Tourists are guilty, so we are frequently told, of a number of crimes; upsetting the ecological balance of Mount Himalayas, parking wads of chewing gum under the benches of museums and art galleries, wearing unsuitable T shirts in Notre Dame, debauching the local peasantry and generally lowering the tone of everywhere they choose to set their benighted feet. Rarely has a group of people been so widely reviled, and I am one of them. So are you. I've been a tourist in Provence for about 15 years now often on the receiving end of criticism or mild abuse from people who accuse me of having 'ruined' the region by writing about it. Curiously, these complaints, which are sometimes offensive and invariably very shrill, do not come from the Provence themselves, who seem to regard me as a fairly benevolent oddity, but from my fellow tourists. From their vantage points in London or Brussels or Boston, they deplore what they say has happened to Provence. They know, from investigations carried out during their brief annual vacations, that Provence has changed. The markets are more crowded, the prices have gone up, the restaurants are full, the sunniest cafe tables are taken, bakers run out of bread, waiters run out of patience, there is nowhere to park and nobody—but nobody—can be found to fix a leaking pool. Mass tourism in Provence started more than 2,600 years ago with the arrival of Greeks from Phocea, who founded Marseille. They were a civilizing influence and provided jobs for the locals, and could therefore be described as acceptable tourists. So were the Romans, who built the monuments and viaducts and amphitheaters that we still enjoy. Then came a bad patch, with the arrival of Visigoths, Ostrogoths and Franks. They amused themselves by terrifying the inhabitants and ravaging the countryside. Here, perhaps, is where it had its start the reputation of tourists as slobs. After many years of on-the-spot observation, I would like to put in a good word for this much-maligned species. The overwhelming majority of these visitors are amiable and considerate people who want nothing more than quiet enjoyment. They have come to Provence for sunshine and spectacular scenery, for the food and the wine, for a pleasant break from real life. Of course there are crowds, particularly in July and August, but these tend to be confined to the towns and postcard villages. For those who want solitude, beautiful and empty countryside is only a short drive away. Personally, I have never found the tourist season intolerable; indeed, there is reason to be grateful for some of its effects. If it weren't for the money that tourism brings, many of the chateaux and gardens open to the public would become derelict; monuments would be left to crumble; many restaurants could never survive on local custom alone; it wouldn't be worth putting on concerts or village fetes. Rural life would be the poorer. Obviously, this is not true everywhere. Some parts of the world have been so thoroughly overexploited that they have lost whatever charm they once possessed. This is usually the result,of local greed; but the tourist, not the rapacious developer, gets most of the blame. Directions: The passage below summarizes the main points of the passage. Read the summary and then select the best word or phrase from the box blow, according to the passage. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center. Tourists are frequently criticized (1) the ecological balance of Mount Himalayas and (2) chewing gum under the benches of museum and art galleries. They are also blamed for their (3) while visiting Notre Dame. My fellow tourists have reviled me for having destroyed Provence (4) They have made a lot of complains (5) For instance, there have been the busier markets, higher prices, (6) restaurants, cafe tables and parking lots, (7) empty bakeries and impatient waiters. Yet, Provence began (8) over 2,600 years ago. The locals welcomed Greeks (9) , and Romans (10) and viaducts and amphitheaters. But those of Visigoths, Ostrogoths and Franks brought the tourists into (11) by terrifying the inhabitants and (12) According my observation, I would like to say a few words such as (13) for those much blamed tourists. Most of them are amiable and considerate, and they came mostly to the towns and postcard villages in Provence in July and August just for sunshine, (14) , the food, the wine, a pleasant break from real life. I believe Provence has been (15) to tourism (16) the chateaux, gardens and monuments, and (17) concerts and village fetes in the districts. But usually the tourist is (18) the blame (19) and (20) in some parts of the world. (16)