《高级英语试卷》试题(六).doc_大学文库

高级英语试题(六) Explain the italicized words or expressions in the following sentences.(20%) 1. Bargaining is the order of the day, and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, selecting, pricing and doing a little preliminary bargaining 2. The machine is operated by one man, who..., and then throws his weight on to a great beam made out of a tree trunk to set the ropes and pulleys in motion and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, . and begin the really serious business of beating the price down 4. Others were using little red telephones that hung on the facades of grocery stores and tobacco she 5. The tall buildings of the martyred city flashed by as we lurched from side to side in respons to the drivers sharp twists of the wheel 6. The tall buildings of the martyred city flashed by as we lurched from side to side in response to the drivers sharp twists of the wheel 7. This"noctilucent cloud "occasionally appears when the earth is first cloaked in the evening darkness; shimmering above us with a translucent whiteness, these clouds unnatural 8. On some nights, in high northern latitudes, the sky itself offers another ghostly image that signals the loss of ecological balance now in progress 9. He flew to marry a cheap city girl from a family of ignorant flashy people 10. When a cow comes nibbling around the edge of the yard she snaps it and me and Maggie and the house 11. She jumped up from the table and went over in the corner where the churn stood, the milk in it clabber by now. 12. We are resolved to destroy hitler and every vestige of the Nazi regime 13. His invasion of Russia is no more than a prelude to an attempted invasion of the british isles 14. His gaze moved on to sweep the spacious, well-appointed room, encompassing the Duke who faced them uncertainly, his back to a window 15. The words spat forth with sudden savagery, all pretense of blandness gone 16. The TV set blinks on with the day's first newscast: a selective rundown(ordered up the night before) of all the latest worldwide events affecting the economy---legislative, political, 17. The computer might appear to be a dehumanizing factor, but the opposite is in fact true. 18. Casually he debunked revered artists and art treasures, and took unholy verbal shots at the Holy Land 19. Personal tragedy haunted his entire life, in the deaths of loved ones 20. Casually he debunked revered artists and art treasures. and took unholy verbal shots at the 第1页共13页

第 1 页共 13 页高级英语试题（六） I． Explain the italicized words or expressions in the following sentences. (20%) 1. Bargaining is the order of the day, and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, selecting, pricing and doing a little preliminary bargaining … 2. The machine is operated by one man, who…, and then throws his weight on to a great beam made out of a tree trunk to set the ropes and pulleys in motion. 3. … and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, …and begin the really serious business of beating the price down. 4. Others were using little red telephones that hung on the facades of grocery stores and tobacco shops. 5. The tall buildings of the martyred city flashed by as we lurched from side to side in response to the driver’s sharp twists of the wheel. 6. The tall buildings of the martyred city flashed by as we lurched from side to side in response to the driver’s sharp twists of the wheel. 7. This “noctilucent cloud” occasionally appears when the earth is first cloaked in the evening darkness; shimmering above us with a translucent whiteness, these clouds seem quite unnatural. 8. On some nights, in high northern latitudes, the sky itself offers another ghostly image that signals the loss of ecological balance now in progress. 9. He flew to marry a cheap city girl from a family of ignorant flashy people. 10. When a cow comes nibbling around the edge of the yard she snaps it and me and Maggie and the house. 11. She jumped up from the table and went over in the corner where the churn stood, the milk in it clabber by now. 12. We are resolved to destroy Hitler and every vestige of the Nazi regime. 13. His invasion of Russia is no more than a prelude to an attempted invasion of the British Isles. 14. His gaze moved on to sweep the spacious, well-appointed room, encompassing the Duke who faced them uncertainly, his back to a window. 15. The words spat forth with sudden savagery, all pretense of blandness gone. 16. The TV set blinks on with the day’s first newscast: a selective rundown (ordered up the night before) of all the latest worldwide events affecting the economy---legislative, political, monetary. 17. The computer might appear to be a dehumanizing factor, but the opposite is in fact true. 18. Casually he debunked revered artists and art treasures, and took unholy verbal shots at the Holy Land. 19. Personal tragedy haunted his entire life, in the deaths of loved ones… 20. Casually he debunked revered artists and art treasures, and took unholy verbal shots at the

