2008年雅思口语新话题解析：A long journey

　　Describe a long journey you enjoyed.
　　You should say
　　where you went
　　when and why you went there
　　what landscapes you saw
　　and explain why this was such an unforgettable trip.
　　One journey I went on that was very long indeed was my trip around Europe last summer, travelling by train.
　　I went for a whole month, going all around Europe from my home country of England east until I got to Eastern Europe, and then back in a loop to Italy. I went so I could see the rich history and culture of the continent, which was practically on my doorstep. I felt it was high time I embarked on a long trip to experience some more of the world and its people.
　　Travelling by train I kept myself occupied by looking out of the window at the landscapes as they flashed by. The countryside was mostly fields, but once I got to the Alps then it became beautiful. There were towering cliffs of rocks with fast-flowing rivers cutting between valley walls. I could even see a castle on one of the hillsides. Each city I visited brought a new style of architecture and type of person on the street. I saw medieval cottages, baroque cathedrals and shabby, modern apartment blocks. The landscape varied with each country I came to.
　　I’ll never forget this trip because it was the first time I was travelling without a home base. I went with a good friend and we spent a lot of time together. We had memorable conversations on the long train journeys about live, society, religion...all very deep stuff. I also had the chance to see some of the world’s most famous sights like the Eiffel Tower and the Dom cathedral in Cologne. It was fascinating waking up on a moving train knowing that the next stop I got off at was going to present me with a whole new country with many surprises. It was a unique experience.
　　Lexical resource 词汇
　　all around: 到处
　　in a loop: 绕一圈
　　continent: 洲
　　doorstep: 门口
　　embarked: 进行
　　occupied: 被占据
　　flashed by: 飞过
　　the Alps: 阿尔卑斯山脉
　　towering cliffs: 高耸的悬崖
　　fast-flowing rivers: 急流的河
　　hillsides: 山腰
　　style of architecture: 建筑风格
　　medieval cottages: 中世纪风格的小屋
　　baroque cathedrals: 巴洛克风格的教堂
　　home base: 本垒 大本营
　　Eiffel Tower: 柏林大教堂
　　fascinating: 迷人的
　　unique: 奇特的