新教材全國(guó)職稱(chēng)英語(yǔ)考試 通關(guān)必備利器 綜合類(lèi)a級(jí)押題環(huán)球幺建華版 牛津英語(yǔ)同義詞字典版

microscopicmess172015年綜合A閱讀理解必考題庫(kù)第三十六篇Life as a Movie Extra Ordinary people have always been attracted to the world of movies and movie stars. One way to get closer to this world is to become a movie extra. Although you have seen movie extras, you may not have paid attention to them. Extras are the people seated at tables in a restaurant while the two main actors are in conversation. They are the guests at the wedding of the main characters. They are the people crossing the street while "the bad guy" is being chased by the police. Extras dont normally speak any lines, but they help make the scenes look real1. Being a movie extra might seem like a lot of fun. You get to see what life is like behind the scenes. But dont forget that being an extra is really a job, and its mostly about doing nothing. First-time extras are often shocked to learn how slow the process of movie making is. In a finished movie, the action may move quickly. But it can sometimes take a whole day to shoot a scene that appears for just a few minutes on the screen. The main requirement for being an extra is the ability to wait. You may report to work at 5 or 6 a. m. , and then you wait until the director is ready for your scene. This could take several hours. Then there may be technical problems, and you have to wait some more. After the director says "action" and you do the first "take", you may have to do it again if he or she is not satisfied with the scene. In fact, you may have to do the same scene over and over again. You could be on the set for hours, sometimes waiting outdoors in very hot or cold weather2. You may not be finished until 11 p. m. or midnight. The pay isnt good, either- often only a little bit above minimum wage. And you must pay the agent who gets you the job a commission of about 10 percent. So who would want to be a movie extra? In spite of the long hours and low pay, many people still apply for the job. Some people truly enjoy the work. They like being on a movie set, and they enjoy the companionship of their fellow extras. Most of them have flexible schedules, which allow them to be available, 3They may be students, waiters, homemakers, retired people, or unemployed actors. Some unemployed actors hope the work will help them get real acting jobs, but it doesnt happen often. Most people in the movie industry make a sharp distinction between extras and actors, so extras are not usually considered for large parts. The next time you see a movie, dont just watch the stars. Take a closer look at the people in the background, and ask yourself: Who are they? Why are they there? What else do they do in life? Maybe there is someone in the crowd who is just like you.練習(xí)：1. What is true about movie extras? A) Only agents get them jobs in movies.B) They often have to wait around on movie sets and do nothing.C) Its a good way to get a real acting job.D) They can have drinks in a restaurant.2. What might surprise movie extras the first time they do the job? A) It can take hours to do a scene that is only a few minutes long in the movie.B) They always do the same scene many times.C) The actors are interested in talking to them.D) The action moves very quickly.3. Why do most people work as movie extras? A) They like meeting famous movie stars.B) They think they will become famous.C) They want to be on a movie set.D) They will get real acting jobs.4. What are the job requirements for being a movie extra? A) You have to have a part-time job.B) You must be attractive.C) You must be willing to repeat a scene many times.D) You must start working very early.5. It can be inferred from the passage that_. A) being a movie extra can be boringB) movie extras need acting experienceC) movie extras can play larger partsD) movie actors are quite different from actors答案與題解：1B本文的第三段詳細(xì)敘述了群眾演員的主要工作要求是在拍攝現(xiàn)場(chǎng)等，不用做事，所以答案為B；第一段中描述了群眾演員的工作；他們是演員的陪襯，不用講話(huà)。