第 5 页共 13 页 from his shadow and liberated its peoples from his yoke. Any man or state who fights 6. __________ on against Nazidom will have our aid. Any man or state who marches with Hitler is our foe. That is our policy and that is our declaration. It follows therefore which we 7. __________ shall give whatever help we can to Russia and the Russian people. We shall appeal 8. __________ all our friends and allies in every part of the world to make the same course and 9. __________ pursue , as we shall faithfully and steadfastly to the end ... 10. _________ Part IV Cloze (10%) Passage 1 Then as you penetrate deeper into the bazaar, the noise of the entrance ___1___, and you come to the ___2___ cloth-market. The earthen floor, beaten hard by countless fee, deadens the sound of footsteps, and the vaulted mud-brick walls and roof have hardly any sounds to echo. The shop-keeper speak in slow, measured tones, and the buyers, overwhelmed by the sepulchral atmosphere, follow ___3___. One of the peculiarities of the Eastern bazaar is that shopkeepers dealing ___4___ the same kind of goods do not scatter themselves over the bazaar, in order to avoid competition, but ___5____ in the same area, so that purchasers can know where to find them, and so that they can form a ___6___ guild against injustice or persecution. In the cloth-market, for instance, all the sellers of material for clothes, curtains, chair-covers and so on ___7___ the roadway on both sides, each open-fronted shop having a trestle table for display and shelves for storage. Bargaining is the ___8___ of the day, and veiled women moved at a ___9___ pace from shop to shop, selecting, pricing and doing a little preliminary bargaining before they narrow down their choice and begin the really serious business of ___10___ the price down. 1. a. grows louder b. fades away c. sinks in d. runs through 2. a. muted b. melted c. mute d. melt 3. a. up b. away c. suit d. suite 4. a. with b. in c. for d. from 5. a. trade b. exchange c. collect d. deal 6. a. close-knit b. closely-knitting c. closely-knit d. closely-net 7. a. stand b. along c. line d. run 8. a. matter b. rule c. order d. thing 9. a. leisure b. slow c. quick d. leisurely 10.a. fighting b. reducing c. cutting d. beating Passage 2 Most Americans remember Mark Twain as the father of Huck Finn’s idyllic cruise through

11 boyhood and Tom Sawyers endless summer of freedom and adventure, Indeed, this nation's best-loved author was 12 as adventurous, patriotic, romantic, and humorous as anyone has ever imagined. i found another twain as wel 13 who grew cynical, bitter, saddened by the profound personal tragedies life dealt him, a man who became 14 the frailties of the human race, who saw clearly ahead a black wall of night Tramp printer, river pilot, Confederate guerrilla, prospector, starry-eyed optimist, 15 cynic The man who became Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens and he 16 across the nation for more than a third of his life the new American experience before sharing it with the world as writer and lecturer. He 18 his pen name from the cry heard in his steamboat days, signaling two fathoms(12 feet) of water--a navigable depth. His popularity is 19 by the fact that more than a score of his books remain 20. and translations are still read around the world 11. a. external b. extended c eternal d. terminal 12. a. all the same b. of sorts c. every bit d. a little bit 13. a that C. one d. this 14. a worried about b obsessed c. afraid of d. alert to 15. a silver-tongued b acid-tongued c well-padded d sluggish-brained 16. a came C. range d. covered 17. a accepted b. digesting d digeste 18. a adapted b. applied d adjusted 19. a tested b approved c. attested d. assumed 20. a. printing b in prin c out of print V Paraphrase(20%) 1. The shop-keepers speak in slow, measured tones, and the buyers, overwhelmed by the sepulchral atmosphere, follow suit 2. It is a point of honour with the customer not to let the shopkeeper guess what it is she really likes and wants until the last moment 3. One of the most picturesque and impressive parts of the bazaar is the copper-smiths market 4. Winant said the same would be true of the u.s 5. I will unsay no word that I have spoken about it 6. The cast of characters set before him in his new profession was rich and varied---a cosmos 7. Bitterness fed on the man who had made the world laugh 8. which means we are silencing thousands of songs we have never even heard 9. As my father growled, "That s one hell of a jury! 10. He is here because ignorance and bigotry are rampant VL. Reading Comprehension(20%) Directions: There are five passages in this section. Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question 第6页共13页

