专业英语八级7_真题(含答案与解析)-交互

专业英语八级7
(总分77, 做题时间120分钟)
PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION (35 MIN)
SECTION A MINI-LECTURE
Directions: In this section you sill hear a mini-lecture. You. will hear the lecture ONCE ONLY. While listening, take notes on the important points. Your notes will not be marked, but
Just as (1)________is famous for the tango, so American is well-known for jazz, a typical American invention. Unlike traditional music, which is restricted to European traditions, jazz music is
(2)________and free-formed. Jazz is interesting, so is its
(3)________. The music was invented by Negroes, who were taken away from West Africa and sold as slaves to the plantation owners in the South of the country. Their work was hard and their life was short. When one died, the friends and relatives would attend the
(4)________. On the occasion, a music band often accompanied a march to the cemetery. On the way to the cemetery, slow, solemn music was played, but on the way back home (5)________music was preferred. The music made everyone want to dance. This was the early form of jazz. There were also other musical (6)________that influenced the formation of jazz. One was the musical (7)________in West Africa, from where these Negroes were taken away to America. The other was the (8)________music, which always describes something sad—an unhappy love affair, a money problem, bad luck. Still the third was the liberated blacks'' (9)________to create a new music form that was fast, happy and set a (10)________rhythm to express their new-found freedom after the American Civil War.
SSS_FILL
1.
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答案:Argentina
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2.
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答案:natural/ spontaneous/ uninhibited/ unrestricted
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3.
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SSS_FILL
4.
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SSS_FILL
5.
该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 0.1答案:happy/ fast/ exciting
SSS_FILL
6.
该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 0.1答案:factors/ forms
SSS_FILL
7.
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SSS_FILL
8.
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SSS_FILL
9.
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答案:desire/want/necessity/need
SSS_FILL
10.
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答案:fast /quick
SECTION B INTERVIEW
Directions: In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Questions 1 to 5 are based on an interview. At the end of the interview you
will be given 10 seconds to ans
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
11.
Mr. Bristow would like to deal with the matter now because________.
A **es to interrupt him
B Keith has made serious mistakes
C he may not have time till late
D he would have to work in a factory
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答案:C
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
12.
Keith''s suspicion of embezzlement is based on the fact that________.
A the Works Manager has made a mistake
B Holder and Bragg has acted dishonestly
C the Purchasing Manager has made a mistake
D more spare parts than needed have been used
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答案:D
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13.
________, Mr. Cross wouldn''t have been suspected of embezzlement.
A If he hadn''t been on sick leave
B If he hadn''t continued making excessive orders
C If he hadn''t been Mr. Lawton''s brother-in-law
D If he hadn''t been spotted by Mr. Lawton
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答案:B
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14.
Mr. Lawton suspects that________.
A Cross and Lawton have collided in a swindle
B Keith does not possess any evidence
C Cross is purposely on sick leave
D Keith is telling a lie
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答案:A
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15.
Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
A Cross may be severely punished.
B Cross'' illness justifies his misconduct.
C Cross and Lawton work part-time for Holder and Bragg.
D Cross and Hammond have conspired against Mr. Bristow.
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答案:A
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
Directions: In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. At the end of each news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
16.
Which of the following records was the second best time of the year by Dbnovan Bailey?
A 9.98.
B 9.80.
C 9.91.
D 9.95.
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答案:A
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
17.
The record shows that Bailey was
A still suffering from an injury.
B getting back in shape.
C unable to compete with Greene.
D less confident than before.
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答案:B
18.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A expand and improve the existing subway system.
B build underground malls and parking lots.
C prevent further land subsidence.
D promote advanced technology.
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答案:B
PART II GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN)
Directions: There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Choose the best answer to each question.
19.
Which of the following is NOT a romantic poet?
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A William Wordsworth.
B George Elliot.
C George G. Byron.
D Percy B. Shelley.
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答案:B
20.
The novel For Whom the Bell Tolls is written by______.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A Scott Fitzgerald.
B William Faulkner.
C Eugene O''Neill.
D Ernest Hemingway.
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答案:D
21.
U. S. presidents normally serve a(n)________term.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A two-year
B four-year
C six-year
D eight-year
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答案:B
22.
________is the capital city of Canada.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A Vancouver
B Ottawa
C Montreal
D York
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答案:B
