CouchSurfing – a different kind of travel experience
by Emma Jackson
I love travelling abroad, but two years ago I didn’t have much cash to spend on my holiday. At first, I was planning to go camping again, but then a friend suggested an alternative: CouchSurfing. I had no idea what that was, so she explained. ‘CouchSurfers’ are people who stay as guests in other people’s homes for free, and visit the sights in the local area. You can do the things that most tourists do, like sunbathing on the beach or sightseeing in the town centre. Or your host could give you a language lesson, teach you how to cook local delicacies, or take you to places that visitors never find. It sounded much more fun than my other holidays, so I joined the website and sent emails to about twenty hosts in France and Spain right away.
A few days later, I already had ten replies. After a week or two of emails, I made arrangements with four hosts in three different cities. I’m quite talkative and they seemed very friendly, so I wasn’t concerned about spending time with strangers. Two weeks later, I was arriving in Paris, and meeting my first host, Claudette.
Over the next ten days, I stayed in four very different homes, improved my foreign languages, and made some great new friends. Sometimes the places where I stayed were basic – a sofa to sleep on, or even just a floor, but sometimes they were luxurious – much nicer than the hostels that I usually go to. I think it was probably the cheapest and most interesting holiday I’ve ever had!
I’ve done CouchSurfing again twice since then: in Italy, and here in the UK. I’ll definitely do it again. In fact, I’m going on a trip to South America next year. And I’ve had five visitors at my place, including Claudette. I’ve discovered that hosting is as much fun as exploring a new place. CouchSurfing is a fantastic experience. Try it some time!
Example: Emma started CouchSurfing because she wanted to save money.
A True ✔ B False C Not given
1 It was her first holiday in another country.
A True B False C Not given
2 Emma’s friend was a regular couch surfer.
A True B False C Not given
3 ‘CouchSurfers’ can spend time with the homeowners.
A True B False C Not given
4 Half of the people who Emma emailed didn’t reply.
A True B False C Not given
5 Two of the people she visited lived in the same city.
A True B False C Not given
6 Emma went on holiday about a month after joining the website.
A True B False C Not given
7 Emma is quite shy.
A True B False C Not given
8 Emma had a nice bed to sleep in at all the places where she stayed.
A True B False C Not given
9 Emma has now had three Couch Surfing holidays.
A True B False C Not given
10 Claudette was Emma’s favourite host.
A True B False C Not given
CouchSurfing – a different kind of travel experience by Emma Jackson I love travelling abroad, but two years ago I didn’t have much cash to spend on
By Savannah
CouchSurfing – a different kind of travel experience
by Emma Jackson
I love travelling abroad, but two years ago I didn’t have much cash to spend on my holiday. At first, I was planning to go camping again, but then a friend suggested an alternative: CouchSurfing. I had no idea what that was, so she explained. ‘CouchSurfers’ are people who stay as guests in other people’s homes for free, and visit the sights in the local area. You can do the things that most tourists do, like sunbathing on the beach or sightseeing in the town centre. Or your host could give you a language lesson, teach you how to cook local delicacies, or take you to places that visitors never find. It sounded much more fun than my other holidays, so I joined the website and sent emails to about twenty hosts in France and Spain right away. A few days later, I already had ten replies. After a week or two of emails, I made arrangements with four hosts in three different cities. I’m quite talkative and they seemed very friendly, so I wasn’t concerned about spending time with strangers. Two weeks later, I was arriving in Paris, and meeting my first host, Claudette. Over the next ten days, I stayed in four very different homes, improved my foreign languages, and made some great new friends. Sometimes the places where I stayed were basic – a sofa to sleep on, or even just a floor, but sometimes they were luxurious – much nicer than the hostels that I usually go to. I think it was probably the cheapest and most interesting holiday I’ve ever had! I’ve done CouchSurfing again twice since then: in Italy, and here in the UK. I’ll definitely do it again. In fact, I’m going on a trip to South America next year. And I’ve had five visitors at my place, including Claudette. I’ve discovered that hosting is as much fun as exploring a new place. CouchSurfing is a fantastic experience. Try it some time!
