda cub(幼兽), Mei Sheng. Nighttime Zoo, a program popular with families, starts Jun. 26.

   DETAILS: General admission is $ 21 for adults, $14 for children aged 3-11, free for children aged 2 and younger. 1-(619)-234-3153 or www. sandiegozoo, org.

   Maritime(海洋的) Museum of San Diego

   The HMS Surprise, the 18th-century British warship featured in the film Master and Commander, is on exhibit through Nov. 30.

   DETAILS: The ship is available for tours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Admission is $ 8 for adults, $ 6 for seniors and children aged 13-17, $ 5 for kids aged 6-12, and fee for kids aged 5 and younger. 1-(619)-234-9153 or www. sdmaritime, org.

Old Town Trolley Tours

   Visiting relatives or friends in San Diego? They can get a hometown pass and ride for free with your paid admission.

   DETAILS: The main ticket booth (售货亭)is in Old Town at 4010 Twiggs St. Hours are 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. daily. $ 25．www. historictours. com/sandiego.