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2017下半年英語六級長篇閱讀練習題

英語六級閱讀(1.19W)

英語六級考試中閱讀所佔比重為百分之三十五，閱讀的重要性不言而喻。下面是yjbys網小編提供給大家關於英語六級長篇閱讀練習題，希望對大家的備考有所幫助。

　Section B

Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.

You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

Why Are Airlines Withholding Seats?

A. A few months ago I booked a flight for two and then went to select seats on the airline's site. Based on the destination and time of year, I was surprised to find only two adjacent seats were available without paying a premium (額外費用). But I was even more surprised a few weeks later, when we boarded the aircraft and a flight attendant announced that only 30% of seats were occupied, so we should all feel free to stretch out.

B. So how could a flight that looked nearly full a month earlier wind up with seven out of ten seats empty? That's a question only the airlines can answer, and they're not eager to provide many details.

C. Are some carriers intentionally holding back seat assignments, in the hope we'll all pay for "premium" seats?It's a fair question, and the evidence is intriguing.

Behind the screen indeed

D. An awful plot goes on behind airline and travel booking screens, and much of it is strictly off-limits to consumers. What we do know is that for decades now airlines have become masters of what the industry 　calls yield management, offering millions of combinations of fares based on advance purchase patterns and other booking trends, so nearly everyone pays a different price based on when they buy. But now that paying extra for your seat selection has become common practice, securing your reservation is just half the battle.

E. Some industry experts have connected the dots. "They're trying to get people to buy premium seats," says George Hobica, USATODAY. com's Fly Guy columnist and the founder of Airfarewatchdog. com. "They want to increase revenue. And we're getting more complaints about it. " He notes that it "really annoys" passengers who want to sit together, particularly when traveling with small children.

F. He's echoed by Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition (聯盟): "With yield management,consumers are aware and they know that airlines are constantly changing prices on seats. But if this is true, it is unethical--they're grossly misleading us. The thing that I find so offensive is conveying to me that I have no options, but if I wait a week or two then I do have options. "

G. According to the airlines, the reason for ancillary ( 附加的 ) revenue is unbundling (分類計價) ticket prices,so passengers who desire a given service--say checking a bag or ordering a soft drink--pay for it, while those who don't are spared the cost. But as Mitchell notes, "There's another twist to this. The airlines are saying fees are for 'optional services. ' Well, seats aren't optional! "

H. Of course, securing a good seat isn't an issue if you're in first class or you're an elite member of a frequent flyer program. But what about the rest of us? As I've pointed out repeatedly in recent columns, we're faced with record-high load factors, the highest for the U. S. airline industry since World War II. But even with the average percentage of occupied seats for domestic flights at 82. 7%, it's still an average--some flights will be fuller but others will not, particularly weeks in advance. Yet searching for seats keeps getting harder and harder.

Seats for sale

I. Hobica cites the major airlines as the prime culprits (起因), but he also notes even low-cost carriers can make securing seats difficult. On the flip side, he credits JetBlue and Virgin America for providing customers with clear policies. And then there is British Airways, which allows passengers in economy and business classes to select seats only 24 hours in advance. I asked an airline representative if seeing fewer free seats is a trend, and the response was: "That's going to vary because there are so many variables. "

J. I decided to check on seat availability at Delta. com. I inquired about economy-class availability for two seats on a busy route--Atlanta to Chicago--and conducted an apples-to-apples search for the same morning departure seven days in advance, and again 14 days in advance. For the flight one week out, a total of only eight seats were available, one preferred and seven standard, but only one set of two seats together. For the flight two weeks out, a total of 29 seats were available, consisting of 20 preferred and only nine standard, and still with only one set together. Remarkable how even twice the booking time still produced so few "free" seats, separately or together, yet there were plenty of seats that could be bought for the fight price.

