If he were alive today, Thoreau would probably frown if he heard someone refer to Walden as a travel book. But I regard it as a travel­writing masterpiece. "I went into the woods, " he writes, "because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." That's the same spirit of discovery that defines so many great contemporary travel records.

　　The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

　　Like so many people, I fell in love with Kerouac's novels in my late teens and early 20s. On the Road gets all the press, but I always love The Dharma Bums. Kerouac beautifully captures the romance of California trains, Berkeley, and backpacking in the Sierras. It's hard to read this book without wanting to leave for the mountains to brainstorm bad haikus on the trail and cook canned macaroni and cheese over a crackling campfire.

　　Confucius Lives Next Door by T．R. Reid

　　This is sort of A Year in Provence in Japan, only the cross­cultural differences are much greater. Reid and his family moved to Tokyo when he became the chief for The Washington Post, enabling him to uncover truths about the country. Among the highlights are his observations about Japanese schools, including Yodobashi No.6 Elementary School, where his daughters were greeted by the whole school staff.

　　篇章导读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要简述了作者最喜欢的几本旅行书籍，不同的书籍有不同的特点，可以为有不同兴趣爱好的读者提供意见。

　　4．Which book enables readers to experience great cross­cultural differences?

　　A．The Old Patagonian Express.

　　B．Confucius Lives Next Door.

　　C．On the Road.

　　D．Walden.

　　答案：B　细节理解题。根据文章最后一段第一句"This is sort of A Year in Provence in Japan, only the cross­cultural differences are much greater."可知，该书可以让读者体验跨国文化。故选B。

　　5．What will people feel after reading Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums?

　　A．A strong desire to follow.

　　B．A love for novels.

　　C．A wish to learn cooking.

　　D．An excitement to write poems.

　　答案：A　细节理解题。根据文章倒数第二段最后一句"It's hard to read this book without wanting to leave for the mountains to brainstorm bad haikus ..."可知，读者读完这本书就很难不想象着要前往书中描述的场景去感受一番。故选A。

　　6．Which writer based his book on a train journey from home to abroad?

　　A．T.R. Reid. B．Henry David Thoreau.

　　C．Paul Theroux. D．Jack Kerouac.

答案：C　细节理解题。根据文章第一段第二句"..., which is about a train journey Theroux made from Boston, the USA to southern Argentina, is right up there ..."可知，Paul Theroux写的书是反映他从美国到阿根廷的火车旅行的经历的。故选C。