第 6 页共 13 页 ___11___ boyhood and Tom Sawyer’s endless summer of freedom and adventure, Indeed, this nation’s best-loved author was ___12___ as adventurous , patriotic, romantic, and humorous as anyone has ever imagined. I found another Twain as well--- ___13___ who grew cynical, bitter, saddened by the profound personal tragedies life dealt him, a man who became ___14____ the frailties of the human race, who saw clearly ahead a black wall of night. Tramp printer, river pilot, Confederate guerrilla, prospector, starry-eyed optimist, ___15___ cynic: The man who became Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens and he ___16___ across the nation for more than a third of his life, ___17___ the new American experience before sharing it with the world as writer and lecturer. He ___18___ his pen name from the cry heard in his steamboat days, signaling two fathoms (12 feet) of water---a navigable depth. His popularity is ___19___ by the fact that more than a score of his books remain ___20___, and translations are still read around the world. 11. a. external b. extended c. eternal d. terminal 12. a. all the same b. of sorts c. every bit d. a little bit 13. a. that b. he c. one d. this 14. a. worried about b. obsessed with c. afraid of d. alert to 15. a. silver-tongued b. acid-tongued c. well-padded d. sluggish-brained 16. a. came b. moved c. ranged d. covered 17. a. accepted b. digesting c. accepting d. digested 18. a. adapted b. applied c. adopted d. adjusted 19. a. tested b. approved c. attested d. assumed 20. a. printing b. in print c. out of print d. printed V. Paraphrase (20%) 1. The shop-keepers speak in slow, measured tones, and the buyers, overwhelmed by the sepulchral atmosphere, follow suit. 2. It is a point of honour with the customer not to let the shopkeeper guess what it is she really likes and wants until the last moment. 3. One of the most picturesque and impressive parts of the bazaar is the copper-smiths’ market. 4. Winant said the same would be true of the U.S. 5. I will unsay no word that I have spoken about it. 6. The cast of characters set before him in his new profession was rich and varied --- a cosmos. 7. Bitterness fed on the man who had made the world laugh. 8. which means we are silencing thousands of songs we have never even heard 9. As my father growled, “That’s one hell of a jury!” 10. He is here because ignorance and bigotry are rampant. VI. Reading Comprehension（20%）. Directions: There are five passages in this section. Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question

P assage During the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution gained momentum. While there were mass dislocations of people, and laborers were not treated kindly, the net effect over time was to increase the demand for labor. The aged were not given special attention, except through the Poor Laws and the poorhouses and asylums developed under those laws. This same pattern carried over to America. Respectable American nineteenth and early twentieth centuries held that there was work for all who would work and personal or family charity for those who could not, includ ing the displaced aged. The fact that, periodically at least, there were conditions when labor power was in surplus, when there were more adults than the economy required, was ignored Work to the end of one's days was an economic and socially imposed standard By 1900, Simon Patten, professor of economics at the Wharton School, developed the thesis that America was entering a period when all peoples needs could be met with less and less manpower. He anticipated a time when there would be an excess of labor when working time could be drastically reduced, and when adults would amounts of leisure time at their disposal. His concern with this coming situation was focused on how to prepare people psychologically for a constructive social use of the new leisure. In many ways he was a prophet of the view that our 20th century economy would at least in relation to the production of goods During most of these centuries, the aged as a group did not play a central role in the evolution of ideas beyond those of the original biblical injunctions: work and family obligations. However, with the twentieth century the capacity of the American economy to produce more goods with less labor was matched by a major change in the demographic nature of its population. Life expectancy grew rapidly as infant mortality declined. Other improvements in health care meant that the elderly became not only more numerous but more healthy, vigorous, and able-bodied. The first policy approach to this evolution was the enactment by many states of old age pension laws and, during the depression of the 1930s, the national Social Security Act with its provision for al most universal retirement income. Public policy prov ided an income base to help the no-longer-needed older worker leave the labor force 1. By saying that the Industrial revolution gained momentum, the author means that the Industrial revolution began to slow down its pace B. began to produce undesirable results C. demanded more labor D underwent rapid development 2. Which of the following ideas was held by the Americans in the 19th and early 20th enturies? 第7页共13页

