55．A good title for this passage would
be .
A．A Study of Gypsy Life B．Will Gypsies Survive?
C．I Decide to Become a Gypsy D．First Impression of a Gypsy Camp
E
The US
airline industry is facing a new threat to its profits-heavier passengers, a
report has found. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the average US adult put on ten pounds (4.5kg) of weight during the 1990s. Transporting the
extra weight cost airlines an extra ＄275 million in fuel costs in 2000, the report says.
Earnings at
airlines have already been under pressure due to the decreasing demand and a
record increase in the price of crude oil(原油). In the US,
a number of airlines have gone bust while others are struggling to
survive in an ever more competitive market place. While it is relatively easy
to check the weight of a traveler’s luggage and charge those that burst
limits, it is much harder to regulate a person’s waistline. Some firms have
toyed with the idea of(jokingly suggested) charging overweight travelers for
two seats, but it is not a practice that has taken off industry-wide.
Last year,
the American Federal Aviation Administration increased the average passenger
weight they use to calculate aircraft loads by ten pounds. Since then, crude
oil prices have hit record levels, with many firms responding by raising the
fuel charge they add to ticket prices.
The rising
level of obesity(过度肥胖)in the
US and in Europe has prompted government health campaigns and harsh criticism
of a number of food firms. Restaurant chain McDonald’s has taken the main force
of the attack, and has in recent months reworked its menu to include healthier
options, which has helped lift profits.
As with fast
food restaurants, timely adjustment may be the best solution presently for
American airlines. The prediction by experts, however, is that humans are set
to become bigger.