单选题 Business travelers used to be the cash cows of the hotel business. Armed with corporate credit cards and expense accounts, they'd happily lay down hundreds of dollars per night for the privilege of a Godiva chocolate on their pillow and a sunken whirlpool tub in their bathroom. But just as prolonged corporate belt tightening has forced road warriors to use budget airlines, more and more of them are now eschewing five-star lodging in favor of cheaper accommodations. Indeed, earlier this year the US-based National Business Travel Association released figures showing that 61 percent of corporate travel managers planned to book their people into lower-priced hotels in the coming year.
Here's the good news: penny-pinching is translating into better deals at cheap and up-market hotels alike. Services at middle-market hotels are rising to accommodate a new wave of more demanding corporate customers. And luxury hotels are working harder to keep business travelers coming, offering lower rates, special packages and extra services. Even though business-travel volume is set to rise by more than 4 percent in 2004 after three dismal years, hotels will continue to be under pressure—in large part because a weak dollar is forcing American business travelers to search for value.
Some of the best deals are coming from the big chains. In January Starwood Hotels announced it would upgrade its global middle-market brand, Four Points, by rolling out free high-speed wireless Internet access in all guest rooms. On the flip side, upscale brands like Inter Continental and Ritz Carlton are selling empty rooms at discount rates via online services. That has the effect of depressing luxury-room prices, because corporate travel managers can now demand that hotels match their own discount prices all the time. Inter Continental hotels in France and Germany have been hit so hard that they are actually repricing their rooms to reflect rates before the dollar began falling. Upscale hotels like Waldorf-Astoria, Sofitel are also trying to offer extra services.
But beware of new, hidden fees. In an effort to make up some of their fast revenue, hotels are starting to charge corporate travelers for things that used to be free—including breakfast, banquet or meeting rooms.
Aside from saving companies money, the trend in frugal business travel may give rise to a whole new market segment: the buy-to-let hotel room. Last week in London, British property developer Johnny Sandelson launched GuestInvest, a hotel in Notting Hill where users can purchase a room for ￡235,000, use it for a maximum of 52 nights a year themselves, then rent it out the rest of the time to make extra money. It seems an idea whose time has come: GuestInvest says it has already fielded hundreds of calls from business people interested in making a cheaper hotel their second home.

单选题 According to the passage, business travelers used to ______.

A. take budget airlines
B. book lower-priced hotels
C. enjoy privileges in hotels
D. be customers of luxurious hotels

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节由题干中business travelers定位至首段。第一句指出商旅人士过去是酒店业的摇钱树(cash cows)。接着对此评论进行说明：带着公司的信用卡和报销单，他们很乐于每晚花上几百美元，就为了枕边有Godiva巧克力，浴室中有涡旋式浴盆。由此可知，商旅人士过去出公差常住豪华酒店。故D项为正确答案。该题属于对第一段前半部分的总结、概括，由题干中的used to直接定位到文章的首段首句，即Business travelers used to be the cash cows of the hotel business，由此句即可判断商旅人士曾在酒店住宿方面花费大价钱。首段第三句提到budget airlines，但这是商旅人士现在的做法，与题干中used to矛盾，排除A项；末句中提到book their people into lower-priced hotels也是现在的做法，排除B项；C项“在酒店享有特权”是对第二句the privilege of a Godiva chocolate的曲解，这里并非指他们有什么特权，而是说为了能享受Godiva等奢侈品去住豪华酒店，排除此项。

单选题 How do hotels react to the penny-pinching policy?

A. They have to raise their rates.
B. They charge more on extra services.
C. They offer better deals for travelers.
D. They are suffering successive dismal.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节由题干中的penny-pinching定位至第二段首句。该句指出，好消息是缩减开支使得便宜酒店和高档酒店都提供更好的服务。C项与之一致，故为正确答案。事实细节题一般应对句子进行定位，应选择具有明显特征的词进行定位，penny-pinching具有明显特点，可以定位到第二段首句。该题也提醒我们，一定要重视段落首句。该段第三句提到豪华酒店缩减开支采取的措施之offering lower rates，A项与此相悖，排除；extra services也是该句中提到的措施之一，对额外服务加收服务费与之矛盾，排除B项；第二段整段都是酒店采取的应对措施，可见酒店面对商旅人士的消费降低不是一直闷闷不乐、无所作为，排除D项。

单选题 Travelers can now demand hotels to match their own prices because ______.

A. travelers only have limited budget
B. hotels are trying hard to keep good business
C. hotels are trying to depress their prices
D. travelers demand far extra services

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节根据题干中的match their own prices定位至第三段第四句，该句指出豪华酒店房间价格下降，因为公司出差的经理们现在要求酒店一直都提供与自己匹配的折扣价格价位。从该句That has the effect of depressing luxury-room prices可以看出，该句前文内容应该与房间价格下降有关，同时第三句指出像Inter continental和Ritz Carlton这样的顶级品牌通过网络以折扣价格招租空客房，由此可以推断，房客们之所以可以要求酒店打折是因为酒店想让生意保持景气，故B项为正确答案。这也与第二段第三句And luxury hotels are working harder to keep business travelers coming意思一致。首先还是对该句在文章中进行定位，可以定位至第三段第四句。分析该段的首句Some of the best deals are coming from the big chains．这就是该段的中心内容。第三段主要讲的是一些酒店正在推出更大的优惠，而推出优惠的目的则是为了维持生意景气。 A选项旅行者限制预算并不能促使他们向酒店提出要求；C选项酒店想压低价格与事实不符，酒店是不得不降低价格，是一种被动行为；D项在文中并没有提到。

单选题 Compared with traditional hotels, the buy-to-let hotel ______.

A. provides better room and service
B. attracts more attentions from travelers
C. costs less and can be profitable
D. make travelers feel more at home

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节根据题干中的buy-to-let hotel定位至末段，首句提到了这种新的酒店形式，然后展开说明：顾客可以花23.5万英镑购买一个房间，一年自己最多可住52天，其余时间出租获利。最后以GuestInvest的话进行总结：已经接到了上百个商务人士的电话，他们对把便宜酒店变成自己的第二个家很感兴趣。可以推断出，因为这种类型的酒店价格便宜，并且可以获利，所以商务人士趋之若鹜，故C项为正确答案。由buy-to-let hotel定位到文章最后一段，着重分析该段落的最后一句，因为段落的末句往往有总结的含义。文中没有对“购买以出租”酒店的房型和服务进行说明，排除A项；作者也没有对旅客对该种形式酒店的态度进行说明或评论，同时也没有提及人们对这种酒店的感受如何，故排除B项和D项。

单选题 What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Traditional hotels will suffer more pressure than they used to.
B. GuestInvest has made a great success.
C. Business travelers will spend less time in hotels.
D. Traditional hotels will lose many customers.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 推理判断由提问形式可直接定位至末段，该段介绍了一种新的“购买以出租”酒店the buy-to-let hotel。在介绍了这种新型酒店之后，末句提到fielded hundreds of calls from business people。由此可以推断，这种新型酒店会给传统酒店带来新的压力，故A项为正确答案。回答这种从文章中推理判断类型题，其正确答案应是总结概括性的，或者涉及具体细节的选项可以排除。末段没有提到商务人士住酒店的时间，排除C项；末段提到GuestInvest接到几百个商务人士的电话，并不是说它已经取得了很大的成功，排除B项；虽然可以推断the buy-to-let hotel会给传统酒店带来压力，但并没说会流失很多客户，排除D项。