第 7 页共 13 页 Passage 1 During the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution gained momentum. While there were mass dislocations of people, and laborers were not treated kindly, the net effect over time was to increase the demand for labor. The aged were not given special attention, except through the Poor Laws and the poorhouses and asylums developed under those laws. This same pattern carried over to America. Respectable American opinion in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries held that there was work for all who would work, and personal or family charity for those who could not, including the displaced aged. The fact that, periodically at least, there were conditions when labor power was in surplus, when there were more adults than the economy required, was ignored. Work to the end of one’s days was an economic and socially imposed standard. By 1900, Simon Patten, professor of economics at the Wharton School, developed the thesis that America was entering a period when all people’s needs could be met with less and less manpower. He anticipated a time when there would be an excess of labor, when working time could be drastically reduced, and when adults would have large amounts of leisure time at their disposal. His concern with this coming situation was focused on how to prepare people psychologically for a constructive social use of the new leisure. In many ways he was a prophet of the view that our 20th century economy would be one with many “surplus ” people, at least in relation to the production of goods. During most of these centuries, the aged as a group did not play a central role in the evolution of ideas beyond those of the original biblical injunctions: work and family obligations. However, with the twentieth century the capacity of the American economy to produce more goods with less labor was matched by a major change in the demographic nature of its population. Life expectancy grew rapidly as infant mortality declined. Other improvements in health care meant that the elderly became not only more numerous but more healthy, vigorous, and able-bodied. The first policy approach to this evolution was the enactment by many states of old age pension laws and, during the Depression of the 1930s, the national Social Security Act with its provision for almost universal retirement income. Public policy provided an income base to help the no-longer-needed older worker leave the labor force. 1. By saying that “the Industrial Revolution gained momentum”, the author means that the Industrial Revolution _______. A. began to slow down its pace B. began to produce undesirable results. C. demanded more labor D. underwent rapid development 2. Which of the following ideas was held by the Americans in the 19th and early 20th centuries?

A. That the poor old people should be taken care of by their families, not the society B. That working opportunities should be provided for those who were able to work C. That laws should be made to guard against mass unemployment D That working long hours was a necessity dictated by economic and social standard 3. Simon Patten predicted that A. the twentieth century would see a leap in industrial production B the society would hardly produce enough to meet people's needs C. there would be surplus labor and increased leisure for people D unemployed people would suffer great psychological stress 4. Unlike the aged in the past centuries, the old people of the 20th century A. no longer attached importance to work and family obligations B. felt greater threat from young people in seeking employment C had a sense of loss when they were no longer needed by the society D had to deal with much leisure afforded by retirement 5. What is the best title for the passage? A. The Beginning of Surplus Labor and Leisure B. The End ing of the Industrial Revolution C. The Influence of the Industrial Revolution on the Society D Surplus Labor and Unemployment in an Advanced Country Passage 2 Our bodies are wonderfully skillful at maintaining balance. When the temperature jumps, we sweat to cool down. When our blood pressure falls, our hearts pound to compensate. As it turns out, though, our natural state is not a steady one. Researchers are finding that everything from blood pressure to brain function varies rhythmically with the cycles of the sun, the moon and seasons. And their insights are yield ing new strategies for keeping away such common killers as heart disease and cancer. Only one doctor in 20 has a good knowledge of the growing field of "chronotherapeutics", the strategic use of time(chronos)in medicine. But accord ing to a new American Medical Assoc iation poll three out of four are eager to change that. "The field is exploding, "says Michael Smolensky, Doctors used to look at us like, " What spaceship did you guys get off? "Now they 're thirsty to know more In med ical school, most doctors learn that people with chronic cond itions should take their medicine at steady rates. "It's a terrible way to treat disease, " says Dr. Richard Martin For example, asthmatics are most likely to suffer during the night. Yet most patients strive to keep a constant level of med icine in their blood day and night, whether by breathing in on an inhaler four times a day or taking a pill each morning and evening. In recent studi researchers have found that a large mid-afternoon dose of a bronchodilator can be as sage as several small doses, and better for preventing nighttime attacks If the night belongs to asthma, the dawn belongs to high blood pressure and heart 第8页共13页

