Searching for airfares often seems like a game that passengers are bound to lose.
Prices change from day to day, even minute to minute. Looking through multiple websites for the best deal can be a big challenge. Even when you do book, there’s no guarantee that you are going to get the best price.
“You just don’t know when to pull the trigger. It’s not like buying anything else I can think of,” said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.
Harriet Levy paid $179 for a recent round-trip flight on American Airlines between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sitting just one row behind her, Shirley Harrison paid $215. A few rows back, Ellis and Dianne Traub paid $317 each. There were at least 12 fares on the flight, ranging from $169 to $360.
There’s no reason for it, Harrison said.
Fares can vary significantly in just a few hours. One Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles jumped from $755 to $1,143 from a Friday to Saturday in late April, then fell to $718 on Sunday.
The flight was one of a dozen the Associated Press (美国联合通讯社)followed over three months for a vacation between July 16 and 22. The number one finding: avoid booking tickets on weekends. It’s the most expensive time to buy.
There’s no way to guarantee the best fare. But before booking, travelers should pay attention to this additional advice:
● Book on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when airlines most often offer sales.
● Buy in advance, but not too early. The best time is four to six weeks before traveling. In general, prices for any given flight are highest eight to ten weeks and two to three weeks in advance.
● Make use of social media. Airlines are giving more benefits like exclusive (独家) sales to travelers who interact (互动) with them on Twitter and Facebook. Those specials are often gone within hours.
● The so-called discount airlines – JetBlue, Air-Tran, Southwest and Frontier – adjust their fares less frequently than other airlines, so you can feel more confident that the price will stay the same. But their prices aren’t always the lowest. Researching multiple airlines’ fares is the only way to get a good deal. What can we infer from the first sentence of the text?
| A．Passengers are unable to search for airfares. |
| B．Airlines often play games with passengers. |
| C．Airfares are set in different situations. |
| D．It’s difficult for passengers to get the best price. |
The underlined phrase “pull the trigger” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.
| A．startsearching | B．getthehighestprice |
| C．makeapurchase | D．getonboardtheplane |
By using a lot of figures, the author intends to _______.
| A．show there is standard price for every single airline |
| B．discover the rules behind airfares |
| C．guarantee passengers a low price |
| D．prove airfares can vary widely |
Passengers are advised to book flights _______.
| A．in the middle of the week |
| B．on special websites |
| C．several months before traveling |
| D．with airlines which are famous for offering discount prices |
When I learned that 71-year-old mother was playing Scrabble —a word game, I knew I had to do something. My husband suggests we give her a computer to play against herself. I wasn’t sure whether my mother was ready for it. After all, it had taken 15 years to persuade her to buy an electric cooker. Even so, we packed up our old computer and delivered it to my parents’ home. And so began my mother’s adventure in the world of the computers.It also marked the beginning of an unusual teaching task for me. I’ve taught people of all ages, but I never thought I would be teaching my mother how to do anything.She has been the one teaching me all my life: to cook and sew; to enjoy the good times and put up with the bad. Now it was my turn to give something back. It wasn’t easy at the beginning. There was so much to explain and to introduce. Slowly but surely, my mother caught on, making notes in a little notebook. After a few months of Scrabble and other games, I decided it was time to introduce her to word processing. This proved to be a bigger challenge to her, so I gave her some homework. I asked her to write me a letter, using different letter types, colors and spaces. “Are you this demanding with your kindergarten pupils?” she asked.“No, of course not,” I said.”They already know how to use a computer.” My mother isn’t the only one experiencing a fast personal growth period. Thanks to the computer, my father has finally got over his phone allergy(过敏). For as long as I can remember, any time I called, my mother would answer. Dad and I have had more phone conversations in the last two months than we’ve had in the past 20 years.What does the author do?
| A．She is a cooker |
| B．She is a teacher |
| C．She is a housewife |
| D．She is a computer engineer |
The author decided to give her mother a computer _____.
| A．to let her have more chances to write letters |
| B．to support to her in doing her homework |
| C．to help her through the bad times |
| D．to make her life more enjoyable |
The author asked her mother to write her a letter _____.
| A．because her mother had stopped using the telephone |
| B．because she wanted to keep in touch with her mother |
| C．so that her mother could practice what she had learned |
| D．so that her mother could be free from the housework |
Nickname: Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size: 4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677． The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and Kailua-Kona on the west．
Temperature: Averages between 71℉and 77℉ year around （expect the mercury（水银柱） to drop at higher heights）．
Beaches: 47 Golf Courts: 20 Highest Peak: Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet．
Agriculture: The bulk of Hawaii’s farming products are grown and processed on the Big Island, including coffee, macadamia nuts and papaya．
Lodging: 9,655 rooms total; nightly rates range from $35—$5,000．
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on the west side．
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo International and Kona International Airports as well as many resorts． In addition, Hilo, Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxis．
Resources: Call （800） 648-2441 to order a video, poster, brochures and maps from the Big Island Visitors Bureau． See www．bigisland．org for updated information．
Shopping: The largest shopping centers are in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and the Kona Coast．_________ are mostly interested in reading the passage．
| A．Students | B．Businessmen | C．Tourists | D．Immigrants |
The average population per square mile on the island is about _________．
| A．28 | B．32 | C．37 | D．44 |
__________ are not mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island．
| A．Trains | B．Planes | C．Rental cars | D．Taxis |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．You can see www．bigisland．org for updated information． |
| B．You can call （800） 648-2441 to order some food． |
| C．You can find some courts to play tennis on the island． |
| D．You may pay a high price for spending one night on the island． |
Earlier, in the old days, women used to sit at home separated from the outside world. They used to manage the home and look after children. They were free of the responsibility of earning money to support the family, which was left to men.
