The airline lost your baggage. The hotel laundry(洗衣房) ruined your favorite shirt. The taxi driver overcharged you. When you're abroad, sometimes things go wrong. Now you can do something about it! Use these tips when you want to express an effective complaint in English.
No matter how unfair the situation, it's best to phrase your complaint politely. In English, you'll sound more polite if you use indirect language. Here are some examples:
“I'm sorry to bother you...” Starting a complaint like this puts the listener who may have heard many complaints that day at ease. Use this phrase if the situation isn't that serious. For example, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted a baked potato, not fries."
“Can you help me with this?” Everyone would much rather be asked to do something than told! So try phrasing your complaint as a request for help: "Can you help me with this? My shirt came back from the laundry without buttons."
“I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” This is a polite way of saying, "Your information is wrong. Please fix it now." You'll most likely use this phrase if you made reservations(预定) for a flight, hotel or restaurant, and when you arrive, it's not what you expected. For example, "I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding. I requested a non-smoking room."
“I understand it's not your fault...” Often when you make a complaint, you deal with a person who was not directly responsible for the problem. But the problem isn't your fault, either! This phrase is helpful when you need swift action. Tell the person you're dealing with you understand they're not at fault and then directly state the problem: "I understand it's not your fault, but the airline promised they would deliver my baggage yesterday."
“Excuse me, but I understood that...” Using this phrase lets the person know you're well-informed and are suspicious they might be trying to take advantage of you. Don't say, "Hey! You're trying to cheat me!" Instead, start indirectly by stating what you know to be true: "I understood that the taxi ride to the airport was only 25 dollars." Then give them an opportunity to do the right thing.What’s the purpose of this passage?
| A．To give an introduction of life abroad. |
| B．To give suggestions on how to learn English. |
| C．To offer advice on giving complaints in English. |
| D．To offer guides to those who travel around the world. |
According to the passage, if we meet an unfair situation, we’d better .
| A．state our complaints politely |
| B．go for the police immediately |
| C．use indirect language to hurt people |
| D．fight against the one who is responsible |
Why should we start a complaint with polite phrases?
| A．Because the situation is never serious. |
| B．Because the listener may not speak English. |
| C．Because it can help solve the problem more easily. |
| D．Because we should be always in good manners abroad. |
Several effective complaints in English are mentioned above EXCEPT .
| A．“Can you help me with this?” |
| B．“I understand it’s not your fault.” |
| C．“Hey! You’re trying to cheat me!” |
| D．“I’m afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” |
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: mother’s day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(墓地). On these days，families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries(面包师), telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
| A．Parents bring up children. |
| B．Parents give love and care to children. |
| C．Parents educate children to be good persons. |
| D．Parents pass away before children grow up. |
On Father’s Day, what do people often do?
| A．They wear carnations. |
| B．They have outdoor barbecues. |
| C．They attend religious services to honor parents. |
| D．They visit the cemetery. |
What do you think “florists” do? _________.
| A．They sell flowers. |
| B．They make and sell bread. |
| C．They offer enough room for having family parties. |
| D．They sell special gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. |
NEWS BRIEF
●Prime Minister Tony Blair faced new allegations (指控) on Thursday that he misled Parliament and the public in making the case for the war in Iraq after he disclosed his chief legal adviser's written opinion raising questions about the legality (合法) of the war.
●US Forest Service officials are reminding people to stay off Forest Service roads that are closed. The fine for disobeying the rule of road closures is a maximum of $ 5, 000 fine and/or six months in prison. Those who enter the area and cause road damage may also be required to pay for repairs.
●In a second study presented at the meeting, scientists from the UK and Denmark showed that even a few days of high temperatures can severely reduce production of crops such as wheat, soybeans, rice and groundnuts, if it occurs when the plants are flowering.
●A bomb exploded in Thailand's mainly Muslin south on Sunday, killing two policemen and wounding three others, a day after Thailand' s queen condemned those behind a 15-month wave of violence (暴力).
