Is overtourism pricing locals out? – B2 English Reading Test

B2 English Reading Test

Read a text about overtourism. For questions 1 to 7, choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).

Is overtourism pricing locals out?

If you have ever tried to enjoy a picturesque old town, only to find it full of souvenir shops, short-term rentals, and restaurants with menus in five languages, you have most likely experienced overtourism. If you have ever seen graffiti reading ‘Tourists go home’, you have definitely seen how serious the issue has become. In recent years, travelling has become easier than ever. Rarely have so many people travelled so often, and as more flats are turned into holiday rentals, prices go up, making it harder and harder for locals to live in the city centre. ‘Where are all the Amsterdamers?’ I asked an underground worker during a visit to Amsterdam, a city I had lived in 20 years earlier as an exchange student, but which I now barely recognised. ‘We can’t afford to live here anymore,’ he replied.

This problem is no longer limited to one or two famous destinations like Barcelona or Amsterdam. It has become a global issue that affects many of the world’s most popular cities. Locals often say their neighbourhoods no longer feel like home, and in many cases, they are no longer home at all. Small local shops disappear, replaced by souvenir stores, fast-food chains, and holiday rentals. Ironically, people travel to experience the local atmosphere of places where the only people around are other tourists. The more popular a city becomes, the farther residents are forced to move from the centre. Authenticity and community life are replaced by soulless theme-park areas designed for visitors.

Not surprisingly, many locals have started to push back. In several popular destinations, protests against overtourism are now hard to miss. Demonstrators carry signs telling tourists to go home; they tell visitors in cafés and on beaches — or rather yell at them — to leave; balconies display banners against short-term rentals; and graffiti has appeared on walls blaming tourists for rising prices. Local governments say tourism brings jobs and money. Still, residents argue that authorities could have limited the impact of tourism and might have avoided much of the anger if they had acted earlier. Instead, in many cities, tourism was allowed to grow without limits, and by the time officials reacted, the damage had already been done. Now the debate is everywhere: how do you protect the local community without killing the industry that keeps the city alive?

Some cities have already started to act. Venice has introduced entry fees for day visitors, Barcelona has raised tourist taxes and plans to remove tourist apartment licences, Amsterdam has limited short-term rentals, and other destinations have introduced tourist taxes or visitor limits. These measures are a step in the right direction, but they rarely give locals a ticket back to the neighbourhoods they have already been forced to leave. The hope is that those who remain will not be the next to go.

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Page 1 of 7

1 According to the author, graffiti against tourism is...

A. not a pleasant view to experience.

B. an unmistakable sign of overtourism.

C. a serious offence.

D. unavoidable nowadays in tourist areas.

Page 2 of 7

2 Why does the author include the Amsterdam anecdote?

A. To compare current prices with those 20 years ago.

B. To share an interesting personal experience.

C. To provide evidence of how tourism is changing cities.

D. To suggest that Amsterdam is a popular destination.

Page 3 of 7

3 According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Residents miss the sense of community.

B. They move out because they no longer like living there.

C. They are priced out of their neighbourhoods.

D. Tourists can't have an authentic experience.

Page 4 of 7

4 What is the main idea of this paragraph?

A. Overtourism is a worldwide issue.

B. It is not a good idea to visit touristy cities.

C. Popular cities are losing their identity.

D. Residents can no longer afford to live in city centres.

Page 5 of 7

5 What title would best represent the main idea in paragraph 3?

A. Growing protests

B. Tourists are to blame

C. Banning tourism is the only way

D. Too little too late

Page 6 of 7

6 According to paragraph 3, we can infer that tourism is...

A. avoidable

B. beneficial

C. unstoppable

D. necessary

Page 7 of 7

7 According to paragraph 5, the measures taken so far are bound to fix the problem.

A. True

B. False

C. Not mentioned

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Explanation

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