U.S. airlines are seeing a major interruption because of hundreds of flights canceled due to the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano, but European flight companies will face the biggest losses.
The airline business has been tough: The decline dramatically slowed traffic; February heavy snow forced U.S. airlines to cancel thousands of flights; and now the ashes from the volcano stopped all traffic in and out of northern Europe for days.
"For U.S. flight companies, it'll be a relatively short-term hit," said Michael Boyd, president of Boyd Group International, an aviation (航空学) consulting firm. "We think right now they're down about $80 million in terms of lost income, and they're down domestically about 80,000 passengers that would have been flying domestically but aren't because they can't get here."
Delta announced that volcano-related interruption grounded about 400 flights until Monday at a cost of $20 million in lost revenues. But compare that to the recent snowstorms, when the airline canceled 7,000 flights and lost $65 million in revenue.
The disruption has created uncertainty for customers, but analysts say U.S. airlines won't face as many costs as you might think. They are not flying in extra planes to handle the passengers in trouble because, airline analyst Robert Mann said, companies simply don't have them.
"Airlines run a very lean operation now," Mann said. "So, since there are no spare aircraft or crews, the airlines will attempt to maximize loads on every one of their aircraft that do fly. But it may take days, or in some cases a week or so, to get some of these customers to where they want to go."
1. Which negative consequences mentioned in the passage did the disasters cause?
A. coldness, pollution and airlines’ losses
B. airport damage, pollution and slow traffic
C. passenger delay, coldness and airport damage
D. passenger delay, airlines’ losses and slow traffic
2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. The fewest airplanes will fly the trapped passengers to their destinations.
B. All the customers are sure to be sent to their destinations in time.
C. The U.S. and U.K. airlines suffered the same losses in the natural disasters.
D. The volcano eruption reduced the traffic to and from northern Europe.
3. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
A. the troubles that the airlines will face after the ash cloud disappears
B. the measures that the
airlines will take to maximize their profit
C. the present situation of the airlines and their plan to deliver the passengers
D. the reasons why the airlines run a fine operation
4. Why will it take a long time for airlines to send the passengers to their different destinations?
A. Because the passengers enjoy staying in airports to talk with one another.
B. Because the airlines don’t have spare planes or employees to serve.
C. Because the airlines don't have enough financial support after the disaster.
D. Because the passengers are asking for full refund from the airlines.
5. The passage is most probably from_______.
A．a novel B．a news report C．a magazine D．a thesis
Climate change is making it harder than usual for scientists to figure out what the future will bring and what impact weather changes will have on society and the economy. An upsurge of severe weather events has already destroyed homes, businesses and lives. Some fairly simple changes may reduce the toll.
In a laboratory test, a house built with conventional techniques is falling apart in hurricane-force winds.
The survivor has stronger shingles, thicker roof boards, and metal straps holding floors together.
Wind tunnel tests were done by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. It says stronger construction costs a little more, but holds up much better to extreme weather.
The growing number of unusually strong storms, like Typhoon Haiyan, has convinced the Chairman of the U. S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, Tom Carper, that extreme weather is the “new norm（标准）.”
"Extreme weather events have increased in frequency over the past 50 years and are expected to become even more common, more intense, and more costly," said Carper.
Hurricane Sandy hit beachfront businesses along the U.S. East Coast, including Carper's home state. Insurance companies had to pay out huge claims. To limit such losses, the insurance industry can raise premiums（保险费） for businesses in vulnerable（易受攻击的）locations and offer discounts to clients who make their buildings more resilient with upgraded construction techniques.
Managing risks is the job of insurance brokers like Kevin Connelly of the Graham Company, who spoke to VOA via Skype.
“We are either going to price your insurance at a huge markup, or we are not going to write (sell it) it at all, which is just as bad obviously," said Connelly.
Drought is another suspected consequence of climate change, and dry ground means more wildfires in California. Current mathematical models of climate change do a poor job of predicting the economic impact of drought and other weather events, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Robert Pindyck, who spoke via Skype.
“I think all we can do, taking all of that into account, is come up with some very rough numbers, very rough estimates, "said Pindyck. "Consensus estimates that maybe experts provide, that give us a view of what would the catastrophic outcome look like if we don’t do anything?”