●Mechanicsburg 3, West York l: Ken Stamper and Rusty Bowman had seven kills each, and Ryan Warfield had six to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs, 25-11, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, in a non-league match.The news brief covers ____.
| A．war, law, violence, culture and agriculture |
| B．sports, war, violence, politics and climate |
| C．politics, culture, violence, climate and sports |
| D．violence, sports, politics, law and agriculture |
From the news brief, we can learn that ____.
| A．the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats by 3-1 in a non-league match |
| B．Forest Service roads are closed for repairs before they are opened again |
| C．quite a few violent accidents happened in Thailand before the latest one |
| D．the British people think the decision made by Blair about the war is of legality |
According to the U. S. Forest Service officials, those who enter the area and damage the closed roads ____.
| A．shall have to pay a $ 5,000 fine for the repairs to them |
| B．shall be fined or put in prison, and may pay for the repairs |
| C．shall be fined $ 5,000 and kept in prison for six months |
| D．shall pay a fine and repair the roads as a punishment |
The study of the scientists from the UK and Denmark is about ____.
| A．the importance of climate and the growth of crops |
| B．the damage caused by high temperatures to some crops |
| C．the relationship between crops flowering and high temperatures |
| D．the effect of high temperatures on the production of some crops |
Eight Days from Just £ 299
Departs May October 2005
Includes:
●Return flights from 8 UK airports to Naples
●Return airport to hotel transport
●Seven nights’ accommodation at the 3 Hotel Nice
●The services of guides
●Government taxes
Join us for a wonderful holiday in one of Europe’s most wonderful comers. Long a favorite with holidaymakers—indeed the ancient Romans called the area “happy land”—this simply attractive coastline of colorful towns, splendid views and the warm Mediterranean Sea is a perfect choice for a truly memorable holiday!
Choose between the peaceful traditional village of Sant’ Agata, set on a hillside six miles from Sorrento, or the more lively and well-known international resort (旅游胜地) town of Sorrento, with wonderful views over the Bay of Naples.
Breathtaking scenery and famous sights everywhere. From the legendary Isle of Capri to the haunting ruins of Pompeii and from the unforgettable “Amalfi Drive” to the delightful resorts of Positano, Sorrento and Ravello, the area is a feast for the eyes! Should you choose to join us, we know that you will not be disappointed!
With a choice of hotels , and optional excursions(可选择的旅游路线) including Capri, Pompeii and the “Amalfi Drive” , this is a truly unmissable holiday.
·Price based on two tourists sharing a twin /double room at the Hotel Nice.
Like to know more? Then telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd on: 0845-226-7766(A11 calls charged at local rates).All the following are included in the price of £299 EXCEPT____.
| A．transport between the airport and the hotel |
| B．telephone calls made by tourists |
| C．the services of guides to tourists |
| D．double rooms for every two tourists |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To invite people to take a breath in the Bay of Naples. |
| B．To advise people to telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd. |
| C．To persuade people to tour in the area of the Mediterranean Sea. |
| D．To attract people to go to Sant’ Agata or Sorrento for sightseeing. |
The underlined part “the area is a feast for the eyes” in the passage means ____.
| A．the area is pleasing to the eye |
| B．the area is really unforgettable |
| C．the area catches the tourists’ eye |
| D．the area is crowded with ^tourists |
After reading the ad, one will probably join in the tour because ____.
| A．the sights are attractive and the tour starts in May or October |
| B．the price is low for those intending to stay at the 3 Hotel Nice |
| C．the price offered is reasonable and the sights are beautiful |
| D．good services are offered to those intending to stay in double rooms |
Walk through the Amazon rainforest today and you will find it is steamy, warm, damp and thick. But if you had been around 15, 000 years ago, during the last ice age, would it have been the same? For more than 30 years, scientists have been arguing about how rainforests like the Amazon might have reacted (反应) to the cold, dry climates of the ice ages, but until now, no one has reached a satisfying answer.
