It is the season for long lines and frayed(紧张的) nerves. Here are some ways to survive a holiday flight.
Lighten up
Do yourself a favor and ship your presents. Nearly every US airline charges a fee to check a bag, so shipping gifts is now cheaper and more convenient than carrying them in your luggage.
Weigh your options
Not knowing what you’re going to pay for your luggage is annoying. So calculate your overweight-luggage fees at home. You can find the fees out in advance by visiting new site Luggage Limits, which provides the latest information on more than 90 airlines.
Leave amateurs in the dust
Trust us and get to the airport an extra half-hour early. The check-in and security lines are filled with inexperienced files, and it’s a hard walking. Plus, if you decide to cut it close you may not get onto the flight at all. To reduce costs, airlines have reduced on flights and routes. The remaining flights are more likely to be oversold, especially on busy travel days. Fliers who check in early are the least likely to get bumped from oversold flights.
Take it public
The rates for renting a car at the airport have more than doubled over the past year because rental lot inventories have decreased dramatically(现住地). True, renting at the airport is convenient, but it’s just not worth it anymore. Unless you really need a car, take public transportation, hop a cab, or beg a friend to pick you up at the airport instead.
Say no to bumper cars
Tell the people picking you up to avoid parking their car. They can hang out in their car for free while waiting to get a call from you when you land. Many airports, including JFK and LAX now feature this sensible choice.
【小题1】How does the author think of shipping gifts?

I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz concert last Friday. The announcement in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theatre box office in Richland Hills any day between 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Since I work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the only time I could go to the theatre was during my 45-minute lunch break. Unluckily, the theatre is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round trip in 45 minutes. Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for 15 minutes waiting for a bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip. So I gave up and went back to the office.

The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. On Thursday, my luck changed. I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly 20 minutes. When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the box office. I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line, I caught the next bus and went back across the town. By Friday, I realized that my only hope was to make the trip by taxi. It was expensive, but I felt it would be worth to hear the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was relieved to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold out all the tickets.

1.The writer could go and buy the ticket __________.

A．any day before work hours

B．both before and after work hours

C．only during lunch time

D．on Saturday and Sunday

2.The writer tried to go to the theatre every day, but was only successful______.

A．twice                                 B．three times

C．four times                             D．five times

3.He failed to get the ticket on Friday because _________.

A．it was impossible to make the round trip to the theatre in 45 minutes

B．the concert wasn’t on Friday

C．it was expensive to take a taxi

D．all the tickets had been sold out

4.The word "______" can be used instead of the underlined(划线的)word "relieved".

A．nervous           B．terrified           C．pleased           D．sad

---It cost me 30 yuan to get here.

---Well, it was crazy of you to take a taxi        you would come by bus as well.

Before you leave for the airport

Ensure that you have your passports (and any necessary visas), tickets and money in your hand luggage.

If packing medicines, ensure that they are in their original packaging as this will avoid delays or prevent them from being taken away at customs.

Do not wrap presents as they may have to be unwrapped by security staff or customs. 

The Department of Health has devoted a section of their site to health advice for traveling abroad.

Getting to the airport

Always allow plenty of time to reach the airport. You should arrive there 2 hours before the take-off for international flights and one hour before the take-off for domestic flights.

If you are driving to the airport, ensure that you have booked airport parking in advance.

If you are being driven by a friend who wants to see you off, ensure that he / she knows where the short stay parking is located.

If taking a taxi, ensure that the firm you intend to use has taxis available at the time you wish to travel.

At the airport

Be aware that increased security has considerably lengthened the time it takes to go through check in and security.

Make sure you keep your baggage with you at all times and alert any member of airport staff to any unattended package.

Never look after baggage belonging to other people or carry anything onto the aircraft for someone else.

Keep a close eye on the display boards announcing which gate flights depart from.

In the air

If on a long flight, move your feet around, or get up and walk around regularly if you can.

Avoid dehydration (脱水) by drinking plenty of water or other non-alcoholic drinks.

Don’t eat too heavily before or during a long flight as this will help to avoid indigestion and hypertension (高血压).

To reduce jet lag (时差反应), have some extra sleep before the trip, get some sleep during the flight and try to make mealtimes the same as the time of meals at your destination.

1.Before leaving for the airport, you should NOT ______.

2.You should ensure that you have booked the airport parking in advance if _______.

3.When waiting for your flight at the airport, you should pay the most attention to _______.

4.During the flight you should follow the following advice EXCEPT _______.

Why did you take a taxi____you could come here by bus?

A.     while  B.unless  C.when  D.until