Question

Answer the questions.

The place is perfect, the weather is wonderful, but if you’re with the wrong person, a vacation can be a disaster!

Joe 28, a flight attendant

Last October, I went on vacation to Thailand for two weeks with my girlfriend, Mia. The vacation began well. We spent two days in Bangkok and saw the Floating Market and the Royal Palace. But things went wrong when we left Bangkok. I wanted to stay in hostels, which were basic but clean, but Mia said they were too uncomfortable. So we stayed in very expensive hotels. I wanted to experience the local atmosphere, but Mia just wanted to go shopping. I thought I knew Mia well, but you don’t know a person until you travel with him or her. It was awful! We argued about everything.

For our last four days we went to Ko Chang, a beautiful island. It was like being in paradise. The weather was beautiful and the beaches were wonderful, but we just sunbathed without speaking. We spent our last night back in Bangkok, and we met some travelers from Australia. They were really friendly, and Mia started flirting with one of the boys. That was the end.

When we arrived at O’Hare International Airport the next day, we decided to break up. I took hundreds of photos, but when I got home I didn’t show them to anyone.

Laura 26, a nurse

Last spring, my best friend Isabelle and I booked a vacation in Costa Rica（哥斯達黎加）. We rented a small house for a week with a fantastic view of the ocean. At the last minute, another friend, Linda, asked if she could come, too. We felt sorry for her because she had problems with her boyfriend, so we said yes.

Costa Rica was magical and the weather was perfect, but the vacation was a disaster for one simple reason: Linda was so cheap! She has a good job so she’s not poor, but she just didn’t want to pay for anything. When we went sightseeing, she didn’t want to go on any cruises or do any nature activities that cost money. When we went on a zipline tour, she complained that it was too expensive. When we went to have lunch or dinner, she always wanted to go to cheap restaurants or she bought a sandwich and ate it in the house. But the night I invited her and Isabelle out on my birthday, she chose the most expensive food on the menu! The worst thing was that although Isabelle and I paid for the house, Linda never once bought us a coffee or a snack.

I’d love to go back to Costa Rica one day … but without Linda!

1.Did Joe get along well with his girlfriend Mia during their vacation in Thailand?

2.What job does Joe do?

3.Instead of experiencing the local atmosphere, what did Mia want to do?

4.Who went on a vacation with Laura in Costa Rica?

5.What did Linda choose on Laura’s birthday?

6.Do you agree with the sentence “You don’t know a person until you travel with him or her”? Why or why not?

Answer 1