Rainforests like the Amazon are important for mopping up CO2 from the atmosphere and helping to slow global warming. Currently the trees in the Amazon take in around 500 million tons of CO2 each year: equal to the total amount of CO2 giving off in the UK each year. But how will the Amazon react to future climate change? If it gets drier, will it still survive and continue to draw down CO2? Scientists hope that they will be able to learn in advance how the rainforest will manage in the future by understanding how rainforests reacted to climate change in the past.
Unfortunately, getting into the Amazon rainforest and collecting information are very difficult. To study past climate, scientists need to look at fossilized pollen, kept in lake muds. Going back to the last ice age means drilling deep down into lake sediments (沉淀物) which requires specialized equipment and heavy machinery. There are very few roads and paths, or places to land helicopters and aero-planes. Rivers tend to the easiest way to enter the forest, but this still leaves vast areas between the rivers completely unsampled (未取样). So far, only a handful of cores have been drilled that go back to the last ice age and none of them provide enough information to prove how the Amazon rainforest reacts to climate change.The underlined phrase “mopping up” in the second paragraph means ____.
| A．cleaning up | B．taking in |
| C．wiping out | D．giving out |
How will the Amazon rainforest react to future climate change?
| A．It’ll get drier and continue to remove CO2. |
| B．It’ll remain steamy, warm, damp and thick. |
| C．It’ll get warmer and then colder and drier. |
| D．There is no exact answer up to present. |
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．It’s important to drill deep down into lake sediments to collect information. |
| B．It’s impossible to prove how climate changes in the Amazon rainforest. |
| C．It’s hard to collect information for studies of the past climate in the Amazon rainforest. |
| D．It’s necessary to have specialized equipment and machinery to study the past |
climate.The best title for this passage may probably be _____.
| A．Studies of the Amazon |
| B．Climates of the Amazon |
| C．Secrets of the Rainforests |
| D．Changes of the Rainforests |
Three months after the government stopped issuing(发放) or renewing permitsfor Internet cafes because of security (安全) concerns, some café owners are having financial(经济的) concerns of their own.
The permits were stopped suddenly three months ago by the . governmentuntil new safeguards could be put in place to prevent misuse of the information superhighway, but for cafe owners it’s a business breakdown with no fix in sight.
“I handed in a request to open up an Internet cafe and received the conditions. ” said the businessman Obeidallah. “I rented a place in the Sharafiah district at SR45, 000 and prepared the place with equipment that cost me more than SRI 00,000. When I went to the local government after finishing everything, I was surprised to find that they’d stopped issuing permits for Internet cafes. ”
Having an Internet cafe without Internet is much like having a coffee shop without coffee. "I’m avoiding closing the place, but it's been more than three months with the situation ongoing as it is,” Obeidallah said “Who will bear the losses caused by the permit issue?”
The decision took many cafe owners by surprise. “I asked to open an Internet cafe, and I was handed a list of all the things that were needed to follow through, such as a sign for the place filling out forms,” said Hassan Al-Harbi.
“I did all that was asked and rented a place . And after the Haj vacation I went to the local government and they surprised me , saying that there are new rules that forbid the issuing of any more Internet cafe permits and that one can't even renew his permit. I’ve lost more than SR80,000, "Al-Harbi added.
As for the government, officials say a method to deal with it is on the way, but security concerns come before profit (盈利).The government stopped issuing or renewing permits for Internet cafes ____
| A．to prevent misuse of new safeguards in Internet cafes. |
| B．to make cafe owners earn less profit from their business. |
| C．to stop the use of the information superhighway on Internet. |
| D．to make sure of the proper use of the information superhighway. |
The government’s decision led to the fact that many cafe owners ____.
| A．suffered heavy financial losses |
| B．asked to open up Internet cafes |
| C．continued to operate Internal cafes |
| D．asked the government for payment. |
The underlined phrase in the last paragraph “on the way” means ____.
| A．to be studied |
| B．to be put into practice. |
| C．to be changed |
| D．to be improved |
The cafe owners found the governments decision ____.
| A．surprising and unacceptable |
| B．understandable and acceptable |
| C．reasonable but surprising |
| D．surprising but acceptable |