23.
The distinction between parole and langue was made by______.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A Halliday.
B Chomsky.
C Bloomfield.
D Saussure.
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答案:D
24.
William Sidney Porter known as O. Henry, is most famous for_______.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A his poems.
B his plays.
C his short stories.
D his novels.
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答案:C
25.
The novel Emma is written by_______.
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A Mary Shelley.
B Charlotte Bronte.
C Elizabeth C. Gaskell.
D Jane Austen.
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答案:D
26.
Which of the following is NOT a distinctive feature of human language?
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A Arbitrariness.
B Productivity.
C Cultural transmission.
D Finiteness.
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答案:D
27.
Who were the natives of Australia before the arrival of the British settlers?
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A The Aborigines.
B The Maori.
C The Indians.
D The Eskimos.
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答案:A
28.
Syntax is the study of_______.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
A language functions.
B sentence structures.
C textual organization.
D word formation.
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答案:B
PART III READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)
Directions: In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choic
"Twenty years ago, Blackpool turned its back on the sea and tried to make itself into an entertainment center,"says Robin Wood, a local official. "Now the thinking is that we should try to refocus on the sea and make Blackpool a family destination again." To say that Blackpool neglected the sea is to put it mildly. In 1976 the European Community, as it then was called, instructed member nations to make
their beaches conform to certain minimum standards of cleanliness within ten years. Britain, rather **plying, took the novel strategy of contending that many of its most popular beaches were not swimming beaches at all. Because of Britain''s climate the sea-bathing season is short, and most people don''t go in above their knees anyway -- and hence can''t really be said to be swimming. By averaging out the number of people actually swimming across 365 days of the year, the government was able to persuade itself, if no one else, that Britain had hardly any real swimming beaches.
As one environmentalist put it to me: "You had the ludicrous situation in which Luxembourg had more listed public bathing beaches than the whole of the United Kingdom. It was preposterous."
Meanwhile, Blackpool continued to discharge raw sewage straight into the sea. Finally, after much pressure from both environmental groups and the European Union, the local water authority built a new waste-treatment facility for the whole of Blackpool and **munities. The facility came online in June 1996. For the first time since the industrial revolution Blackpool''s waters are safe to swim in.
That done, the town is now turning its attention to making the seafront more visually attractive. The promenade, once a rather elegant place to stroll, had become increasingly tatty and neglected. "It was built in Victorian times and needed a thorough overhaul anyway," says Wood, "so we decided to make aesthetic improvements at the same time, to try to draw people back to it. Blackpool recently spent about $1.4 million building new kiosks for vendors and improving seating around the Central Pier and plans to spend a
further $15 million on various amenity projects.
The most striking thing about Blackpool these **pared with 20 years ago is how empty its beaches are. When the tide is out, Blackpool''s beaches are a vast plain of beckoning sand. They look spacious enough to **fortably the entire populace of northern England. Ken Welsby remembers days when, as he puts it, "you
couldn''t lay down a handkerchief on this beach, it was that crowded."
**es from Preston, 20 miles down the road, and has been visiting Blackpool all his life. Now retired, he **e for the day with his wife, Kitty, and their three young grandchildren, who were gravely absorbed in building a sandcastle. "Two hundred thousand people
they''d have on this beach sometimes,"Welsby said. "You can''t imagine it now, can you?"
Indeed I could not. Though it was a bright sunny day in the middle of summer, I counted just 13 people scattered along a half mile or so of open sand. Except for those rare times when hot weather and a public holiday coincide, it is like this nearly always now.
"You can''t imagine how exciting it was to come here for the day when we were young." Kitty said, "Even from Preston, it was a big treat. Now children don''t want the beach. They want arcade games and rides in helicopters and goodness knows what else." She stared out over the glittery water. "We''ll never see those days again. It''s sad really."
"But your grandchildren seem to be enjoying it," I pointed out. "For the moment , "Ken said. "For the moment."
Afterward I went for a long walk along the empty beach, then went back to the town center and treated myself to a large portion of
fish-and-chips wrapped in paper. The way they cook it in Blackpool,
it isn''t so much a meal as an invitation to a heart attack, but it was delicious. Far out over the sea the sun was setting with such splendor that I would almost have sworn I could hear the water kiss where it touched.
Behind me the lights of Blackpool Tower were just twinkling on, and the streets were beginning to fill with happy evening throngs. In the purply light of dusk the town looked peaceful and happy ― enchanting even ― and there was an engaging air of expectancy, of fun about to happen. Somewhat to my surprise, I realized that this place was beginning to grow on me.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
29.
At the beginning, the passage seems to suggest that Blackpool
A will continue to remain as an entertainment center.
B complied with EC''s standards of cleanliness.
C had no swimming beaches all along.
D is planning to revive its former attraction.
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答案:D
本题为归纳推理题。