To help deal with this serious problem, Pindyck says policymakers should take actions such as imposing a tax on carbon dioxide emissions. A carbon tax would encourage companies and families to use less energy and generate fewer of the gases thought to be driving changes in the climate. But other analysts say it is unlikely a new tax will get approval in the U.S. Congress any time soon. What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．There are many severe weather events destroying homes, businesses and lives. |
| B．Stronger construction will save the expense in the long run. |
| C．Government should be totally responsible for the weather change. |
| D．Typhoon Haiyan hit Tom Carper's home state. |
What natural disasters are not mentioned in the passage?
| A．Drought | B．Hurricanes | C．earthquakes | D．wildfires |
In a laboratory test , what kind of houses can stay up?
| A．a house built with conventional techniques |
| B．A house with stronger shingles |
| C．A house with thinner roof boards |
| D．a house with metal floors . |
What won’t insurance companies do to limit such losses?
| A．pay out huge claims |
| B．raise premiums（保险费） for businesses in vulnerable（易受攻击的）locations |
| C．offer discounts to clients who make their buildings more resilient with upgraded construction techniques. |
| D．price insurance at a huge markup |
What is the attitude of other analysts towards the new tax on carbon dioxide emissions?
| A．supportive | B．doubtful | C．indifferent | D．positive |
Tony Hawken, 57, is divorcing his wife Xiu Li, 51, Britain’s wealthiest woman entrepreneur（企业家）, because he says he doesn’t like being rich and is ‘not in the habit’ of spending lots of money.
The pair traded up their semi-detached home in South Norwood, London, and bought a £1.5million house in Surrey.
Li, who is now worth $1.2billion (£700million) according to Forbes, quickly settled into a life which included sipping a £900 bottle of wine on a luxurious yacht.
However, Mr Hawken says he felt more comfortable getting lunch in his local Wetherspoon’s.
Despite his sudden wealth he continued to buy books from charity shops, and shunned dear clothes.
In an interview withThe Times, he said: ‘I think it made me uncomfortable because I’m not in the habit, I don’t like spending lots of money — I’ve been brought up that way.
‘Until recently I was never a wealthy person. I’ve been moderately comfortable because I have been careful with my money.’
Now the couple have decided to part, Mr Hawken will walk away with just £1million, but says it will be enough for him.
He added: ‘I have got a settlement which is not great, but it’s enough for me because I don’t have an extravagant lifestyle. I won’t have to work if I’m careful.’
On a recent trip to China, Mr Hawken said his wife took him on a yacht and treated him to a £900 bottle of wine, but he prefers his local Wetherspoon pub.
‘I’m getting a little pay when you consider her potential wealth, but I don’t really want to fight it.’
Mr Hawken met Li on a blind date while he was still a teacher and she was studying English.
The couple married, but as Li’s business took off the couple spent more and more time apart. Mr Hawken says the couple have spent most of the relationship apart.
Far from driving them apart, Mr Hawken believes the distance kept them together, and says they would have divorced a long time ago if they were under the same roof.
Mr Hawken says his only regret is not getting a divorce sooner, but he didn’t push for it over fears it would affect the couple’s teenage son William, now 17.
Mr Hawken no longer teaches full-time, but instead gives free tuition to under-privileged children.Tony Hawken is divorcing his wife Xiu Li because________.
| A．he doesn’t affect his son. |
| B．they spent less and less time together. |
| C．he is no longer a teacher. |
| D．he isn’t used to spending a lot of money. |
what does the underlined word “shunned”mean in the fourth paragraph？
| A．enjoy | B．prefer | C．avoid | D．expect |
From the passage， we inferred that ________.
| A．Tony Hawken gave up teaching, because of his sudden wealth. |
| B．Tony Hawken wanted to divorce sooner. |
| C．Tony Hawken lived a rich life. |
| D．Tony Hawken didn’t care about his son. |
From the passage，we know that Xiu Li________.
| A．doesn’t like Mr Hawken. |
| B．is richest woman in China. |
| C．is wealthiest woman entrepreneur in Britain. |
| D．is studying English now. |
which of the following statements is true according to the passage？
| A．Mr Hawken wants to get a lot of money by divorcing |
| B．When Mr Hawken dated Xiu Li，she was an English teacher. |
| C．Mr Hawken believes it was the distance that kept them apart. |
| D．As many passed, Mr Hawken still kept his own lifestyle. |
More than 50 people have responded to an advertise for "one of the most relaxing jobs on the market" - a bathtub TESTER.
