GriffithworkedforafirmthatspecializedineconomicdevelopmentinWashingtonD.C.becausesheneededmoneytopayforherdebt.

翻译：

中国位于亚洲东部，是世界上人口最多的国家。中国是世界四大文明古国之一，拥有大量的中华文化光辉的古迹，此外，中国地大物博，拥有茂密的森林、雄伟壮丽的瀑布、秀丽的湖泊以及如利剑直插云霄的山峰，所有这些都令世界各国人民神往。但是，更重要的是，中国以拥有五千多年的历史而自豪，遗留下无数的历史文物，其中包括珍贵珠宝、古迹名胜、宫殿及数不尽的雄伟建筑，令人惊叹不已。这种种原因都促使中国成为许多人梦寐以求的旅游胜地。

Everything____intoconsideration,IproposethatthefirstprizeshouldbegiventoLiuQiang.

Iftheoldmaximthatthecustomerisalwaysrightstillhasmeaning,thentheairlinesthatplytheworld’sbusiestairroutebetweenLondonandParishaveaflightontheirhands.

TheEurostartrainservicelinkingtheUKandFrenchcapitalsviatheChannelTunneliswinningcustomersinincreasingnumbers.InlateMay,itcarrieditsonemillionthpassenger,havingrunonlyalimitedservicebetweenLondon,ParisandBrusselssinceNovember1994,startingwithtwotrainsadayineachdirectiontoParisandBrussels.By1997,thecompanybelievesthatitwillbecarryingtenmillionpassengersayear,andcontinuetogrowfromthere.

FromJuly,EurostarstepsitsservicetoninetrainseachwaybetweenLondonandParis,andfivebetweenLondonandBrussels.Eachtraincarriesalmost800passengers,210oftheminfirstclass.

Theairlinesestimatethattheywillinitiallylosearound15%-20%oftheirLondon-ParistraffictotherailwaysonceEurostarstartsafullservicelaterthisyear(1995),with15trainsadayeachway.AsimilarservicewillstarttoBrussels.Thedamagewillbelimited,however,theairlinesbelieve,withpassengernumbersreturningtopreviouslevelswithintwotothreeyears.

Intheshortterm,thedamagecausedbythe1millionpeople-levelstravelingbetweenLondonandParisandBrusselsonEurostartrainsmeansthatsomeairservicesarealreadysuffering.Someofthemajorcarrierssaythattheirpassengernumbersaredownbylessthan5%andpointtotheirrivals-ParticularlyAirFrance-ashavingsufferedtheproblems.OntheBrusselsroute,therailwaycompanyhadlesssuccess,andtheairlinesreportanythingfromarounda5%droptonovisibledeclineintraffic.

Theairlines’optimismonreturningtrafficlevelsisbasedonhistoricalprecedent.BritishMidland,forexample,pointstoitsexperienceonHeathrowLeedsBradfordservicewhichsawpassengernumbersfoldby15%whenBritishRailelectrifiedandmodernizedtherailwaylinebetweenLondonandYorkshire.Twoyearslater,travelhadrisenbetweenthetwodestinationstothepointwheretheairlinewascarryingrecordnumbersofpassengers.

1.Britishairlinesconfideinthefactthat__.

A.theyaremorepowerfulthanotherEuropeanairlines.

B.theirtotallosswon’tgobeyondadropof5%passengers.

C.theirtrafficlevelswillreturnin2-3years.

D.travelingbyrailcannevercatchupwithtravelingbyair.

2.Theauthor’sattitudetowardsthedropofpassengersmaybedescribedas__.

A.worried.B.delightedC.puzzled.D.unrivaled.

3.Inthepassage,BritishRail(Para6)ismentionedto__.

A.provideacomparisonwithEurostar.

B.supporttheairlines’optimism.

C.provetheinevitabledropofairpassengers.

D.callforelectrificationandmodernizationoftherailway.

4.Therailway’sBrusselsrouteisbroughtforthtoshowthat__.

A.theEurostartrainserviceisnotdoinggoodbusiness.

B.theairlinescanwellcompetewiththerailway.

C.theEurostartrainserviceonlycausedlittledamage.

D.onlysomeairlines,suchasAirFrance,aresuffering.

5.Thepassageistakenfromthefirstofanessay,fromwhichwemaywellpredictthatinthefollowingparttheauthorisgoingto__.

A.praisetheairlines’clear-mindedness.

B.warntheairlinesofhigh-speedrailservices.

C.proposeareductionofLondon/Parisflights.

D.advisetheairlinestofollowBritishMidlandastheirmodel.

Lifeistooshort________________(不可每天将时间浪费在看电视上).