文章开头部分援引当地一官员所言，即二十年前
Blackpool漠视大海(资源)，试图把该城镇建成一个娱乐中心，而现在的想法
是应该重新关注大海，把城镇建成一个适合居住的地方。

从后文来看，作者讲大海如何受到污染，以致对海边浴场造成不良影响。

当地政府已意识这一问题，并采取一系列措施来恢复海滩的魅力。

可见，Blackpool不再会是一个娱
乐中心。

以前曾有过供游泳的海滩。

故可排除A和 C，而确定D。

从英国狡辩
说自己没有供游泳的海滩一事可知Blackpool并没有遵守欧共体的规定，故可排除B。

SSS_SINGLE_SEL
30.
We can learn from the passage that Blackpool used to
A have as many beaches as Luxemburg.
B have seriously polluted drinking water.
C boast some imposing seafront sights.
D attract few domestic holiday makers.
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答案:C
本题为细节归纳题。

文中没有A所传达的信息，只是暗示英国应该比卢森堡有更多的可供游泳的海滩。

Blackpool的饮水遭到严重污染是后来的事，故B不对。

从第4段前几句可以知道Blackpool的海边以前确实有些景点，故C是正确的。

从第5段Welsy的一席话中可知，Blackpool海滩曾经人流涌动，故D
不对。

18．A．本题为细节理解题。

依据第5段第1句可知。

从第5段起作者都在谈论Blackpool海滩一片空旷的情景。

SSS_SINGLE_SEL
31.
What Blackpool''s beaches strike visitors most is their
A emptiness.
B cleanliness.
C modernity.
D monotony.
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答案:A
本题为细节理解题。

依据第5段第1句可知。

从第5段起作者都在谈论Blackpool海滩一片空旷的情景。

<1>turn one''s back on sth．漠视，轻视，不理
<2>a family destination全家的落脚点
<3>To say that Biackpool neglected the sea is to put it mildly．这里的两个不定式结构构成一个隐含的条件句。

这句话的意思是说：如果说Blackpoo1只是忽视了大海，那还是说轻了。

<4>Britain，rather **plying，took the novel strategy of contending．．．这里rather than表示instead of。

全句的意思为：英国不是去遵守(那些标准)，而是采用了一种新的策略，那就是辩解……
<5>That done，the town is now turning its attention to making the seafront more visually attractive．That done为名词性独立主格结构，相当于一个时间状语从句after that has been done，．．．。

全句可译为：(那样做)之后，镇里现在开始转移注意力，要使得海岸在视觉上更吸引人一些。

<6>a thorough overhaul彻底的翻修
<7>amenity projects设施工程
<8>．．．there was an engaging air of expectancy，of fun about to happen．有一股十分诱人的气息，让人充满期待，预感快乐即将来临。