雖然提到他們是在餐館里，但并沒(méi)有提是否可以喝飲料，所以D可以排除；A中的only 詞太籠統(tǒng)，所以A不對(duì)；從第四段可以看出，從群眾演員到演員的轉(zhuǎn)型是相當(dāng)困難的，所以C也不對(duì)。2A第二段中說(shuō)明了令初做群眾演員感到吃驚的是：拍一個(gè)場(chǎng)景需要一整天，而播放時(shí)只有幾分鐘。雖然B、D都有所提及，但不是令他們吃驚的事情。3C雖然做群眾演員耗時(shí)長(zhǎng)而薪酬低，但他們?yōu)槭裁催€選擇這一工作呢？答案在第四段：他們喜歡這份工作，愿意與別的群眾演員交流，他們自己的工作時(shí)間有彈性。A沒(méi)有提到，B、D不太可能。4C做群眾演員的條件是什么？在第三段和第四段，我們可知：要有耐心（長(zhǎng)時(shí)間等待，一個(gè)場(chǎng)景有時(shí)要拍好多次），要肯吃苦（在惡劣的戶(hù)外環(huán)境中拍戲），報(bào)酬低，工作時(shí)間有彈性。A、B沒(méi)有提到；在第三段的第二句提到：You may report towork at 5 or 6 a. m.，表明只是有時(shí)會(huì)很早開(kāi)始工作，不是每日必須的，所以D不對(duì)。5A從本文對(duì)群眾演員的工作描述我們可以看出，群眾演員只是演員的道具，所以是乏味的。B沒(méi)有提到；據(jù)第四段的最后一句，C不對(duì)；第四段的最后一句清楚表明，群眾演員和真正的演員差別很大，所以不是得出的推論，推論是通過(guò)字里行間推出來(lái)的，不是給出的陳述。第三十四篇To Have and Have NotIt had been boring hanging about the hotel all afternoon. The road crew were playing a game with dollar notes. Folding them into small planes to see whose would fly the furthest.1 Having nothing better to do，I joined in and won five，and then took the opportunity to escape with my profit. Despite the evil-looking clouds，I had to get out for a while. I headed for a shop on the other side of the street. Unlike the others，it didnt have a sign shouting its name and business，and instead of the usual impersonal modern lighting，there was an appealing glow inside. Strangely nothing was displayed in the window. Not put off by this，I went inside. It took my breath away. I didnt know where to look, where to start. On one wall there hung three hand-stitched American quilts that were in such wonderful condition they might have been newly-made. I came across tin toys and antique furniture, and on the wall in front of me, a 1957 Stratocaster guitar , also in excellent condition. A card pushed between the strings said $50. I ran my hand along a long shelf of records, reading their titles. And there was more. “Can I help you？” She startled me. I hadnt even seen the woman behind the counter come in. The way she looked at me, so directly and with such power. It was a look of such intensity that for a moment I felt as if I were wrapped in some kind of magnetic or electrical field. I found it hard to take and almost turned away. But though it was uncomfortable. I was fascinated by the experience of her looking straight into me, and by the feeling that I was neither a stranger, nor strange, to her. Besides amusement her expression showed sympathy. It was impossible to tell her age；she reminded me faintly of my grandmother because, although her eyes were friendly, I could see that she was not a woman to fall out with. I spoke at last. I was just looking really, I said, though secretly wondering how much of the stuff I could cram into the bus. The woman turned away and went at once towards a back room, indicating that I should follow her. But it in no way lived up to the first room. The light made me feel peculiar, too. It came from an oil lamp that was hung from the centre of the ceiling and created huge shadows over everything. There were no rare electric guitars, no old necklaces, no hand-painted boxes with delicate flowers. It was also obvious that it