题目内容
Last year was the year of the travel deal, with resorts and
airlines practically begging for bookings, and many travelers
finding bargain airfares and hotel rooms as a result.Now the
economy looks as if it might be on a slight rebound.So now is
the perfect time to review your booking strategy(策略).
Here are 4 simple steps you can take to help cut your travel costs in 2010.
1.Find the Cheapest Dates to Fly
ITASoftware.com, which provides the technological backbone for many airfare shopping sites, allows users to scan an entire month's fares for the least expensive rate.(Log in as a "guest" and click on "month-long search.") In January, the 28th and 30th were the cheapest dates to fly nonstop to London from New York ($536) for a week's vacation, according to a recent search.The next best was Saturday, Jan.23, at $640.To book the ticket, users must go to another site.Kayak.com has a flexible-dates option (registration is required)and a calendar that shows the best fares found by other Kayak users in the last 48 hours.Bing Travel, the Microsoft search engine, offers a similar option, found under "plan trips," about halfway down the page.
2.Consider Nearby Airports
A recent Web search showed nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Miami International from $299 round trip on American in early January.But flying into Fort Lauderdale, roughly 30 miles north of Miami, was $219 on Virgin America, an $80 saving.
3.Go Against the Grain
If possible, avoid popular travel dates like holidays and spring break because airlines have begun to charge anywhere from $10 to $30 extra at those times.Farecompare.com offers a handy breakdown of the new fees by date, airline and amount.Early-morning and late-night flights may also be cheaper depending on the route.
4.Make Yourself at Home
For a 6 to 12 percent booking fee, AirBnB/com connects budget travelers with locals who are offering a place to bed down.The Times's Frugal Traveler, Matt Gross, described it as "a cross between CouchSurfing.com and the vacation rentals section of Craigslist." There were more than 2,000 listings in a recent search for New York including a futon (床垫) in a one-bedroom near Gramercy Park ($65) and a bedroom with private bath and separate entrance in Hell's Kitchen ($150).
65.According to the first paragraph, ____.
A.the economy in 2010 is surely getting better
B.2009 saw a sharp decrease in travel fees
C.the booking strategies can be put away in 2010
D.in 2009, airlines begged the travelers to buy more travel guides
66.If you want to book a ticket, you may log on to _____.
A.ITASoftware.com B.CouchSurfing.com
C.AirBnB.com D.Kayak.com
67.What does "Go Against the Grain" probably mean in the passage?
A.Going travelling in the off-season.
B.Going travelling without taking any grain.
C.Going travelling during holidays and spring break.
D.Going travelling without meals served on early-morning and late-night flights.
68.The passage is most probably taken from ____.
A.a book review B.a magazine
C.a website D.a story book
【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】A
【小题4】C
解析
As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have. It is likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven. Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need. You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week.
Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for. Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the long hours work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes. Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting is one of them.
Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year. One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs (郊区), leaving their two children with a nanny (保姆). Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by.
Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. “I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. It’s taken some getting used to, but it has been worthy of. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays. However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier.”
Liz, however, is not quite sure. “I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours. I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all.”
【小题1】What do the first two paragraphs tell us?
A.People seldom work long hours to make money. |
B.People hardly buy more things than necessary. |
C.People are sure everything they own is in the right place. |
D.People realize there is more to life than just making money. |
A.lived in central London | B.disliked his job |
C.missed his children | D.was well paid |
A.was easy to organize | B.has improved family life |
C.was extremely expensive | D.has been a total success |
A.Child-caring. | B.Liz’s advice. | C.Downshifting. | D.Liz’s job. |
Catherine Destivelle is a rock star. She loves rock, but she can’t sing or play the guitar! She is a rock climber and a big star in France and Italy. She is the most famous woman climber in the world because she often climbs without ropes. She climbs in many countries but most often in the French Alps near Chamonix, where she lives. She started climbing near her home in Paris when she was five. Then, at fourteen, she joined the French Alpine Club to learn more, but immediately she climbed better and more quickly than the older members of the club. She won her first competition in Italy in 1995.
Three years ago she found a new route up the Dru Mountain near Chamonix. The climb took eleven days and for four days the snow was so heavy that she could not move. Last year other climbers tried to follow the new Destivelle Route, but they failed. They are going to try again this year.
People always ask her about her climbing. She says, “I climb because I’m in love with mountains. I like touching the rock and reading the face of the rock. I like it a lot. I felt at home on the side of a mountain. I prepare well before I go, so I’m never worried.”
Catherine chooses new mountains from books—like buying from a shopping catalogue(目录)! “I see a nice mountain and I go to climb it!” Her next mountain is in Pakistan. She is going there next month. “It’s much bigger than the Dru, so it’s going to take longer to climb. An American climber, Jeff Lowe, is coming with me to help.”
【小题1】Catherine Destivelle is called ‘a star’ because ________.
A.she won a competition in 1995 | B.she loves rocks |
C.she’s a famous woman climber | D.she found a new route up to the Dru Mountain |
A.she lost her way | B.the climb took 11 days |
C.she needed help from an American climber | D.there was heavy snow |
A.independent | B.easy and happy | C.energetic and challenged | D.nervous |
A.Why do you like climbing? | B.Are you in love with an American climber? |
C.Do you enjoy reading books on mountains? | D.What do you do before you go climbing? |