阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在文后小题的空格里填上适当的单词或短语。注意：每空不超过3个单词。
Host family accommodation, or living with host families, remains popular among language travel students for its unique advantages. These days, host families are trying to offer more in terms of quality, for they have something to worry about.
Host family accommodation is often seen as the number-one choice for its advantages in language study, cultural communication and cost of living. Staying alongside host families enables students to get enough practice for the time of their studying so that their language acquisition is likely to become faster. Living in host families also has the advantage for students of being able to spend a lot of time communicating with their “host parents”, and get to know the local way of life, people and culture. Another advantage is that host family accommodation can sometimes be the least expensive. It attracts students for it ensures them a family of living at a low cost.
The advantages, however, have not prevented host families from worrying. On one hand, some host families are losing their unique selling point. The problem is that the majority of hosts in big cities, now generally single and young, have less time available for students, but the selling point for host family accommodation is communication practice. On the other, students’ expectations have risen. They are becoming more demanding and asking for more than ever from their accommodation, as they come mainly from high socio-economic groups in their own countries.
To get out of the difficult situation, host families are now making efforts to improve the quality of service. They are trying to m make living conditions better, including broadband Internet service, private bathroom, and access to plenty of hot water for long shower. They are also proving students with structured family activities.
It is believed that host family accommodation will keep the popularity vote language travel students.
Title: Family Accommodation
| Theme |
Host families are improving the accommodation quality |
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1）Language study |
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| 2）Cultural communication |
(1) |
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| (2) Knowing the local way of life, people and culture |
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| 3） |
Being least expensive sometimes |
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1）Loss of selling point |
Hosts’ having less time for students |
| 2） |
Students’ becoming more demanding |
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| Service quality improvement |
(1) |
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| (2) Organizing structured family activities |
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| Host family accommodation will keep the popularity vote with students. |
Atlanta was a Greek princess. She was very beautiful and could run faster than 31 man in Greece. But she was not allowed to run in the Olympic Games. She was 32 angry that she said to her father she would not marry anyone who could not run faster than her. Her father said she must marry and asked her 33 she wanted to marry a king or prince. But Atlanta replied, “I will only be married to a man who can run faster than me. When a man says he wants to marry me, I will run 34 him. If he cannot run as fast as me, he 35 (kill). No one will be pardoned.”
Many kings and princes wanted to marry Atlanta but when they heard of her rules, some of them 36 (sad) went home. Other men stayed to run the race. There was a man called Hippomenes who was amazed when he heard of Atlanta’s rules. “Why are these men so 37 (fool)? Why will they let 38 be killed because they cannot run as fast as this princess?” Then when he saw Atlanta come out of her house 39 (run), Hippomenes changed his mind. “I 40 marry Atlanta — or die!” he said.
In September, 1941, the Nazi 31（Germany） army was near St Petersburg. This was a time 32 the two countries were at war. However, before the Nazis could get to the summer palace, the Russians were only able to remove the furniture and small art objects from the Amber Room. But some of the Nazis secretly stole the Amber Room itself. In less than two days, 100,000 pieces of the room were put inside twenty-seven wooden boxes. There is no doubt 33 ____________ the boxes were then put on a train 34 ___ Konigsberg, at that time a German city on the Baltic Sea. After that, what really happened to the Amber Room 35 (remain) a mystery.
While the search for the old room continues, the 36 (Russia) and Germans have built 37 new Amber Room at the summer palace. 38 (follow) old photos, the new room has been made to look much like the old one. In 39 spring of 2003, it was ready for the people of St Petersburg 40 (celebrate) the 300th birthday of their city.
Will there always be 31 water? When you consider how necessary water is to each and every one of us and to all 32 (live) things, and when you observe how man has mismanaged other 33 (nature) resources, you may have reason to worry. Man has badly polluted his sources of water 34 Earth. And he uses more and more water each day. Can man learn to treat 35 (pollute) water for reuse fast enough 36 (keep) pace with the world’s technology and 37 (grow) population?
At the present time there is no serious shortage of water in the United States. Water, however, is not 38 able to meet all the local needs. Some areas, such as the southwestern part of our country, get less rain than 39 . In these areas, water must be brought in from 40 outside. Los Angeles, for example, must obtain its water from sources hundreds of miles away in the Colorado River and the rivers of northern California.
The Internet is an amazing information resource. Students, teachers, and researchers use it 31 an investigative tool. Journalists use it to find information for stories. Doctors use it to learn more about unfamiliar diseases and the 32 (late) medical development. Ordinary people use it for shopping, banking, bill-paying, and 33 (communication) with family and friends. People all over the world use it to connect with individuals from 34 countries and cultures.
35 , while there are many positive developments 36 (associate) with the Internet, there are also certain fears and concerns. 37concern relates to a lack of control over 38 appears on the Internet. With television and radio there are editors to check the accuracy or appropriateness of the content of programs, and with television there are restrictions 39 what kinds of programs can 40 (broadcast) and at what times of the day. With the Internet, parents cannot check a published guide to determine what is suitable for their children to see.
Alice always wanted to be a singer. Music was the 31 important thing in her life but, to tell you the 32 (true), she took lesson for years, practised every day, 33 in spite of all this, her voice didn't improve. Honestly, it didn’t get better, it just got 34 (loud).
Her teacher finally gave 35 and stopped the lessons, but Alice refused to quit, and one day she decided to give a concert and invited her former teacher to attend.
The teacher was very worried about 36 to say after the performance. She knew it 37 be terrible and it was. She didn't want to tell a lie, but she didn’t want to hurt Alice’s feelings 38 . Finally, she got an idea and went backstage to greet her former pupil.
“Well”, said Alice, “what did you think of 39 performance?”
“My dear,” said the teacher, “you’ll 40 be better than you were tonight.”