must have taken years, decades, to collect so much rubbish, so many old documents arid papers. I noticed some old books, whose gold lettering had faded, making their titles impossible to read. They look interesting, I said, with some hesitation. To be able to understand that kind of writing you must first have had a similar experience, she said clearly. She noted the confused look on my face, but didnt add anything. She reached up for a small book which she handed to me. This is the best book I can give you at the moment, she laughed. “If you use it.” I opened the book to find it full. or rather empty, with blank white pages, but paid her the few dollars she asked for it, becoming embarrassed when I realised the notes were still folded into little paper planes. I put the book in my pocket, thanked her and left.詞匯：impersonal /imp:snl/ adj. 客觀(guān)的；非個(gè)人的；沒(méi)有人情味的；語(yǔ) 非人稱(chēng)的 n.語(yǔ)非人稱(chēng)動(dòng)詞；不具人格的事物antique /nti:k/ adj. 古老的，年代久遠(yuǎn)的 n. 古董，古玩startle /st:tl/ vt. vi. 使嚇一跳，使驚奇 n.驚愕，驚恐arid / rid/ adj. 干旱的，枯萎的。毫無(wú)生氣的magnetic /mgnetik/ adj. 有吸引力的，磁極的 注釋?zhuān)?. The road crew were playing a game with dollar notes. Folding them into small planes to see whose would for the furthest.巡回樂(lè)團(tuán)道具管理組的成員在用美元玩兒游戲，把紙幣折成紙飛機(jī)的形狀然后看誰(shuí)飛得最遠(yuǎn)。2. I was fascinated by the experience of her looking straight into me, and by the feeling that I was neither a stranger , nor strange, to her. 我還是覺(jué)得那種被直視的感覺(jué)很美妙，那種感覺(jué)是我既不是陌生人而且對(duì)她來(lái)說(shuō)并不陌生。3. The light made me feel peculiar, too. It came from an oil lamp that was hung the centre of the ceiling and created huge shadows over everything.房間的燈光也讓我感覺(jué)和特別，燈光來(lái)自天花板上的油燈，使一切都籠罩在巨大的陰影之下。練習(xí)：1、Why did the writer want to leave the hotel? A To enjoy the good weather.B To have a change of scene.C To spend all his winnings.D To get away from the crew.2、What attracted the writer to the shop? A The lack of a sign or name.B The fact that it was nearby.C The empty window display.D The light coming from inside.3、The writer found the stock in the front of the shop_. A of top qualityB of good valueC difficult to get atD badly displayed4、What was unusual about the way the woman looked at him? A It made him feel self-conscious.B She was happy to stare at him.C She seemed to know him well.D It made him want to look away.5、The writer disliked the back room because_. A there was hardly anything in itB she had ordered him to go thereC he saw nothing he really likedD it was too dark to look around答案與題解：1. B 本題的問(wèn)題是：為什么作者想要離開(kāi)賓館？由本文第一段第一句可以得出答案。在賓館是十分無(wú)聊的，最后一句也寫(xiě)出作者不顧天氣不好而想要出去走走，A，C選項(xiàng)錯(cuò)誤，D選項(xiàng)未提及。2. D 本題的問(wèn)題是：是什么吸引作者到那個(gè)商店？由第二段中間“there was an appealing glow inside.” 可以得出答案。A，C選項(xiàng)不切題。D選項(xiàng)未提及。3. A 本題的問(wèn)題是：作者發(fā)現(xiàn)在小店前面存放的物品是怎樣的？從第三段對(duì)于物品的詳細(xì)描述可以得出答案?！?On one wall there hung three hand-stitched American quilts that were in such wonderful condition they might have been newly-made. I came across tin toys and antique furniture, and on the wall in front of me, a 1957 Stratocaster guitar , also in excellent condition.”4. C 本題的問(wèn)題是：那個(gè)女人看他的方式有什么不同？由第四段最后一句“I was fascinated by the experience of her looking straight into me, and by the feeling that I was neither a stranger, nor strange, to her.”有一種似曾相識(shí)的感覺(jué)。5.C 本體的問(wèn)題是：作者不喜歡后屋的原因？從文中的第六段和第七段可以得出結(jié)論，他認(rèn)為沒(méi)有什么他真正喜歡的東西?！癐t was also obvious that it must have taken years, decades, to collect so much rubbish, so many old documents arid papers.”