<9>grow on使……产生好感
When former President Ronald Reagan fell and broke his hip at the age of 89, he joined a group of more than 350, 000 elderly Americans
who fracture their hips each year. Suffering from advanced
Alzheimer''s disease, Reagan was in one of the highest-risk groups
for this type of accident. The incidence of hip fractures not only increases after age 50, but doubles every five to six years as the risk of falling increases. Slipping and tumbling are not the only causes of hip fractures; weakened bones sometimes break spontaneously. But falling is the major cause, representing 90% of
all hip fractures.
These injuries are not to be taken lightly. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, only 25% of those who suffer hip fractures ever fully recover; as many as 20% will die within 12 months. Even when patients do recover, nearly half will need a cane or a walker to get around.
When it comes to hip fractures, the most dangerous place for elderly Americans, it turns out, is their homes; nearly 60% of these dangerous spills will occur in or around the patient''s domicile. This isn''t all bad news, however, because a few modifications could prevent a lot of accidents.
The first thing to do is to get rid of those throw rugs that line hallways and entrances. They often fold over or bunch up, turning them into booby traps for anyone shuffling down the hall.
Entering and leaving the house is a particularly high-risk activity, which is why some experts suggest removing any doorsills higher than 1/2 in. If the steps are bare wood, you can increase traction by applying non-slip treads.
Because many seniors suffer from poor balance (whether from neurological deficits or from the inner-ear problems that increase naturally with aging), it also helps to install grab bars and handrails in bathrooms and along hallways.
The bedroom is another major hazard area that can be made much safer with a few adjustments. Avoid satin sheets **forters, and opt for non-slip material like wool or cotton. Easy access to devices is important, so place a lamp, telephone and flashlight near the bed within arm''s reach. Make sure the pathway between the bedroom and bathroom is completely clear, and install a night-light along the route for those emergency late-night trips.
It''s a good idea to rearrange the furniture throughout the house, so that the paths between rooms are free of obstructions. Also, make sure telephone and appliance cords aren''t strung **mon walkways, where they can be tripped over.
In addition to these physical precautions, there the health precautions every aging body should take. Physical and eye examinations, with special attention to cardiac and blood-pressure problems, should be performed annually to rule out serious medical
conditions. Blood pressure that''s too low or an irregular heartbeat can put you at risk for fainting and falling. Don''t forget to take calcium and vitamin D, two critical factors in developing strong bones. Finally, enrolling in an exercise programme at your local gym can improve agility, strength, balance and coordination—all important skills that can keep you on your feet and off the floor.
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32.
The following are all specific measures to guard against injuries with the EXCEPTION of _______.
A removal of throw rugs.
B easy access to devices.
C installation of grab bars.
D re-arrangement of furniture.
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答案:D
A)、B)、C)都是具体的措施；D)是概括性的说法。

重新摆放家具包括项目很多，比如把用具放到随手可以拿到的地方也是其中之一。

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33.
In which paragraph does the author state his purpose of writing?
A The third paragraph.
B The first paragraph.
C The last paragraph.
D The last but one paragraph.
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答案:A
短文第三段中...a few modifications could prevent a lot of accidents．一句话是作为后边几段开始介绍避免伤害的措施的引言，也是一个总述。

从第三段到最后一段都是在讲如何采取措施有效地避免这种伤害。

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34.
The main purpose of the passage is to_______.
A offer advice on how to prevent hip fractures.
B emphasize the importance of health precautions.
C discuss the seriousness of hip fractures.
D identify the causes of hip fractures.
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答案:A
这篇短文花了大量篇幅谈论如何防范老年人患股关节骨折这种危险又常见的病，从第三段一直到最后一段，所以说这就是本文的主要写作目的。

