Have you ever thought about going abroad to volunteer? Making a difference in a country less fortunate than your own is seen by most as a really positive thing to do. However, not everyone is in favour of this so-called “voluntourism”.
Volunteer tourism is a growing fashion. In 2015, it was estimated that 10 million volunteers helped on project abroad. These included worksbuilding houses or hospitals, teaching English in schools, teaching locals to use computers, installing water filters, looking after chidren in orphanages, and much more.
However, there’s an argument that volunteers take away jobs from locals who would have otherwise done that work. Yes, sometimes volunteers have specific knowledge which can benefit communities such as IT skills or speaking English as a native language. However, in some cases they are put to work on construction sites, for example, depriving locals of a job on that project. Additionally, many young travelers are untrained for the role. This could become a health and safety problem on construction sites or when caring for children.
I volunteered myself last year in a library and a school in Ghana. I helped to reshelve books, talked to the librarian about the running of the library and played games with children. This was an enriching experience for myself, and the librarian and teachers really valued help and ideas on what they could improve, often based on my experience of European libraries and schools. However, I’m not a qualified teacher or librarian, and I felt like the locals were far too trusting of my opinion and decisions, just because I come from a more developed country.
Finally, volunteering abroad also helps you develop as a person, and is a shining addition to a CV. I think volunteer projects are usually very valuable for communities, but often benefit the participant just as much, if not more than those they are helping.
28. The text begins with a question to ______.
A. explain a new idea.
B. point to the conclusion
C. introduce the main topic
D. show the author’s attitude
29. what can we know about volunteer tourism?
A. Volunteers may cause the locals out of job.
B. Volunteers tend to work in richer countries.
C. Volunteers working abroad have decreased in 2015.
D. Volunteers working abroad have no safety problems.
30. What can the locals’ attitude to the author in Ghana?
A. Indifferent. B. Doubtful. C. Sympathetic. D. Trustful.
31. What does the author conclude in the last paragraph?
A. Volunteers benefit a lot from volunteering abroad.
B. Volunteering abroad offers participants good jobs.
C. Volunteering contributes a lot to poor countries.
D. The quality of volunteering needs improving.