Bathstore is seeking a Bathroom Executive Officer (BEO) to test their range of products.
It is sure to give the perfect candidate a stress-free life and possibly some pruned fingers and toes.
And 12 month contract role pays a yearly salary of ￡6,000, plus bathroom installation worth ￡6and products worth ￡4,000 to trial.
For those expecting an easy life, this job isn't all about splashing around in the suds or playing with a rubber duck.
The successful applicant will be responsible for providing written reports and analysis on the overall bathing experience.
However, all that boring stuff can be done from the comfort of your own home.
That's because Bathstore will regularly install their new baths into the BEO's home "ensuring that this is one job that can be taken lying down".
Before you apply, make sure you meet the criteria, which is to be laid back, relaxed and bubbly!
Bathstore's chief marketing officer Claire Bayliss said: "We are dedicated to making dream bathrooms easy, from design to installation, and this appointment demonstrates our commitment to deliver quality products and expert advice.
"We've already received some great applicants for the BEO position and will be looking to produce a short-list in the upcoming weeks.
"We're really looking forward to filling the role and won't rest until we find the right candidate".
Other possible best jobs in the world range from a chief funster to a taste master. what is the advantage of the job for the perfect candicate?
| A．He will lead a stress-free life. |
| B．He can have their fingers and toes washed. |
| C．He can do the job at home. |
| D．He can do the job comfortably. |
How much money will the successful candidate earn per year?
| A．more than￡6,000 | B．no more than￡4,000 |
| C．less than ￡6,000 | D．as much as ￡4,000 |
What should the successful applicant do for the job?
| A．deliver quality products and expert advice. |
| B．write reports and analyse the overall bathing experience. |
| C．install the new baths into their homes. |
| D．advertise the new baths according to their experience. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The job is not as relaxing as the advertisement says. |
| B．No people have applied for the job. |
| C．The company will have a rest until we find the right candidate |
| D．Claire Bayliss is in charge of designing and installing the bathtub. |
What is true according to Claire Bayliss?
| A．Before you apply, make sure you meet the criteria . |
| B．They have found the right candidate. |
| C．Expert will give them advice on how to design the bathtub. |
| D．They are committed to delivering products of high quality. |
The events of Saturday night in Kunming are deeply engraved in the mind of Xie Qiming, who narrowly escaped death in the terrorist attack at the city's railway station.
The 48-year-old policeman intervened to stop the butchering of unarmed civilians, saving many from death and injury, but he was injured in the process.
Lying in a hospital bed, his head and nose marked by serious hacking wounds - one more than 20 centimeters long - Xie recounted（详细叙述） his actions on the day he describes as a nightmare.
"I shot at them but fell to the ground during the fighting. After the shots, the terrorists turned their attention to the police and several of them surrounded me and stabbed me like crazy," he said. "There is no humanity in them."
Xie is from the Beijinglu Police Station, the closest to the attack, and four police officers from the station were the first to respond. He survived because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, which was damaged by the attackers.
When the officers arrived, the attackers were running out of the ticket hall, attacking people with long knives.
Xie and his colleagues tried to stop the attack, which is when Xie was injured. In addition to the deep cuts, his skull was fractured, and at the time of writing he was awaiting further surgery.
"A wave of fierce anger rose up in my mind, and we all forgot to think about the possible danger to us," said Hu Zhe, 23, a police officer trainee at the Beijinglu Police Station.
Having no firearm, he fought the terrorists with a wooden baton, but it got broken in the fighting. He sustained a 6-centimeter wound to his left eyebrow.
Wan Weiqing, a neurosurgeon from Beijing Tiantan Hospital, learned of the attack at 2 am on Sunday and took the first flight to Kunming, where he has been helping the victims.
He said that 71 victims are being treated at the Kunming First People's Hospital, most of them with severe multiple injuries.
"There is one victim whose rib, breastbone, lung and even heart were all injured in one chopping action. The attackers had obviously prepared and practiced for a long time," he said.
Zhou Hongmei, director of the Medical Reform Office at the Yunnan Health Department, said a team of medical experts including 29 doctors had arrived in Kunming by Monday night. They have been working at the five hospitals treating victims of the attack.