Harry Truman didn''t think his successor had the right training to be president. "Poor Ike ― it won''t be a bit like the Army," he said. "He''ll sit there all day saying ,do this, do that,''and nothing will happen." Truman was wrong about Ike. Dwight Eisenhower had led a fractious allian ce ― you didn''t tell Winston Churchill what to do ― in a massive, chaotic war. He was used to politics. But Truman''s insight could well be applied to another, even more venerated Washington figure, the CEO-turned cabinet secretary.
A 20-year bull market has convinced us all that CEOs are geniuses, so watch with astonishment the troubles of Donald Rumsfeld and Paul O''Neill. Here are two highly regarded businessmen, obviously intelligent and well-informed, foundering in their jobs.
Actually, we shouldn''t be surprised. Rumsfeld and O''Neill are not doing badly despite having been successful CEOs but because of it. The record of senior businessmen in government is one of almost unrelieved disappointment. In fact, with the exception of Robert Rubin, it is difficult to think of a CEO who had a successful career in government.
Why is this? Well, first the CEO has to recognize that he is no longer the CEO. He is at best an adviser to the CEO, the president. But even the president is not really the CEO. No one is. Power in a corporation is concentrated and vertically structured. Power in Washington is diffuse and horizontally spread out. The secretary might think he''s in charge of his agency. But the chairman of the
**mittee funding that agency feels the same. In his famous study "Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents," Richard Neustadt explains how little power the president actually has and concludes that the only lasting presidential power is "the power to persuade."
Take Rumsfeld''s attempt to transform the cold-war military into one geared for the future. It''s innovative but deeply threatening to almost everyone in Washington. The Defense secretary did not try to sell it to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Congress, the budget office or the White House. As a result, the idea is collapsing.
Second, what power you have, you must use carefully. For example, O''Neill''s position as Treasury secretary is one with little formal authority. Unlike Finance ministers around the world, Treasury does not control the budget. But it has symbolic power. The secretary is seen as the chief economic spokesman for the administration and, if he plays it right, the chief economic adviser for the president.
O''Neill has been publicly critical of the IMF''s bailout packages for developing countries while at the same time approving such packages for Turkey, Argentina and Brazil. As a result, he has
gotten the worst of both worlds. The bailouts continue, but their effect in holstering investor confidence is limited because the markets are rattled by his skepticism.
Perhaps the government doesn''t do bailouts well. But that leads to a third rule: you can''t just quit. Jack Welch''s famous law for re-engineering General Electric was to be first or second in any given product category, or else get out of that business. But if the government isn''t doing a particular job at peak level, it doesn''t always have the option of relieving itself of that function. The Pentagon probably wastes a lot of money. But it can''t get out of the national-security business.
The key to former Treasury secretary Rubin''s success may have been that he fully understood that business and government are, in his words, "necessarily and properly very different." In a recent speech he explained, "Business functions around one predominate organizing principle, profitability ... Government, on the other hand, deals with a vast number of equally legitimate and often
**peting objectives ― for example, energy production versus environmental protection, or safety regulations versus productivity."
Rubin''s example shows that talented people can do well in government if they are willing to treat it as its own separate, serious endeavour. But having been bathed in a culture of adoration and flattery, it''s difficult for a CEO to believe he needs to listen and learn, particularly from those despised and poorly paid specimens, politicians, bureaucrats and the media. And even if he knows it intellectually, he just can''s live with it.
SSS_SINGLE_SEL
35.
For a CEO to be successful in government, he has to
A regard the president as the CEO.
B take absolute control of his department.
C exercise more power than the **mittee.
D become acquainted with its power structure.
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答案:D
此题为细节理解题。

据第3段与第4段我们知道，那些由CEO升任而来的内阁部长在新的岗位上往往不成功，是因为他们不能转变角色，因此，要在政府中取得成功，就必须首先认识到政府与公司在权力结构上的不同。

据第4段第
3、4句我们排除A。

B、C明显不符。

SSS_SINGLE_SEL
36.
In commenting on O''Neill''s record as Treasury Secretary, the passage seems to indicate that
A O''Neill has failed to use his power well.
B O''Neill''s policies were well received．
C O''Neill has been consistent in his policies.
D O''Neill is uncertain about the package he''s approved．
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答案:A
此题为细节理解题。

据第6段与第7段，我们知道，作为内阁部长，必须慎用手中的权力。

O''Neill一例为作者所举的反例，即作为财政部长的O''Neill 未能用好手中的权利。

D误解了第7段最后1句，因为该句并非说O''Neill对他所支持的应急(财政)援助缺乏把握，而是说他对发放应急援助持有怀疑态度，他的这一态度影响了应急援助在维持投资者信心方面的效果。