With the coming of industrialization (工业化) and technological development, the lifestyles of human beings started to change. The needs of human beings started to grow. In this process, women slowly started to move outside the home. Women received the same education as men. Gradually, women slowly started to think independently and participated equally with men in all fields of life, including politics, sports and even military.
With changing environments, the role of women has become more important in society. To match today’s standard of living, it is necessary for both men and women to support the family.
Today, women have been given bigger roles to play in society. They are even taking more responsibility than men. At first, men disagreed with women pursuing (追求) their careers outside the home. However, with growing needs and a shortage of money, they had no other way but to accept the reality.
The financial contributions from women to their families have increased, but in some places, the home is still managed only by women as in the past. It is a challenging task for women to manage both. Women are bearing the stress and suffering mental difficulties with both managing the home and pursuing their careers.The best title for the passage would be _________.
| A．Women's Responsibility in Society | B．The Changing Social Environments |
| C．The Changing Role of Women in Society | D．Women's Financial Contributions |
Earlier in the old days, women used to do the following EXCEPT _________.
| A．wash clothes | B．prepare dinners |
| C．look after children | D．make money for the family |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ______.
| A．women don't need to manage the home today |
| B．women are taking more responsibility than before |
| C．men still disagree with women pursuing their careers |
| D．men have begun to do more housework than women |
Winston Churchill was born into a famous family．His father was a successful politician．However, as a boy, Churchill was considered a slow learner in school．Later he entered the Army and saw action in various countries．
In October 1900, Churchill began his political career．For the next sixty years Churchill’s work as a great politician was both brighter and more difficult than his father’s had been．In 1939 German attacked Poland．Churchill prepared to fight．In 1940 he became the Prime Minister of English．
France fell．The Germans fought their way through Western Europe．It looked as if Britain was about to lose the war．Was it now possible to ask for peace, and listen to Hitler?
Churchill spoke: “I have nothing to offer but blood, hard work , tears and sweat… You ask what is our policy? I will tell you, it is to fight, by sea , by land and air, with all our force and with all the strength that God can give us．You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory．”
The Germans began moving their armies to the French coast and prepared to go to war with British．The British had not enough guns to go around．Churchill gave the answer: “ We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be．We shall fight on the coast ; we shall fight on the landing grounds; we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall fight in the hills; we shall never give up．”
By his courage and hard work, Churchill heartened his people and other nations fighting together against Hitler．Victory finally came when the Germans lost World War II．
Churchill died in 1965 and was given a state funeral．This was a fitting payment to one of all the greatest men the world had ever seen．Churchill ______ before he became a politician．
| A．was a slow student | B．was an army man |
| C．helped his father in his career | D．had little interest in politics |
The Germans attacked British _______．
| A．after France was defeated | B．before France fell |
| C．soon after Poland was attacked | D．before Churchill became the Prime Minister |
The underlined word “heartened” probably means ______ in this passage．
| A．surprised | B．encouraged | C．asked for | D．called for |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Churchill had worked as a politician for more than sixty years． |
| B．The writer admired and respected Churchill very much． |
| C．Churchill was not so clever as his father． |
| D．Churchill was one of the most inspiring, brave and wise leaders in the British history． |
One day I heard that one of my dear friends had lost his mother. This made me sad, for my friend was very close to his mother. He had been by her side as she traveled through her long and hard journey with cancer. At this time, many memories about my loved ones that had passed away came flooding to me. Finally these memories passed, but it was really sad to think that my friend would have to go through the pain.
Three times I tried to write an email to my friend and three times words failed me. I am a person who is not often lost for words and I decided to have a sleep. Upon waking up I could hardly wait for my computer to work, the words I needed were there. I was still left with a heavy heart although I had sent an email.
Everything in this universe is balanced and indeed it is. Three days later, I received his reply letter. I was happy to hear that he’d been admitted to (录取) Cambridge University. It served as a gentle reminder for me that my friend would be okay and that life would go on.
Everything in life is balanced; the lowest feelings change places with the highest feelings. Without the lows, we would never appreciate the highs. No matter how dark the clouds seem to be, the sunshine is always there and just waiting for the opportunity to shine through.When the author learnt her friend had lost his mother, she ______.
| A．gave him some money | B．wrote an email to him |
| C．went to visit him | D．went for a journey with him |
What good news did the author’s friend receive?
| A．He received the author’s email. | B．He was told that life would go on. |
| C．He would go to Cambridge University. | D．His life would go back to normal again |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．The author wrote four emails to her friend. |
| B．The mother of the author’s friend died from cancer. |
| C．The author’s friend is a teacher in Cambridge University. |
| D．The author felt relaxed after sending the email. |
The author aims to tell us that ______.
| A．life is not fair to everybody | B．time waits for no man |
| C．everyone has good and bad times in life | D．where there is a will, there is a way |
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