Text Analysis -0031-Adventure Tourism

In this passage Julia and her parents are visiting the remote Kapawi jungle in Ecuador, South
America.
The family was trudging in single file through the dense undergrowth. As they sweated, they
waved sticks at buzzing flies, while trying to stay sure-footed over the thick knots and tangles of roots
below. Accompanied by an effortlessly agile local guide, they could barely breathe as the jungle,
steaming and hissing, stole their air. They stopped in a clearing and took countless photographs;
above, howler monkeys broke into outraged hoops and screams, and tropical birds higher still
splashed the canvas of the jungle with bright colours or flecked green onto patches of blue sky.
Despite the humidity and terrible discomfort, they were thrilled to have finally arrived in this
remote and extraordinary place. Only accessible by plane, Kapawi is one of the last places on Earth
where you can experience the rainforest in all its glory. The opportunity to observe the incredibly rich
biodiversity and abundance of wildlife, as well as 500 species of birds, was irresistible for Julia’s
biologist parents. Even more fascinating for Julia was the opportunity to meet the Achuar community,
who have lived in harmony with this rainforest for generations. They were one of the last indigenous
groups to remain totally isolated, until the 1970s, and continue to preserve their traditional culture.
Julia and her parents knew that the world’s rainforests are being destroyed, and conservation like
that found in Kapawi is sadly rare. The family felt privileged to experience this wonderful place and its
people.
The guide suddenly signalled to Julia’s father that they should turn back, as a slight trickle of
rain filtered its way down through the jungle canopy. They wondered why, not realising that this was
tropical rain, and dangerous. Within seconds it became a violent storm, with torrential rain beating
down, and a dark and sweltering atmosphere. The ground transformed into a wave of thick mud that
made them lose their footing, and mini-rapids formed, capable of sweeping a body away on a strong
current, down into the belly of the jungle. This was a flash flood – and in a split-second Julia felt the
sensation of being pulled from her mother’s side, sliding, crashing, and then … nothing.
Hours later, lying in deep darkness, with an injury to her head and concussion, Julia knew that
she must force herself up. All her survival training told her not to succumb to sleep. She had to find
her parents. She imagined their voices, telling her over and over again, ‘Don’t give in’. Shouting was
hopeless in this screaming jungle, and she staggered with the effort of moving. The dense foliage,
above and below, snaked, twisted and snared her at every step of her torturous journey. The angry
whirr of swarms of insects, some as large as model aircraft, orbited her constantly, ceasing only to
dive, attack and bite. There was a stream up ahead which she thought might lead to a village, but her
elation was short-lived. As she waded through dark, knee-high water, more creatures gravitated
towards her, and leeches attached themselves to her legs. Delirious with exhaustion and pain, she
curled up on the bank of the stream, and waited, hoping to be rescued.
The moment they reached a village, Julia’s parents raised a desperate alarm. The villagers,
knowing the rainforest intimately, spread out in their search for ‘the yellow-haired one’. Her decision
to stay close to the stream helped them find her, but they were horrified by her appearance: a
patchwork of deep scratches, welts and sores marked her pale skin, and her fair hair was now dark,
soaked and knotted. They encouraged her to eat, but this made her feel ill, and so she refused food.
The organisers of the family’s trip tried to persuade them to leave Kapawi and return to a
hospital in the nearest city hundreds of miles away. But as Julia’s parents watched the Achuar nurse
her back to health, they realised they had nothing to fear. These villagers know all the secrets of the
rainforest, and have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the medical uses of every tree and plant. Their
harmonious lifestyle, community spirit, and generosity were all Julia needed to recover. The family
had found what they had always been looking for.

Text 2-Many people are looking for an adventure holiday. This advertisement, taken from a
website, offers travellers the opportunity to visit the Kalahari in Namibia, Africa.
Discover the true meaning of safari as you walk with the San Bushmen deep in the arid sun-
lands of the Kalahari.
Our two-week expedition is not your average safari, it’s an experience – whether it’s being awestruck
by the staggering vastness of the landscape, that instinctive trickle of fear when you hear your first
lion roar, or simply basking in the steady heat of the African sun.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! Your adventure will begin in the rugged Erongo Mountains,
a wild and rocky landscape of steep escarpments on the southern edge of the Skeleton Coast
wilderness. This immersion phase enables you to acclimatise and learn how to move safely and easily
through the African bush. As well as learning desert survival skills, the art of tracking and protocols
for wildlife encounters, we will trek to undiscovered, ancient, bushman rock-art sites, far from the
tourist trail, that few people have ever seen.
From the Erongo Mountains we will journey into the Kalahari, to the remote Nyae Nyae flat-
lands near the border with Botswana. This area is a paradise for naturalists and photographers, with
its abundant wildlife and stunning panoramas. We will spend as little time as possible in vehicles; no
drive-through game parks, no secured observation hides and no gated lodges – only you, the people
and nature. Our guide and good friend Werner Pfeifer has a close relationship with the San Bushmen
who live here; it is their trust in him that allows us to gain an exclusive insight into their lives, which is
simply not available to others.
We have been visiting the San with Werner since 2003 and can guarantee that you will cherish
your time with these wonderful, welcoming people. You will learn from their extensive knowledge of
the bush, and become immersed in their exceptionally skilful and resourceful way of life. These tribal
people are among the last bushmen in Namibia who are permitted to hunt using traditional weapons,
and who have retained much of their specialised ancestral knowledge and hunter-gatherer culture.
This expedition is a hands-on, survival-skills training course, and you will be expected to tackle a
range of physical challenges. You will sleep in the bush, under twinkling stars or canvas tents, cook
over open fires, and experience the sunset dances and music in the company of the San people. During
this time you will learn how to prepare your own traditional hunting weapons with bone, sinew and
hide, and will receive training in expedition skills.
Camping under giant baobab trees, next to sun-scorched desert pans of powdery white sand, you
will enjoy the privilege of going hunting with the men at dawn, searching for a quarry of small
antelope, porcupines and springhares. You will relax or work on crafts during the heat of the day, and
go on tracking excursions in the late afternoon twilight as the sun is dropping, when your San
teachers will show you how to look for the spoor of elephant, hyena, lion, leopard and cheetah. Our
mission is to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to create your own independent
expedition, to feel self-reliant as you begin to master the art of bush travel. You can be confident that
your visit will support the San community and their determination to maintain their ancestral
heritage.
 Questions:
Julia, during her recovery, fully explained her experience to her parents. A reporter for a
newspaper interviews Julia’s parents and asks the following three questions. Answer
appropriately.
1: What made you choose to visit the rainforest in Ecuador with your daughter, Julia?
(6 points)
2: How did Julia’s accident happen, and what did she do to survive? (8 points)
3: What are your thoughts and feelings towards the Achuar people and their way of life?
(6 points)
4. Re-read the descriptions of: the rainforest and its wildlife in paragraph 1 (8 points) and
in search of her parents in paragraph 4, (10 points) from ‘Hours later...’.
Select words and phrases from these descriptions, and explain how the writer has created
effects by using this language to show that the rainforest is inhospitable but also thrilling
and beautiful.
5. What does the Kalahari expedition offer travelers as described in Passage B (13 points)
6. What are the challenges and potential problems faced by visitors to the rainforest, as
described in Passage A. (10 points)