第 8 页共 13 页 A. That the poor old people should be taken care of by their families, not the society. B. That working opportunities should be provided for those who were able to work. C. That laws should be made to guard against mass unemployment. D. That working long hours was a necessity dictated by economic and social standard. 3. Simon Patten predicted that____. A. the twentieth century would see a leap in industrial production. B. the society would hardly produce enough to meet people’s needs C. there would be surplus labor and increased leisure for people D. unemployed people would suffer great psychological stress 4. Unlike the aged in the past centuries, the old people of the 20th century_____. A. no longer attached importance to work and family obligations B. felt greater threat from young people in seeking employment C. had a sense of loss when they were no longer needed by the society D. had to deal with much leisure afforded by retirement 5. What is the best title for the passage? A. The Beginning of Surplus Labor and Leisure B. The Ending of the Industrial Revolution C. The Influence of the Industrial Revolution on the Society D Surplus Labor and Unemployment in an Advanced Country Passage 2 Our bodies are wonderfully skillful at maintaining balance. When the temperature jumps, we sweat to cool down. When our blood pressure falls, our hearts pound to compensate. As it turns out, though, our natural state is not a steady one. Researchers are finding that everything from blood pressure to brain function varies rhythmically with the cycles of the sun, the moon and seasons. And their insights are yielding new strategies for keeping away such common killers as heart disease and cancer. Only one doctor in 20 has a good knowledge of the growing field of “chronotherapeutics”, the strategic use of time(chronos) in medicine. But according to a new American Medical Association poll, three out of four are eager to change that. “The field is exploding,” says Michael Smolensky. Doctors used to look at us like, “What spaceship did you guys get off?” Now they’re thirsty to know more. In medical school, most doctors learn that people with chronic conditions should take their medicine at steady rates. “It’s a terrible way to treat disease,” says Dr. Richard Martin. For example, asthmatics are most likely to suffer during the night. Yet most patients strive to keep a constant level of medicine in their blood day and night, whether by breathing in on an inhaler four times a day or taking a pill each morning and evening. In recent studies, researchers have found that a large mid-afternoon dose of a bronchodilator can be as sage as several small doses, and better for preventing nighttime attacks. If the night belongs to asthma, the dawn belongs to high blood pressure and heart

