VII. Đọc đoạn văn và trả lời câu hỏi:                                                                                                                                                                                   Ecotourism: See the World While Saving It

Imagine a vacation in a place of amazing natural beauty. Picture yourself relaxing on a clean beach in Belize. Picture yourself exploring the desert on a camel in Dubai. Or picture yourself following lions and zebras in Kenya. Now imagine that you are enjoying these experiences and helping to preserve the environment. You are protecting wildlife and supporting local communities. Is this too good to be true? No! These vacations are part of a growing trend in the travel industry. The trend is called ecotourism.

Ecotourism was not common before the 1990s. It is now a multi-billion dollar industry. But what is ecotourism? These are some of its characteristics:

•   It means travel to natural, often far away, places. These are often protected areas where development is limited.

•   Ecotourism destinations focus on recycling, water conservation, and using renewable energy sources.

•   It builds environmental awareness. Visitors explore an area and learn about it.

•   It provides an economic reason to save the environment. It raises money to help protect it.

•   It creates financial opportunities and jobs for the local people.

Costa Rica was one of the first success stories. Costa Rica once had the highest rate of deforestation in Latin America. However, since ecotourism, there has been a major reduction in deforestation. Now, more than a quarter of Costa Rica’s land is protected from development. Costa Rica is now the world’s top ecotourism destination. This small country of four million people has about 1.5 million visitors per year!

Ecotourism is very important to preserving the land in Costa Rica. This is true for other ecotourism sites around the world. Ecotourism provides visitors with a special vacation too. These vacations are unforgettable and educational. Ecotourism is basically a win-win situation. It is good for both the tourists and the countries they visit.

1.    What is the passage mainly about?

a. The rise of ecotourism in Costa Rica.

b. Ecotourism and its positive effects.

c. The impact of ecotourism on the environment.

d. How to develop ecotourism.

2.    What is not the purpose of ecotourism?

a. To conserve the natural environment.

b. To promote the environmental awareness of visitors.

c. To attract more tourists to protected natural areas.

d. To provide financial benefits for local communities.

3.    Which of the following statements is not true about Costa Rica?

a. Costa Rica was very successful in embracing ecotourism.

b. Costa Rica experienced the world’s highest deforestation rate.

c. Costa Rica is a small country with a population of 4 million.

d. Costa Rica is known worldwide as a top spot for ecological tourism.

4.    What is the meaning of “a win-win situation”?

a. A situation in which everyone benefits.

b. A situation in which there is no chance of success.

c. A situation in which something unpleasant could happen.

d. A situation in which people achieve success after a lot of difficulty.

5. When did ecotourism become popular ?

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6. What is the population of Costa Rica?

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