Chen Min, a Neurology Department nurse at Kunming First People's Hospital, said the department usually had seven nurses in the daytime and three at night. "But all the other nurses who were not on duty returned to the hospital voluntarily on Saturday night," she said.
In the past three days, none of them had more than 10 hours of rest.
"The crucial factor in saving lives in such incidents is treatment without delay," said Chai Wenzhao, associate director of the Intensive Care Unit in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Chai has participated in many emergency rescue efforts.
He said that the victims will need psychological counseling once their physical injuries have been dealt with, because the emotional impact of such an incident can be severe.
Four psychologists from Anding Hospital in Beijing have begun treating some of the victims.When did the terrorist attack happen?
| A．on Saturday afternoon | B．on Sunday night |
| C．Three days before the report came out. | D．Just before the report was written. |
Which of the following is true about Xie Qiming?
| A．He was the first to arrive at the scene. |
| B．He was waiting for surgery when the report was writing. |
| C．He was slightly wounded. |
| D．He tried to stop the attack all by himself. |
What does the underlined word “engraved” mean in the passage?
| A．feared | B．disapointed | C．attacked | D．impressed |
How did Xie Qiming survive?
| A．He was saved by his colleagues. |
| B．He missed the shot and fell to the ground during the fighting. |
| C．He was protected by his bulletproof vest. |
| D．He pretended to fall to the ground. |
What can we learn from Zhou Hongmei,?
| A．the victims will need psychological treatment, because the emotional impact of such an incident can be severe. |
| B．Victims of the attack have been treated by .a team of medical experts. |
| C．Treatment without delay should be given to save lives in such incidents . |
| D．The attackers had obviously prepared and practiced for a long time, |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Survivors recount nightmare |
| B．Many people was injured in the attack |
| C．A terrorist attack happned in Kunming. |
| D．Police stopped the terrorist attack. |
Three “Great Walls” built around the United States’ Tornado Alley could reduce tornadoes from destroying billions of dollars in property and endangering millions of lives, a physicist has claimed.
Professor Rongjia Tao of Temple University, Philadelphia unveiled a proposal this week calling for the construction of three 1,000-foot barriers up to 100 miles long, which would act like hill ranges and soften winds before tornadoes could form, the BBC reports.
The $16.9 billion plan would call for the faux hill ranges in North Dakota, along the border between Kansas and Oklahoma, and in Texas and Louisiana, ostensibly saving billions of dollars in damage every year, Tao said. The walls would not shelter towns, he said, but instead would soften the streams of hot southern and cold northern air that form tornadoes when they clash in the first place.
But critics laughed at Tao’s proposals. Leading tornado experts pointed to areas that are already protected by hill ranges the size of the barriers Tao is proposing, yet still have plenty of tornados, like parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. And even if the plan did work, it would create more problems than it would solve, scientists said, by creating catastrophic weather side effects.
“Everybody I know is of 100% agreement – this is a poorly conceived idea,” Professor Joshua Wurman of the Center for Severe Weather Research. “From what I can gather his concept of how tornadoes form is fundamentally flawed（有缺陷的）. Meteorologists（气象学家） cringe（尴尬） when they hear about ‘clashing（交锋） hot and cold air’. It’s a lot more complicated than that.”What does the underlined word “unveiled”mean in the fourth paragraph？
| A．reminded | B．came up with | C．referred | D．applied |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．The different opinions on the proposal that the walls will reduce the loss caused by tornadoes. |
| B．How to solve the problems that are caused by tornadoes. |
| C．The proposal mentioned in the paragragh is totally wrong. |
| D．The proposal to reduce tornadoes is effective. |
From the passage, we can infer that__________.
| A．the tornadoes form by clashing（交锋） hot and cold air. |
| B．if the walls are built, they will work well. |
| C．if the plan is carried out, we will have more problems than expected. |
| D．The walls not only soften the winds but also shelter the towns. |
Which of following statements is true according to the passage？
| A．Leading tornado experts think that would soften the streams of hot southern and cold northern air that form tornadoes. |
| B．Professor Joshua Wurman pointed out that the plan will be expensive. |
| C．Professor Rongjia Tao is against the construction of walls to prevent the tornadoes. |
| D．the plan will not be carried out because it will creating serious weather side effects. |