单选题 Tourism chiefs in Hong Kong have {{U}}dismissed{{/U}} suggestions that the intermittent conflicts that have sprung up between residents and mainland travelers in recent years will {{U}}deter{{/U}} visitors from the mainland.
Last year, 28.1 million mainland tourists visited Hong Kong—67 percent of the total number of visitors, said Greg So, secretary for commerce and economic development for the special administrative region's government. The mainland has become the largest source of tourists for Hong Kong, and the number of tourists to the city is growing. "With the opening of our harbor for cruise ships next year, we expect to offer more choices for mainland tourists," he said.
Joseph Tung, executive director of the Hong Kong Travel Industry Council, said he believes the city's flourishing tourism industry should thank the central government's rescue moves in 2003 when Hong Kong was "nearly dead" because of the SARS outbreak. "Nobody came to visit Hong Kong then. Other countries were also afraid that Hong Kong tourists going out would spread the disease. We were really worried," he said.
When the central government decided to allow mainland tourists from some cities to visit Hong Kong without joining tour groups in July 2003, it immediately boosted tourism. In August 2003, more than 946,000 mainland tourists visited Hong Kong, an increase of 43 percent over the same period of the previous year, according to the council.
The influence of mainland tourists on the city has been overwhelming. More people in the city's travel and retail industries have learned to speak Mandarin. "Even when we go shopping, the salesperson, unable to tell us from mainland tourists, would speak to us in Mandarin, instead of Cantonese," said Greg So, joking that he learned Mandarin partly during shopping.
But along with the growing number of tourists, there are also a growing number of conflicts.
In 2010, Chen Youming, 65, former player of the national ping-pong team, had a heart attack and died when he was forced to shop by an unlicensed tour guide in Hong Kong. Last year, another tour guide got involved in verbal and physical conflicts with three mainland tourists. Reports said that the tour guide led the 33-member group to a jewelry store, but none of the group bought anything during the two-hour .stay. The tour guide began snarling at them. Also last year, a video showing a mainland woman and a few Hong Kong residents arguing on the subway went viral online. The woman had let her child eat on the subway, which is not allowed in Hong Kong. The video triggered a heated discussion online.
Media comments said that the rising number of conflicts is a new trend. But Tung said these incidents are just isolated cases.
The council is doing its best to regulate the industry and tour guides to prevent incidents such as these from tarnishing Hong Kong's image, he said.
At least seven tour guides have had their licenses suspended, he said. The travel agency that hired the unlicensed tour guide who forced Chen Youming to shop lost its business license.
Hotlines have been opened to record tourists' complaints. The number of complaints has dropped by 40 percent in the first five months of this year compared with the same period last year.
Tung said he hopes the central government will allow citizens of more mainland cities to visit Hong Kong without joining tour groups. Currently, citizens of 49 mainland cities can go to Hong Kong without joining tour groups.

单选题 What is the meaning of the word "dismiss" in Paragraph 1?

A. Reject.
B. Misunderstand.
C. Dissuade.
D. Discourage.

单选题 Which of the following words has the similar meaning to the word "deter"?

A. Frustrate.
B. Reject.
C. Discourage.
D. Prohibit.

单选题 What is the passage mainly about?

A. More and more Chinese mainland tourists come to visit Hong Kong.
B. More conflicts arise when more Chinese mainland tourists visit Hong Kong.
C. The influence of mainland tourists on Hong Kong has been overwhelming.
D. Many mainland cities allow their citizens to go to Hong Kong without joining tour groups.

单选题 Which factor plays a part in Hong Kong's flourishing tourism industry?

A. Hong Kong SAR government's rescue moves in 2003.
B. Hong Kong and China central government's joint efforts to rescue its tourism industry.
C. China central government's rescue moves in 2003.
D. China central government's rescue moves in 2002.

单选题 The following are complaints about tour guides and tour agencies EXCEPT ______.

A. forcing tourists to shop
B. snarling at tourists who did not buy anything
C. forbidding children from eating food
D. hiring unlicensed tour guide