No budget for your vacation? Try home exchanges ---- swapping houses with strangers. Agree to use each other’s cars, and you can save dollars on car rentals (租赁费), too.

Home exchanges are not new. At least one group, Intervac, has been facilitating such an arrangement since 1953. But trading online is gaining popularity these days, with several sites in operation, including Home Exchanges. Founded in 1992, with some 28,000 listings, this company bills itself as the world’s largest home exchange club, reporting that membership has increased 30% this year.

The annual fee is usually less than US$100. Members can access thousands of listings for apartments, villas, suburban homes and farms around the world. Initial contact is made via e-mail, with subsequent communication usually by phone. Before a match is made, potential swappers tend to discuss a lot.

However, the concept may sound risky to some people. What about theft? Damage? These are reasonable causes for concern, but equally unlikely. As one swapper puts it, “Nobody is going to fly across the ocean or drive 600 miles to come steal your TV. Besides, at the same time they’re staying in your home, you are staying in their home.”

Exchange sites recommend that swappers discuss such matters ahead of time. They may fill out an agreement spelling out who shoulders which responsibilities if a problem arises. It does not matter if the agreement would hold up in court, but it does give the exchangers a little satisfaction.

Generally, the biggest complaint among home exchangers has to do with different standards of cleanliness. Swappers are supposed to make sure their home is in order before they depart, but one person’s idea of “clean” may be more forgiving than another’s. Some owners say if they come back to a less-than-sparkling kitchen, it may be inconvenient but would not sour them on future exchanges.

1.What is the second paragraph mainly about? 

A．How to exchange homes.

B．The biggest home exchange agency Intervac.

C．The fact that home exchanges are not new.

D．A contrast between Intervac and Home Exchanges.

2.How do home exchangers normally begin their communication?

A．By phone.            B．Via a matchmaker.

C． By e-mail.  D．Via a face-to-face meeting.

3.What is recommended in the passage to deal with the concerns about theft and damage?

A．One can file a lawsuit in court.

B．Both parties can trade online.

C．One can damage the home of the other party in return.

D．Both parties can sign an agreement beforehand. 

B
About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn’t want to carry too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk to put a hundred- dollar bill in the safe for me.
The next morning, however, the clerk said he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof that I had given the man the money. There was nothing I could do but go to the nearest lawyer.
The lawyer advised me to return to the hotel with him and give another hundred-dollar bill to the clerk. This I did. An hour later, I went back to the desk and asked for my money. Since I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the second hundred-dollar bill, the clerk could not say he knew nothing about it.
Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer’s plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel. I asked for the hundred-dollar bill once again, and when the clerk insisted he had already given it to me, I denied（否认）it. The lawyer said to him, “I saw this gentleman give you a hundred dollars. If you don’t hand it over immediately, I’ll be forced to call the police.”
The clerk realized he had been tricked, so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough for getting my money back,” I said to the lawyer. And what you suppose he answered?
He said, “Oh, don’t thank me. That will be a hundred dollars, please.”
60. The man went to a Detroit hotel one day to___________.
A. get his money back                    B. put a hundred-dollar bill in the safe
C. ask to be a desk clerk             D. stay for the night
61. The hotel clerk at last returned the first hundred-dollar bill to the man because _________.
A. he knew the lawyer’s plan very well  
B. he found the lawyer tricking him
C. he didn’t want to get into trouble with the police  
D. he wanted to give the man a surprise
62. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The man didn’t get his 200 dollars back.
B. The lawyer was happy that the man got both his bills back.
C. The lawyer asked for 100 dollars.
D. The man thanked the lawyer by paying him some money.
63．The man was _______.
A. wise             B. foolish          C. happy           D. sad

 B

About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn’t want to carry too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk to put a hundred- dollar bill in the safe for me.

 The next morning, however, the clerk said he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof that I had given the man the money. There was nothing I could do but go to the nearest lawyer.

  The lawyer advised me to return to the hotel with him and give another hundred-dollar bill to the clerk. This I did. An hour later, I went back to the desk and asked for my money. Since I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the second hundred-dollar bill, the clerk could not say he knew nothing about it.

Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer’s plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel. I asked for the hundred-dollar bill once again, and when the clerk insisted he had already given it to me, I denied（否认）it. The lawyer said to him, “I saw this gentleman give you a hundred dollars. If you don’t hand it over immediately, I’ll be forced to call the police.”

 The clerk realized he had been tricked, so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.

 “I don’t know how to thank you enough for getting my money back,” I said to the lawyer. And what you suppose he answered?

  He said, “Oh, don’t thank me. That will be a hundred dollars, please.”

60. The man went to a Detroit hotel one day to___________.

A. get his money back                      B. put a hundred-dollar bill in the safe

C. ask to be a desk clerk             D. stay for the night

61. The hotel clerk at last returned the first hundred-dollar bill to the man because _________.

A. he knew the lawyer’s plan very well  

B. he found the lawyer tricking him

C. he didn’t want to get into trouble with the police  

D. he wanted to give the man a surprise

62. Which of the following statements is true?

A. The man didn’t get his 200 dollars back.

B. The lawyer was happy that the man got both his bills back.

C. The lawyer asked for 100 dollars.

D. The man thanked the lawyer by paying him some money.

63．The man was _______.

A. wise             B. foolish          C. happy           D. sad