“I noticed some old books, whose gold lettering had faded, making their titles impossible to read. They look interesting, I said, with some hesitation.”譯文：逃亡在賓館里閑待一個(gè)下午是很無(wú)聊的。巡回樂(lè)團(tuán)道具管理組的成員在用美元玩兒游戲，把紙 幣折成紙飛機(jī)的形狀然后看誰(shuí)飛得最遠(yuǎn)。因?yàn)闆](méi)有什么事情可以做，我加入了他們并且贏了五 局，之后我找了個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)帶著我贏的錢(qián)退出了游戲。盡管天色看起來(lái)不是很好，我還是決定出去 走一走o我向前走到了街道另一邊的一個(gè)小店里。與其他的小店不同，它沒(méi)有吸引眼球的名字和主要 經(jīng)營(yíng)的項(xiàng)目，取而代之的是普通的霓虹燈，里面則是吸引人的強(qiáng)光。奇怪的是并沒(méi)有什么影子映 射在窗戶(hù)上。我并沒(méi)有因?yàn)檫@個(gè)而停住腳步，我走了進(jìn)去。我屏住呼吸，不知道看哪里也不知道從哪里開(kāi)始看。一面墻上掛著三個(gè)手工縫制的美國(guó)壁毯， 十分美麗，可能是新做的。我穿過(guò)易拉罐和散落的小玩意兒還有古董家具，在我面前的一面墻上 掛著一個(gè)嶄新的1957年的Straocaster吉他。一張五十美元的卡插在琴弦上。我的手撫摸著放唱片 的架子，讀著標(biāo)題。這里還有很多的“我可以幫助你嗎？”她嚇了我一跳。我沒(méi)有看見(jiàn)在柜臺(tái)后面的女人。她看我的方式如此居 高臨下，這一時(shí)讓我很緊張像是被一種磁場(chǎng)或是電場(chǎng)緊緊包裹住。很難避開(kāi)那個(gè)眼神。但是盡 管很不舒服，我還是覺(jué)得那種被直視的感覺(jué)很美妙，那種感覺(jué)對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)不陌生，對(duì)她來(lái)說(shuō)也不陌生。除了愉悅以外她的神情還流露出慈愛(ài)和憐憫。我猜不出她的年齡。盡管她的眼神充滿(mǎn)了友善， 她使我想起了我的祖母。我能感覺(jué)到她是一個(gè)不喜歡與人爭(zhēng)吵的人。最后我開(kāi)口說(shuō)話(huà)，“我真的只是看看”，私下里卻在好奇有多少東西能夠塞進(jìn)汽車(chē)。她轉(zhuǎn)身離開(kāi)到后面的屋子，示意我應(yīng)該跟隨其后，但這并非是第一個(gè)房間，房間的燈光也讓 我感覺(jué)很特別，燈光來(lái)自天花板上的油饤，使一切都籠罩在巨大的陰影之下。這里沒(méi)有罕見(jiàn)的電 吉他，沒(méi)有古老的項(xiàng)鏈，沒(méi)有鮮花裝飾的手繪盒子。很明顯它是陳舊的用來(lái)存放垃圾和那些平淡無(wú)奇的舊文獻(xiàn)的。我發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些舊書(shū)，那些金字巳經(jīng)退去使題目很難辨認(rèn)?！八鼈兛雌饋?lái)很有趣?！蔽疫t疑地 說(shuō)?！耙肓私馍厦嫠鶎?xiě)你必須有相似的經(jīng)歷/她清楚地說(shuō)。她察覺(jué)到我的臉上充滿(mǎn)了疑惑可是卻沒(méi)有再說(shuō)什么。她伸出手拿了一本小書(shū)然后遞給了我?！斑@是目前我能夠給你的最好的書(shū)”，她笑著說(shuō)道， 320 “如果你要用它”。我打開(kāi)書(shū)發(fā)現(xiàn)全部是一片空白，但依然給了她向我要的幾美元，當(dāng)我察覺(jué)到美 元依然是紙飛機(jī)的形狀時(shí)不免有些尷尬。我把書(shū)放到包里，謝過(guò)她并離開(kāi)了。第三十七篇Pop Music in Africa Young musicians in African countries are creating a new kind of pop music. The tunes and the rhythms of their music combine African traditions with various forms of music popular today, such as hip-hop, rap, rock, jazz, or reggae. The result is music that may sound familiar to listeners anywhere in the world, but at the same time is distinctly African. It is different also in another way: Many of the songs are very serious and they deal with important social or political issues in Africa today. Eric Wainaina is one of these African musicians. He grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, in a family of musicians. As a teenager, he listened to pop music from the United States, and later he moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music. Now he has produced a CD in Kenya. Erics most popular song, "Land of A Little Something” is about Kenyas problem of bribery, or paying others for illegal favors. He wants people to listen to his songs and think about how to make Kenya a better place to live. Another musician who writes serious songs is Witness Mwaijaga from Tanzania. Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women. At the age of fifteen she lost her home, but she was luckier than other homeless young people. She could make a living by writing songs and singing on the street. By the time she was eighteen years old, she had become a star. Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees in Tanzania, especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women. Baaba Maal, from Senegal, also feels that pop music must go beyond entertainment. He says that in Senegal, storytellers have always been important people. In the past, they were the ones who kept the history of their people alive. Baaba believes that songwriters now have a similar responsibility. They must write about the world around them and help people understand how it could be better. The words of his songs are important, in fact. They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans, as well as the rights of women, love for one s family, and saving the environment. One of South Africas most popular musicians is Brenda Fassie. She is sometimes compared to Madonna, the American pop star, because she likes to shock people in her shows. But she also likes to make people think. She became famous in the 1980s for her simple pop songs against apartheid. Now that apartheid has ended, her songs are about other issues in South African culture and life. To sing about these, she uses local African languages and a new pop style called kwaito.In recent years, people outside of Africa have also begun to listen to these young musicians. Through music, the younger generation of Africans are connecting with the rest of the world and, at the same time, influencing the rest of the world.詞匯：reggae /regei/ n. 瑞格舞（西印度群島的舞曲） bribery /braib?ri/ n. 行賄，賄賂apartheid / ? P a:theit / n. 種族隔離注釋?zhuān)?. Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees in Tanzania, especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women. 她用嘻哈和說(shuō)唱的風(fēng)格寫(xiě)歌，歌曲的內(nèi)容是 坦桑尼亞的各種問(wèn)題，特別是艾滋和女性權(quán)利的缺失。2. They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans, as well as the rights of women, love for ones family, and saving the environment. 他倡導(dǎo)在非洲要和平與協(xié)作，同時(shí)也包括婦女權(quán)利、熱愛(ài)家庭和保護(hù)環(huán)境。練習(xí)：1. This passage is about how African pop music is_. A) usually about love and romanceB) more serious than most pop musicC) popular with young people in AfricaD) mostly written just for entertainment2. For people outside of Africa, African pop music is _. A) the same as other pop musicB) not usually very interestingC) entirely strange to themD) both familiar and different3. The musicians mentioned in this passage all_. A) write about serious problemsB) studied in the United StatesC) lost their homes at a young ageD) write songs in a new pop style4. Eric Wainaina_. A) prefers to sing in EnglishB) listened to traditional musicC) studied music in BostonD) performs only in the United States5. Witness Mwaijaga writes about the problem of women partly because_. A) she was had a difficult life herselfB) there are many problems in TanzaniaC) she has had an easy life herselfD) there are no other women singers答案與題解：1. B 本題的問(wèn)題是：非洲流行音樂(lè)的不同之處是什么？由第一段倒數(shù)第一句可以得出答案?！癐t is different also in another way : Many of the songs are very serious and they deal with important social or political issues in Africa today.” A,D項(xiàng)錯(cuò)誤，C項(xiàng)未提及。2.D 本題的問(wèn)題是：對(duì)于非洲以外的人來(lái)說(shuō)，非洲流行音樂(lè)給他們的感覺(jué)是什么？從第一段可以得出答案。“The result is music that may sound familiar to listeners anywhere in the world , but at the same time is distinctly Afican.”故正確選項(xiàng)為D。3. A 本題的問(wèn)題是：全文所提到的音樂(lè)家的共同的特點(diǎn)是什么？總覽全文可以得出結(jié)論。全文通篇在講有關(guān)社會(huì)和政治等嚴(yán)肅主題的音樂(lè)，故正確答案為A。B,C,D都有明顯的錯(cuò)誤。4. C 本題的問(wèn)題是：Eric Wainaina的成長(zhǎng)細(xì)節(jié)。由第二段可以得出答案?！癮nd later he moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music.” 其余選項(xiàng)均有錯(cuò)誤。5. A 本題的問(wèn)題是：Witness Mwaijaga 寫(xiě)有關(guān)女人的問(wèn)題的原因是什么？答案在第三段第二句“Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women.”明顯可見(jiàn)是她有切身經(jīng)歷。所以正確答案為A。5. A 本題的問(wèn)題是：Witness Mwaijaga 寫(xiě)有關(guān)女人的問(wèn)題的原因是什么？答案在第三段第二句“Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women.”明顯可見(jiàn)是她有切身經(jīng)歷。