K. I contacted Delta and a spokesman said the price for preferred economy varies "depending on a number of different factors," so customers need to compare the costs on a flight-by-flight basis. The preferred seats are reserved primarily for Medallion ( 大勳章 ) members, and become available without additional charge 24 hours prior to departure. When asked if Delta has received complaints about a dearth of free seats, he stated,"Overall, our seat program has been received very well. "

L. But my findings dovetailed ( 吻合 ) with recent complaints filed with Airfarewatchdog:(1) When (my husbanD. tried to get a seat assignment on the first flight there was just one "complimentary (免費的 ) seat"(near the back in the middle) available. . , the other available seats had to be purchased for $69. On the connecting flight there were no "complimentary seats" at all! Is this legal? He bought and paid for a ticket on these flights and now he is supposed to "buy" a seat! (2) (After) paying for the flight, a message popped up and said that I could only get a seat assignment when I checked in. In order to get a confirmed seat, I had to pay $129 extra! Unless I pay, without a confirmed seat, I am the first one to be bumped from the flight if they are overbooked. How do they get away with this? (3) Does checking in online at the 24-hour mark before the flight give me a number in line or let me select seats then? Or do we all rush the gate with our boarding passes (and no seat assignment) in order to get the seat assignment?

How to respond?

M. So what can you do? It's a tough proposition. Usually I would offer strategies for countering such airline initiatives, but in this case the options are limited. That's why some believe the U. S. Department of Transportation should investigate these practices. As Mitchell says, "The airlines are holding all the cards with this one. There is a sore need for transparency on this. When people are confused, they make bad decisions. "

N. That said, consider the following: (1) When budgeting your airfares, make sure you consider not just baggage fees but the added cost of seat selection--for all travelers and in both directions. (2) If possible, book early,when there should be more seats available, and check in early too. Why the qualifier "should"? Because if availability is artificially manipulated, it's hard to be certain. (3) Book airlines that offer more transparent seat-selection course, this is not an issue with Southwest and other carriers that offer "open seating" policies. (4) Finally, the last resort is what Hobica calls "horse trading": negotiating seat swaps with other this has become a risky and undesirable option with flights so full, overhead bins (行李倉) so crammed and fellow passengers who may have paid for premium seats in advance.

46. Behind the airline and travel booking screens, a terrible plot is being carried out, much of which is rigorously kept confidential from passengers.

47. The airlines' excuse for additional fees is unbundling ticket prices, so those who want the given service like baggage check and soft drink ordering will have to pay.

48. Whether some carriers withhold seats on purpose for earning consumers' premium is a question deserving to be cleared up.

49. Mitchell holds that there is an urgent need for transparency on carriers' seat assignments.

50. While Hobica ascribes the main responsibilities to the major airlines, he also mentions that the low-cost carders are making securing seats difficult.

51. Some believe that, in order to solve the problem of airlines' withholding seats, some actions should be taken by the U. S. Department of Transportation.

52. When people budget their airfares, they should consider both the baggage fees and the added cost of seat selection.

53. Kevin Mitchell considers the so-called yield management of the industry unethical and misleading.

54. What the spokesman of Delta says suggests that the preferred economy-class tickets are available 24 hours in advance of the plane's departure.

55. The last strategy to counter the airline's initiatives is to exchange seats with other passengers by negotiating with them.

　Section B

　　【參考譯文】

為什麼航空公司隱瞞有空位?

A.幾個月前我在一家航空公司預訂了兩個座位，然後去該航空公司的網站上選座。鑑於此次航班的目的地和出行時間，我驚奇地發現如果不支付附加費，僅剩下兩個相鄰的座位可供選擇。但是更讓我驚訝的是，幾周之後，當我們登機時，一位乘務員宣佈說，僅僅30%的座位有乘客落座，我們儘可以躺下來。

B.那麼在一個月前看起來幾乎已經客滿的航班怎麼會到最後卻有70%的座位空著呢?這個問題恐怕只有航空公司自己才能回答，然而他們並不急於給出詳細的解釋。

C.難道一些運營商故意隱瞞座位的安排情況，希望大家都為優等座位支付額外費用嗎?[48]這是一個值得研究的問題，而且其情況到底如何也很引人關注。

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