Just as each wedding creates potential business for divorce lawyers, so each engagement gives insurers a chance to drum up business. Future spouses, says Alan Tuvin of Travelers, an insurer, may wish to protect themselves against something going wrong on the wedding day. It is unlikely that your intended wife will leave on horseback, as Julia Roberts did in "Runaway Bride", and most insurers wouldn't cover that anyway. But you never know what might happen. Mr. Tuvin launched the firm' s wedding-insurance business; he and his wife were its first clients. A typical American wedding costs 25,000 or so. This has fallen a bit over the past quarter-century but still seems lavish given how tight American belts are these days. Weddings are pricey because the rich are more likely to marry than the poor, and the average age of newlyweds has gone up, so couples are more prosperous when they eventually tie the knot. High prices, and the fact that many venues require couples to take out liability insurance, feed demand for wedding insurance. A fifth of couples buy it, says the Wedding Report, a trade publication. Wedding insurance began in Britain: Cornhill, an insurer, wrote its first policy in 1988. But there were few takers. The idea only took off once transplanted to America. In the early days, says Mr. Nuccio of Robert Nuccio of Wedsure, an surer, there were incidents of couples faking engagements to collect a payout. Since then, most policies have a clause that excludes "change of heart". Wedsure does insure against cold feet, but its policy will pay out only if the wedding is cancelled more than 12 months before it is due to take place, thereby guarding against fiances phoning the broker once the relationship is already on the rocks. This does not mean policies are useless. Common causes of payouts include the venue or caterers going bust after having taken a big deposit. Extreme weather, a spouse being deployed by the armed forces and an absent priest can all trigger payouts. Most policies will pay to re-stage the photos if the photographer fails to turn up or disappears with the pictures. For some, even a small risk of something going wrong on a day that has been planned for months is worth paying to avoid. Who says romance is dead?
单选题 The example of Julia Roberts is used to show that ______ .
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】解析:推断题。根据题干定位到第一段。由原文It is unlikely that…But you never know what might happen.可见举这个例子是为了说明:在婚礼当天什么事情都有可能发生,所以才需要为婚礼买保险。因此A项正确。B项“每一场订婚都会给保险公司获利的机会”,与例子无关。C项“像这样的意外在婚礼上很容易发生”与原文It is unlikely that…不符。D项“大部分婚礼保险公司会涵盖此类业务”与原文most insurers wouldn’t cover that anyway不符。
单选题 Which of the following cannot explain the development of wedding insurance?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析:细节题。根据题干及出题顺序定位到第二段。本段讲婚礼保险业务发展的原因。由原文High prices,and the fact that many venues require couples to take out liability insurance,feed demand for wedding insurance.可知A、B、D项都是原因。C项“新婚夫妇的年龄越来越大”,原文and the average age of newlyweds has gone up.so couples are more prosperous when they eventually tie the knot是说年龄大了,所以最终结婚的时候,经济相对比较宽裕,但这并不是婚礼保险发展的原因,故为本题正确答案。
单选题 Wedsure's policy against cold feet will pay out on condition that _____.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析:细节题。根据题干定位到第三段。由原文Wedsure does insure against cold feet, but its policy will pay out only if the wedding is cancelled more than 12 months before it is due to take place可知,D项“提前一年取消婚礼”为正确答案,是保险支付的有效条件,in advance是原文before it is due to take place的同义表述。A项“未婚夫妇即将分手”,正是保险要防止的事情。B项“未婚夫妇的关系已经破裂”,C项“在婚礼即将举行的时候取消婚礼”,均是对原文的曲解。
单选题 Common causes of payouts exclude that______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析:细节题。根据题干定位到第四段。本段讲保险支出的常见原因。此题适合用排除法。A项“供应商破产”对应caterers going bust after having taken a big deposit。C项“牧师不在场”对应an absent priest,D项“摄影师消失”对应if the photographer fails to turn up or disappears with the pictures。B项“一方新人变心”,本段只是说a spouse being deployed by the armed forces(一方新人被部队征召),且上一段提到Since then,most policies have a clause that excludes“change of heart”.因此B项为正确答案。
单选题 The author's attitude towards wedding insurance is______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析:态度题。本题考查作者态度。纵观全文,能够体现出作者态度的是最后一句话Who says romance is dead?(谁说浪漫已经消失了呢?)“浪漫”指的是前一句的For some,even a small risk of something going wrong on a day that has been planned for months is worth paying to avoid.花钱为婚礼买保险以避免任何一个小失误。由此推断作者是支持婚礼保险的,C项“赞成的”为正确答案。A项“批评的”,B项“中立的”,D项“漠不关心的”,均不正确。