B、C明显不符。

SSS_SINGLE_SEL
37.
According to the passage, the differences between government and business lie in the following areas EXCEPT
A nature of activity.
B option of withdrawal.
C legitimacy of activity.
D power distribution.
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答案:C
此题为细节归纳题。

据第9段第2句我们知道，商业的运行围绕一个占主导地位的组织原则，即赚取利润，而政府却要面对许多同样合法却又经常存在潜在竞争的目标，其中有些是挣钱的(如能源生产)，而有些是要花钱的(如环保)。

所以，政府与商业在活动性质上是不一样的，故排除A。

据第8段，我们可知，政府不能退出其行政功能，而商业却可以以赚取不到利润为由退出某一方面的经营，故排除B。

据第4段(见上面的分析)，可排除D。

据第9段，我们可以推知，无论是政府还是商业部门都应保证其活动具有合法性，该段中第3句中的equally legitimate更是提示了这一点。

故可确认C。

SSS_SINGLE_SEL
38.
The author seems to suggest that CEO-turned government officials
A are able to fit into their new roles.
B are unlikely to adapt to their new roles.
C can respond to new situations intelligently.
D may feel uncertain in their new posts.
该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 0.25
答案:B
此题为细节理解题。

在最后1段中，作者指出，CEO长期习染崇拜、奉承的文化，因而他们很难相信自己有必要去听取别人的意见或学习他人的优点，特别
是那些为人们所不齿的政客、官僚和媒体，而他们即使清楚地认识有这个必要，也不会那样做，故选B。

A 与C明显不符。

D得不到文章的支持。

<1>venerated受尊敬的
<2>CEO-turned cabinet secretary由CEO(chief executive official的缩写，即首席执行官或总经理)升任而来的内阁部长。

secretary在美国英语中可表示“部长”，而在英国英语中为“大臣”。

<3>bull-market牛市，反义词语为bear market，为股票用语。

这里指CEO过去的经历十分辉煌。

<4>founder失败，崩溃
**petition. Competitive cooperation. Confused? Airline alliances have travellers scratching their heads over what''s going on in the skies. Some folks view alliances as a blessing to travellers,
offering seamless travel, reduced fares and enhanced frequent-flyer benefits. Others see a conspiracy of big businesses, causing
**petition, 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 travellers. 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 **petition, 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 p ractice 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 programme) benefits, the round-the-world fares, and the global service networks. Then there''s the promise of "seamless" travel: the ability to, say, travel trom 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 consum ers: "Global travellers 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 programmes. 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 increased costs for consumers. Instead of two
**peting and each operating a flight on the same route at 70% capacity, the allied pair will share the route and run one full flight. Since fewer seats will be available, passengers will be obliged to pay more for tickets.
The truth about alliances and their merits probably lies somewhere between the travel utopia presented by the players and the evil empires portrayed by their critics. And how much they affect you depends on what kind of traveller you are.
Those who''ve already made the elite grade in the FFP of a major airline stand to benefit the most when it joins an alliance: then they enjoy the FFP perks and advantages on any and all of the member carriers. For example, if you''re a Marco Polo Club "gold"member of Cathay Pacific''s Asia Miles FFP, you will automatically be treated as a valuable customer by all members of Oneworld, of which Cathay Pacific is a member ― even if you''ve never flown with them before.
For those who haven''t made the top grade in any FFP, alliances might be a way of simplifying the earning of frequent flyer miles. For example, I belong to United Airline''s Mileage Plus and generally fly less than 25,000 miles a year. But I earn miles with every flight I take on Star Allian ce member ― All Nippon Airways and Thai Airways.
If you fly less than I do, you might be smarter to stay out of the FFP game altogether. Hunt for bargains when booking flights and you might be able to save enough to take that extra trip anyway. The only real benefit infrequent flyers can draw from an alliance is an inexpensive round-the-world fare.。