------Flight 302 to London_______ until 7:30 tomorrow morning.

-----No wonder I hear so many complaints from the passengers.

A.     has been delayed  B. delay  C. delayed  D. will be delayed

Searching for airfares often seems like a game that passengers are bound to lose.

Prices change from day to day, even minute to minute. Looking through multiple websites for the best deal can be a big challenge. Even when you do book, there’s no guarantee that you are going to get the best price.

 “You just don’t know when to pull the trigger. It’s not like buying anything else I can think of,” said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.

Harriet Levy paid $179 for a recent round-trip flight on American Airlines between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sitting just one row behind her, Shirley Harrison paid $215. A few rows back, Ellis and Dianne Traub paid $317 each. There were at least 12 fares on the flight, ranging from $169 to $360.

There’s no reason for it, Harrison said.

Fares can vary significantly in just a few hours. One Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles jumped from $755 to $1,143 from a Friday to Saturday in late April, then fell to $718 on Sunday.

The flight was one of a dozen the Associated Press (美国联合通讯社)followed over three months for a vacation between July 16 and 22. The number one finding: avoid booking tickets on weekends. It’s the most expensive time to buy.

There’s no way to guarantee the best fare. But before booking, travelers should pay attention to this additional advice:

  ● Book on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when airlines most often offer sales.

  ● Buy in advance, but not too early. The best time is four to six weeks before traveling. In general, prices for any given flight are highest eight to ten weeks and two to three weeks in advance.

  ● Make use of social media. Airlines are giving more benefits like exclusive (独家) sales to travelers who interact (互动) with them on Twitter and Facebook. Those specials are often gone within hours.

  ● The so-called discount airlines – JetBlue, Air-Tran, Southwest and Frontier – adjust their fares less frequently than other airlines, so you can feel more confident that the price will stay the same. But their prices aren’t always the lowest. Researching multiple airlines’ fares is the only way to get a good deal.

1. What can we infer from the first sentence of the text?

A. Passengers are unable to search for airfares.

B. Airlines often play games with passengers.

C. Airfares are set in different situations.

D. It’s difficult for passengers to get the best price.

2.The underlined phrase “pull the trigger” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.   

A. start searching                                  B. get the highest price   

C. make a purchase                                        D. get on board the plane

3.By using a lot of figures, the author intends to _______.

A. show there is standard price for every single airline

B. discover the rules behind airfares

C. guarantee passengers a low price

D. prove airfares can vary widely

4.Passengers are advised to book flights _______.

A. in the middle of the week

B. on special websites

C. several months before traveling

D. with airlines which are famous for offering discount prices

 

Flying across the globe, whether on business or for leisure, is usually effortless——you just have to book your ticket, pack your bags and show up at the airport with your passport. You board the plane and several cocktails and movies later, you arrive at your destination, and hopefully, your baggage does too. Here are some tips on how to be a clever traveler.
Easy check-in
Avoid the queue and check yourself in by using the MAS Web Check-In (malaysiaairlines.com) in the comfort of your own home or office. Passengers can now check in online anytime from 24 hours to 90 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time. This is available for flights departing from all MAS stations ——except Paris, Kunming, Xiamen and Bandar Seri Begawan——to all MAS destinations. You can even select preferred seats online.
Bag hygiene
No, we’re not talking about the cleanliness of your bags! It’s the aviation talk for a bag that doesn’t carry any old baggage tags with barcodes that could confuse the baggage sensor（传感器）.
If you find yourself arriving in Sydney while your bag lands in Tokyo, it could be because of your old baggage tag. Another reason why bags go missing could be the printing quality of the barcode; bags are misdirected because the sensors can’t read the codes correctly.
Less is more
Most airports around the world now set a weight limit of 32kg per piece of baggage. This will not only help protect the airline workers’ health, but also be easier for you to carry your bags around.
Avoid packing dangerous goods or placing valuables inside your check-in luggage. Ensure that locks are properly secured as a lot of baggage locks are found caught between the conveyor belts（传送带）. Smaller and softer bags are usually placed inside a tray at check-in to protect the locks from contact with the conveyor belt.
【小题1】According to the passage, airplane passengers ______.

A．can check in without going to the airport

B．have to check in 90 minutes earlier

C．are required to check in on the MAS web

D．can select their favorite seats when getting aboard

【小题2】What’s the meaning of the underlined word “hygiene” in the passage?

A．Disappearance.	B．Protection.
C．Check.	D．Cleanliness.

【小题3】Why does baggage sometimes go missing according to the passage?
a. The bags are too old and dirty.
b. The sensors can’t read the barcodes correctly.
c. The old tag is still on the bag.
d. The bags are too heavy to check.

A．a, b

B．b, c

C．c, d

D．b, d

【小题4】 Which of the following statements is TRUR about check-in baggage?

A．Each piece can weigh 30 kg at the most.

B．Smaller and softer bags should be separated from other ones.

C．Valuable things should be kept inside a tray.

D．Bags containing dangerous things can be caught on the conveyor belts.

The engine of the bus was _________，and the bad weather added to the worries of the passengers.

A. in vain          B. in good condition    C. out of work          D.out of order 

 

With April 18’s railway speedup, highway and air transport will have to compete with ______ service for passengers.

   A. good      B. better       C. best         D. the best