At sixteen, I hitch-hiked down to Cornwall in the south-west of England with a friend. We spent the holiday walking along the coastal path with a tent and a backpack, staying at campsites on the way. The weather was fantastic and the sea was beautiful. We had almost no money and lived on sandwiches and tea. One of the first things I learned was this: a fire and a mug of tea can make the world seem perfect. The second thing: spending more money does not mean having more fun. What really mattered was talking to people. I had to do lots of chatting, negotiating, discussing and questioning. Strangers could be very helpful and interesting, I discovered. They could also be dangerous, boring and stupid. It was up to me to judge them and decide – and that skill has been useful to me many times since then. I wrote it all down, but I’ve lost the notebook now, unfortunately.

B. A lesson from travelling

C. A camping disaster

2. What did Kevin and his friend use for their holiday?
A. A hotel room
B. A camper van
C. A house by the sea
D. A tent and a backpack

3. What did Kevin say about the weather and the sea?
A. The weather was fantastic and the sea was beautiful
B. The sea was rough and scary
C. It was stormy and cold
D. It rained the whole time

4. What did Kevin and his friend mostly eat?
A. Hot meals at restaurants
B. Sandwiches and tea
C. Canned soup
D. Noodles and snacks

5. What did Kevin learn about spending money?
A. Spending money makes trips more fun
B. Not spending money is boring
C. Saving money is the most important
D. More money doesn’t mean more fun

6. What happened to the notebook Kevin wrote everything in?
A. He gave it to a friend
B. He sold it
C. He lost it
D. He kept it forever