I have traveled all over the world. Here is a little advice on“wise traveling”. I have learned, often the hard way, that there are a few simple rules about how to make life easier both before and after your journey. First of all, always check and double-check the departure time. It is amazing how few people really do this carefully. Once I arrived at the airport a few minutes after ten. My secretary had got the ticket for me and I thought she had said that the plane left at 10:50. I walked calmly to the departure desk, thinking I still had a little time to spare. I hadn't bothered to take a good look at the ticket. The clerk at the desk told me politely but firmly that the departure time was 10:50 and that the flight was, according to international regulations,“now closed”. I had to wait three hours for the next one and missed an important meeting.

　　The second rule is to remember that even in this age of credit cards, it is still important have at least a little of the local currency with you when you arrive in a country. This can be absolutely necessary if you are flying to a place few tourists normally visit. A few years ago I was sent to Tulsa. Oklahoma. I flew there from London via Dallas, with very little time to change planes in between. I arrived there at midnight and the bank at the airport was closed. The only way to get to my hotel was by taxi and since I had no dollars, I offered to pay in pounds instead.

　　“Listen, buddy! I only take real money!”the driver said angrily. Luckily I was able to borrow a few dollars from a clerk at the hotel, but it was very embarrassing.

　　The third and last rule is to find out as much as you can about the weather at your destination before you leave, especially if you can take only a little luggage with you. I feel sorry for some of my colleagues who travel in heavy suits and raincoat in May, when it is still fairly cool in London or Manchester, to places like Athens, Rome or Madrid, where it is already beginning to get quite warm during the day. Few people understand just how important it is to have the right sort of clothes with you in these days of rapid air travel.

(1)According to the passage, it is obvious that ______.

[　　]

A．the writer has learned these rules of traveling from his own experience

B．the writer is a careless man

C．Englishmen like to be in heavy suits wherever they travel

D．the American driver never travels to England

(2)Before setting off you should check and double check ______ times.

[　　]

(3)The writer wants people to ______.

[　　]

A．live a happier life

B．give him some rules about“wise traveling”

C．pay enough attention to the weather conditions when they travel

D．stay at home avoiding the trouble during the journey

---Has Tom finished his composition yet?

　 ---I have no idea, he _____ it this morning.

Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love. There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage. I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart. My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs.
　　I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy. My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business.
　　Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
　　                                                                                                                                                  Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart. Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story. The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year.
　　Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages. Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed. Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees. And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers.
　　Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence. You are sure to win the conversation. The divorce is likely to be more argued.
Economist
68. What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?
A. His wife refuses to shop at Walmart.
B. They are faced with a divorce.
C. They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart.
D. They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart. 
69. Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________.
A. it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages
B. consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart
C. Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy
D. Walmart’s business increases global trade
70. What can be inferred from the reply letter?
A. Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job.
B. Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees.
C. Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers.
D. Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart.

---Has Tom finished his job yet?

　 ---I have no idea of it; he _____ it this morning.