Tạm dịch :
Tôi thích đi du lịch nước ngoài, nhưng hai năm trước, tôi không có nhiều tiền mặt để chi tiêu cho kỳ nghỉ của mình. Lúc đầu, tôi định đi cắm trại một lần nữa, nhưng sau đó một người bạn gợi ý một giải pháp thay thế: CouchSurfing. Tôi không biết đó là gì, vì vậy cô ấy giải thích. ‘CouchSurfers’ là những người ở lại với tư cách là khách tại nhà của người khác miễn phí và tham quan các thắng cảnh trong khu vực địa phương. Bạn có thể làm những điều mà hầu hết khách du lịch thường làm, như tắm nắng trên bãi biển hoặc ngắm cảnh ở trung tâm thị trấn. Hoặc chủ nhà của bạn có thể cho bạn một buổi học ngôn ngữ, dạy bạn cách nấu các món ngon địa phương hoặc đưa bạn đến những nơi mà du khách không bao giờ tìm thấy. Nghe có vẻ vui hơn nhiều so với những ngày nghỉ khác của tôi, vì vậy tôi đã tham gia trang web và gửi email cho khoảng 20 người dẫn chương trình ở Pháp và Tây Ban Nha ngay lập tức. Vài ngày sau, tôi đã có mười câu trả lời. Sau một hoặc hai tuần gửi email, tôi đã sắp xếp với bốn người dẫn chương trình ở ba thành phố khác nhau. Tôi là người khá nói và họ có vẻ rất thân thiện, vì vậy tôi không lo lắng về việc dành thời gian cho người lạ. Hai tuần sau, tôi đến Paris và gặp người chủ trì đầu tiên của tôi, Claudette. Trong mười ngày tiếp theo, tôi ở bốn ngôi nhà rất khác nhau, cải thiện ngoại ngữ của mình và có thêm một số người bạn mới tuyệt vời. Đôi khi những nơi tôi ở là cơ bản – một chiếc ghế sofa để ngủ, hoặc thậm chí chỉ là một tầng, nhưng đôi khi chúng sang trọng – đẹp hơn nhiều so với những ký túc xá mà tôi thường đến. Tôi nghĩ đó có lẽ là kỳ nghỉ rẻ nhất và thú vị nhất mà tôi từng có! Tôi đã thực hiện CouchSurfing một lần nữa kể từ đó hai lần: ở Ý và ở đây ở Anh. Tôi chắc chắn sẽ làm lại. Trên thực tế, tôi sẽ có một chuyến đi đến Nam Mỹ vào năm tới. Và tôi đã có năm khách đến thăm tại chỗ của tôi, bao gồm cả Claudette. Tôi phát hiện ra rằng việc lưu trữ cũng thú vị như khám phá một địa điểm mới. CouchSurfing là một trải nghiệm tuyệt vời. Hãy thử nó một thời gian!
Example: Emma started CouchSurfing because she wanted to save money.
A True ✔ B False C Not given
1 It was her first holiday in another country.
A True B False C Not given
2 Emma’s friend was a regular couch surfer.
A True B False C Not given
3 ‘CouchSurfers’ can spend time with the homeowners.
A True B False C Not given
4 Half of the people who Emma emailed didn’t reply.
A True B False C Not given
5 Two of the people she visited lived in the same city.
A True B False C Not given
6 Emma went on holiday about a month after joining the website.
A True B False C Not given
7 Emma is quite shy
. A True B False C Not given
8 Emma had a nice bed to sleep in at all the places where she stayed.
A True B False C Not given
9 Emma has now had three Couch Surfing holidays.
A True B False C Not given
10 Claudette was Emma’s favourite host.
A True B False C Not given
→
1.B
2.C
3.A
4.C
5.A
6.A
7.B
8.B
9.A
10.C