VOA标准英语2011--Women Are Fastest Growing Segment of US

Women Are Fastest Growing Segment of US Adventure Travel Industry

When you hear the words "adventure travel," perhaps you think of Venetian merchant Marco Polo, the distinguished¹ African explorer David Livingstone, or North Pole adventurer Robert Peary. Nowadays, it conjures² up images of muscular guys mushing sled dogs to victory in Alaska's Iditarod race, or tethered to bungee cords and jumping off bridges into canyons³.
MEN exploring and climbing, mushing and jumping.
But dozens of women have climbed Nepal's Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak. Others have mapped continents and commanded space flights. Two hundred or so years ago, it was a Native American woman who guided the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their journey of discovery through the Pacific Northwest.
Just last year, British ocean rower Roz Savage⁴ became the first woman to cross the Pacific Ocean alone, in a rowboat. 
In fact, women are the fastest-growing segment of America's "adventure travel" industry. Books with titles such as Gutsy Women and travel organizations like "Woodswomen" serve the swelling⁵ interest in women-only canoe trips, backpacking expeditions, and other strenuous⁶ adventures.
Women are already used to the complexities⁷ of ordinary family travel. Now, many want something more invigorating. One of the lures⁸ of adventure travel is the opportunity to share it with their daughters or granddaughters. For others, it's the chance to challenge themselves without worrying about the needs of kids or husbands or boyfriends for a change.
"There are many women who say, ‘I'm afraid I couldn't keep up,'" one female adventure traveler told the Baltimore Sun. "I love watching women get over their self-imposed limitations."
Older women already predominate on organized sightseeing tours. Now, women of all ages are getting off the bus and striding vigorously into remote, rugged⁹, and remarkable¹⁰ places.

1 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

2 conjures   

用魔术变出( conjure的第三人称单数 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现

参考例句：

• The word 'birthday' conjures up images of presents and parties. “生日”这个词使人想起礼物和聚会的情景。
• The name Sahara conjures up images of a desert of aridity. "撒哈拉"这个名字使人想起干旱的沙漠情景。

3 canyons   

n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This mountain range has many high peaks and deep canyons. 这条山脉有许多高峰和深谷。 来自辞典例句
• Do you use canyons or do we preserve them all? 是使用峡谷呢还是全封闭保存？ 来自互联网

4 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

5 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

6 strenuous   

adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的

参考例句：

• He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
• You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。

7 complexities   

复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物

参考例句：

• The complexities of life bothered him. 生活的复杂使他困惑。
• The complexities of life bothered me. 生活的杂乱事儿使我心烦。

8 lures   

吸引力，魅力（lure的复数形式）

参考例句：

• He left home because of the lures of life in the city. 他离家是由于都市生活的诱惑。
• Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an unexpected discovery that lures men down to the depths of the earth. 可能正是寻觅幽静的去处，或者找个猎奇的机会的欲望引诱着人们进入地球的深处。

9 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

10 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。