disease. Heart attacks are twice as common at 9 a. m. as at 11 p. m. Part of the reason is that our blood pressure falls predictably at night, then peaks as we start to work for the d Doctors know that, says Dr. Henry Black of Chicagos med ical center, " but until now, we haven t been able to do anything about it. Most blood-pressure drugs provide 18 to 20 hours of relief. But because they ' re taken in the morning, they re least effective when most needed. "You take your pill at 7 and its working by 9, says Dr. William White of the University of Connecticut Health Center. " But by that time you're gone through the worst four hours of the day with no protection. Bedtime dosing would prevent that lapse, but it would also push blood pressure to dangerously low levels during the night 6. Accord ing to the author, it is best for asthmatics to take their med icines A at stead y rates B each morning and evening C. when the d isease occurs D. at mid-afternoon 7. Researchers are find ing that B. blood pressure and brain function are decided by cycles of the sun, the moon and seasons C. the functions of human bod ies have much to do with nature D. any change in human bodies goes systematically with changes in the environment 8. According to the passage, how do human bodies maintain balance? They adjust themselves timely in line with their physical cond itions B. People increase or lower the body temperature by sweating C. People's hearts pound to compensate when the blood pressure goes up D. Both b and c 9. Which of the following statements is not true? A Doctors know more about chronotherapeutics than before B. Doctors in the us used to be thirsty to know more about the new med ical field C. The researchers'insights are provid ing new strategies to pre revent common killer D. The strategic use of time in med icine attracts more attention in the medical circle in the Us 10. The suggested title for this passage might be A Medicine Is Everything B Treatment Is Everything C Prevention Is Everything D. Timing Is Everything P assage 3 Cooperative competition. Competitive cooperation. Confused? Airline all iances have 第9页共13页

第 9 页共 13 页 disease. Heart attacks are twice as common at 9 a.m. as at 11 p.m. Part of the reason is that our blood pressure falls predictably at night, then peaks as we start to work for the day. “Doctors know that,” says Dr. Henry Black of Chicago’s medical center, “but until now, we haven’t been able to do anything about it.” Most blood-pressure drugs provide 18 to 20 hours of relief. But because they’re taken in the morning, they’re least effective when most needed. “You take your pill at 7 and it’s working by 9,” says Dr. William White of the University of Connecticut Health Center. “But by that time you’re gone through the worst four hours of the day with no protection.” Bedtime dosing would prevent that lapse, but it would also push blood pressure to dangerously low levels during the night. 6. According to the author, it is best for asthmatics to take their medicines_____. A. at steady rates B. each morning and evening C. when the disease occurs D. at mid-afternoon 7. Researchers are finding that___________. A. heart disease and cancer are the most common killers of human beings B. blood pressure and brain function are decided by cycles of the sun, the moon and seasons C. the functions of human bodies have much to do with nature D. any change in human bodies goes systematically with changes in the environment 8. According to the passage, how do human bodies maintain balance? A. They adjust themselves timely in line with their physical conditions. B. People increase or lower the body temperature by sweating. C. People’s hearts pound to compensate when the blood pressure goes up. D. Both B and C. 9. Which of the following statements is NOT true? A. Doctors know more about chronotherapeutics than before. B. Doctors in the US used to be thirsty to know more about the new medical field. C. The researchers’ insights are providing new strategies to prevent common killers. D. The strategic use of time in medicine attracts more attention in the medical circle in the US. 10. The suggested title for this passage might be_____. A. Medicine Is Everything B. Treatment Is Everything C. Prevention Is Everything D. Timing Is Everything Passage 3 Cooperative competition. Competitive cooperation. Confused? Airline alliances have