所以正確答案為A。譯文：非洲國(guó)家的年輕音樂(lè)家們創(chuàng)造了一種流行音樂(lè)的新形式。音調(diào)與旋律不僅有傳統(tǒng)的非洲因素 也有當(dāng)下十分流行的各種形式，比如嘻哈、說(shuō)唱打擊樂(lè)、搖滾、爵士或者是瑞格舞。這樣就使這 種音樂(lè)讓世界各地的聽(tīng)者都覺(jué)得很熟悉，而它又是典型的非洲音樂(lè)。這種音樂(lè)在另一方面也有所 不同：很多音樂(lè)有著嚴(yán)肅的主題，與當(dāng)今非洲重要的社會(huì)問(wèn)題和政治問(wèn)題相關(guān)。Eric Wainaina是這些非洲音樂(lè)家的其中之一。他成長(zhǎng)于肯尼亞內(nèi)羅畢的一個(gè)音樂(lè)世家。少年 時(shí)期他就昕美國(guó)的流行音樂(lè)，之后就讀于波士頓Berklee College學(xué)習(xí)音樂(lè)。現(xiàn)在他在肯尼亞發(fā)了 一張CD。他最紅的歌曲是"Land of A Little Something ”，這首歌是有關(guān)肯尼亞行賄受賄問(wèn)題的。 他希望人們聽(tīng)他的歌曲然后思考如何讓肯尼亞變成更好的居住地。另一個(gè)寫(xiě)有關(guān)嚴(yán)肅主題音樂(lè)的音樂(lè)家是來(lái)自坦桑尼亞的Witness Mwaijaga。她的個(gè)人經(jīng)歷讓 她能夠切身體會(huì)非洲婦女所受的苦難。她15歲的時(shí)候失去了家，但是比起和她一樣無(wú)家可歸 的年輕人來(lái)說(shuō)她很幸運(yùn)。她可以靠寫(xiě)歌和在街頭賣(mài)唱維持生計(jì)。在她18歲的時(shí)候，她成為一個(gè)明星。她用嘻哈和說(shuō)唱的風(fēng)格寫(xiě)歌，歌曲的內(nèi)容是坦桑尼亞的各種問(wèn)題，特別是艾滋病和女 性權(quán)利的缺失。來(lái)自塞內(nèi)加爾的BaabaMaal也認(rèn)為流行音樂(lè)不僅僅是為了娛樂(lè)。他在塞內(nèi)加爾說(shuō)過(guò)，故事的 講述者往往是重要的人物。在去，他們是人民歷史的書(shū)寫(xiě)者。他認(rèn)為寫(xiě)歌者也擁有同樣的責(zé)任。 他們必須寫(xiě)他們周?chē)氖澜纾瑤椭嗣衩靼兹绾问顾兊酶?。事?shí)上，歌詞的內(nèi)容十分重要。 他倡導(dǎo)在非洲要和平與協(xié)作，同時(shí)也包括婦女權(quán)利、熱愛(ài)家庭和保護(hù)環(huán)境。南美最流行的音樂(lè)家之一是Brenda Fassie。她可以與美國(guó)流行巨星麥當(dāng)娜媲美，因?yàn)樗奈?臺(tái)表現(xiàn)力震撼人心。但是她也喜歡讓人深思。20世紀(jì)80年代她因?yàn)橐皇子嘘P(guān)反對(duì)種族隔離的單 曲而一炮走紅?，F(xiàn)在種族隔離巳經(jīng)終止了，她的歌曲有關(guān)于南美政治和文化的其他方面。她使用 傳統(tǒng)的非洲語(yǔ)言與一種新的流行形式庫(kù)威多來(lái)歌唱。近些年，非洲以外的人們都開(kāi)始聽(tīng)這些年輕音樂(lè)家的歌曲。通過(guò)音樂(lè)，年青一代的音樂(lè)家使 非洲與世界其他的地方相連接，同時(shí)也影響著世界的其他地方第四十一篇The Operation of International Airlines International airlines have rediscovered the business traveler, the man or woman who regularly jets from country to country as part of the job. This does not necessarily mean that airlines ever abandoned their business travelers. Instead, companies like Lufthansa and Swissair1 would right argue that they have always catered best for the executive class passengers. But many airlines could be accused of concentrating too heavily in the recent past on attracting passengers by volume, often at the expense of the regular traveler. Too often, they have seemed geared for quantity rather than quality. Operating a major airline is essentially a matter of finding the right mix of passengers. The airlines need to fill up the back end of their wide-bodied jets with low fare passengers, without forgetting that the front end should be filled with people who pay substantially more for their tickets. It is no coincidence that the two major airline bankruptcies were among the companies specializing in cheap flights. But low fares require consistently full aircraft to make flights economically viable, and in the recent recession the volume of traffic has not grown. Equally the large number of airlines jostling for the available passengers has created a huge excess of capacity. The net result of excess capacity and cut-throat competition driving down fares had been to push some airlines into collapse and leave many others hovering on the brink2. Against this grim background, it is no surprise that airlines are turning increasingly towards the business travelers to improve their rates of return, They have invested much time and effort to establish exactly what the executive demands for sitting apart from the tourists. High on the list of priorities is punctuality; an executives time is money. In-flight service is another area where the airlines are jostling for the executives attention. The free drinks and headsets and better food are all part of the lure. Another development has been the accent of seating arrangeme