travelers scratching their heads over what's going on in the skies. Some folks view alliances as a blessing to travelers offering seamless travel reduced fares and enhanced frequent-flyer benefits. Others see a conspiracy of big businesses, causing decreased competition, increased fares and fewer choices. Whatever your opinion, theres no escaping airline alliances: the marketing hype is unrelenting, with each of the two mega-groupings, Oneworld and Star Alliance, promoting itself as the best choice for all travelers. And, even if you turn away from their ads, chances are they will figure in any of your travel plans. By the end of the year, Oneworld and Star Alliance will between them control more than 40% of the traffic in the sky. Some pund its predict that figure will be more like 75% in 10 years But why, after years of often ferocious competition, have airlines decided to band together? Let s just say the timing is mutually convenient. North American airlines, having exhausted all means of earn ing customer loyalty at home, have been look ing for ways to reach out to foreign flyers. Asian carriers are still hurting from the region-wide economic downturn that began two years ago----just when some of the airlines were taking delivery of new aircraft. Alliances also allow carriers to cut costs and increase profits by pooling manpower resources on the ground (rather than each airline maintaining its own ground crew) and code-sharing----the practice of two partners sell ing tickets and operating only one aircraft So alliances are terrific for air lines----but are they good for the passenger? Absolutely, say the airlines think of the lounges, the joint FFP( frequent flyer program) benefits, the round-the-world fares, and the global service networks. Then there's the promise of"seamless"travel: the ability to, say, travel from Singapore to Rome to New York to Rio de Janiero, all on one ticket, without having to wait hours for connections or worry about your bags. Sounds utopian? Peter Buecking, Cathay Pacific's d irector of sales and marketing, thinks that seamless travel is still evolving. " It's fair to say that these links are only in their infancy The key to seamlessness rests in infrastructure and information sharing We re working on this. Henry Ma, spokesperson for Star Alliance in Hong Kong, making connections and planning their itineraries. Ma claims alliances also assure passengers consistent service standards Critics of alliances say the much-touted benefits to the consumer are mostly pie in the sky, that alliances are all about reducing costs for the airlines, rational izing services and unning joint marketing programs. Jeff Blyskal, associate editor of Consumer Reports magazine, says the promotional ballyhoo over alliances is much ado about nothing. " I don t see much of a gain for consumers: alliances are just a marketing gimmick. And as ar as seamless travel goes, I'll believe it when I see it. Most airlines cant even get their own connections under control. let alone coordinate with another airline Blyskal believes alliances will ultimately result in decreased flight choices and 第10页共13页

第 10 页共 13 页 travelers scratching their heads over what’s going on in the skies. Some folks view alliances as a blessing to travelers, offering seamless travel, reduced fares and enhanced frequent-flyer benefits. Others see a conspiracy of big businesses, causing decreased competition, increased fares and fewer choices. Whatever your opinion, there’s no escaping airline alliances: the marketing hype is unrelenting, with each of the two mega-groupings, Oneworld and Star Alliance, promoting itself as the best choice for all travelers. And, even if you turn away from their ads, chances are they will figure in any of your travel plans. By the end of the year, Oneworld and Star Alliance will between them control more than 40% of the traffic in the sky. Some pundits predict that figure will be more like 75% in 10 years. But why, after years of often ferocious competition, have airlines decided to band together? Let’s just say the timing is mutually convenient. North American airlines, having exhausted all means of earning customer loyalty at home, have been looking for ways to reach out to foreign flyers. Asian carriers are still hurting from the region-wide economic downturn that began two years ago----just when some of the airlines were taking delivery of new aircraft. Alliances also allow carriers to cut costs and increase profits by pooling manpower resources on the ground (rather than each airline maintaining its own ground crew) and code-sharing----the practice of two partners selling tickets and operating only one aircraft. So alliances are terrific for airlines-----but are they good for the passenger? Absolutely, say the airlines: think of the lounges, the joint FFP ( frequent flyer program) benefits, the round-the-world fares, and the global service networks. Then there’s the promise of “seamless” travel: the ability to, say, travel from Singapore to Rome to New York to Rio de Janiero, all on one ticket, without having to wait hours for connections or worry about your bags. Sounds utopian? Peter Buecking, Cathay Pacific’s director of sales and marketing, thinks that seamless travel is still evolving. “It’s fair to say that these links are only in their infancy. The key to seamlessness rests in infrastructure and information sharing. We’re working on this.” Henry Ma, spokesperson for Star Alliance in Hong Kong, lists some of the other benefits for consumers: “Global travelers have an easier time making connections and planning their itineraries.” Ma claims alliances also assure passengers consistent service standards. Critics of alliances say the much-touted benefits to the consumer are mostly pie in the sky, that alliances are all about reducing costs for the airlines, rationalizing services and running joint marketing programs. Jeff Blyskal, associate editor of Consumer Reports magazine, says the promotional ballyhoo over alliances is much ado about nothing. “ I don’t see much of a gain for consumers: alliances are just a marketing gimmick. And as far as seamless travel goes, I’ll believe it when I see it. Most airlines can’t even get their own connections under control, let alone coordinate with another airline.” Blyskal believes alliances will ultimately result in decreased flight choices and