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Passage4OnThursdayAmericanAirlinesandUSAirwaysannouncedanalliancetopooltheirfrequent-flierprograms,givingcustomersaddedincentivestoflyoneanother'sskies.ThenonFridayDeltaandUniteddeliveredwordofasort-of-but-not-quitecoupling.Thesedealsthrustthemuch-scrutinizedairlineindustryevenmoreintothepublicspotlight.Airlineprofitsareatrecordhighs.Businessfaresareclimbingintothestratosphere,up16percentlastyearalone.Nowcomestheconsolidationsweepingtheindustry.Thequestioniswhetherthesedealswillmeanmorechoiceandmoreconvenience,astheairlinesargue,orlesscompetitionorevenhigherprices.Clearlyconsumerscanbenefitfromthesetie-ups.PassengersflyingAmericanorUSAirways,forinstance,cannowuseeithercarrier'snetworkof72worldwideclubsandlounges.Theycancombinetheirfrequent-flierawards,allowingthemnotonlytobuildupredeemablemilesmorequicklybutalsocashthemintomoredestinations.AmericancanplugintoUSAirways'deeperwebofconnectionsupanddowntheEasternSeaboard;USAirways,withfewerroutestoSouthAmerica,theCaribbeariandEurope,willbeabletoofferagreaterarrayofinternationalflights.Intime,AmericanandUSAirwayshopetocreatethemoreambitiouspartnership--aso-calledcode-sharingagreementthatwouldallowthetwocarrierstocoordinateflightscheduleswithoutenteringafull-fledgedmerger.Thegoalisseamlessservice--withouthavingtochangeairlines.Priceisawildcardinthesealliances.Consumergroupsworrythattheywillreducecompetition,translatinginturnintohigherfares.Theycouldberight.Giventherapidtrendtowardconsolidation,manyanalystsforeseeadaywhenmostmajorhubairportswillbedominatedbyasingleairlineorconsortium.AreportlastyearbytheGeneralAccountingOfficefoundthatticketprices,insuchcases,rangedfrom45to65percenthigherthanatcitieswheretwoormorecarrierscompeted.AndjustlastweektheTransportationDepartmentannounceditwasinvestigatingallegationsofprice-fixingbythemajorairlines--aimedatkeepingsmallerdiscount-carriersfromintrudingontheirturf--andtheJusticeDepartmenthasbegunsimilarprobes.Themessage?Airlinesmayyearntomerge--butwinningapprovalfromskepticalauthoritiesmightbetougherthantheyexpect.13.Judgingfromthepassage,thefrequent-flierprogramisonebywhich________.A)peoplewhohavebuiltupacertainnumberofflyingmileswithanairlinewillgetafreeticket.B)peoplewhoflyanairlinefrequentlywillgetadiscountC)peoplewhohavebuiltupacertainnumberofflyingmileswithanairlinewillgetacashawardD)peoplewhoflyanairlinefrequentlywillgetextraservice14.accordingtothispassage,thefederalgovernment'sattitudetowardsairlinemergersisoneof_______A)encouragementB)restrictionC)prohibitionD)approval15.Theexpressionawildcardinthelastparagraphmostprobablymeans________.A)achiefconcrnB)animportantfactorC)anunpredictableelementD)anecessaryconsequence16.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?A)Airlinemergerswillgiverisetointensecompetition.B)Consumersbenefitfromairlinemergers.C)Tie-upsbetweenairlinesseemtodrawlittlepublicattention.D)Ticketpricestendtobehigherwherethereisonlyonecarrier.Passage5AdecadeagoSusicMakinsterlearnedshemighthavealiverproblem.Herdoctorstoldhernottoworry.Soshedidn't--untilthreeyearsago,whenshewasastonishedtolearnshehadtestedpositiveforhepatitis(肝炎)C,ablood-bornevirusshehadneverheardof.Makinster,then45,hadbeenlivingwithaninfectionthatwouldlikelystaywithherforlifeandthatcouldeventuallydestroyherliverandcauseherdeath.Yetshehadnoideahoworwhenshehadcontractedthevirus.HepatitisCwasn'tevendiscovereduntil1989.Todayanestimated3.9millionAmericansareinfected,andmostofthemstilldon'sknowit.LikeHIV,hepatitisCisaslowactingvirusthatcanbetransmittedbysharedneedlesandbloodtransfusions.Butitisfarmorerampant.Thereisnovaccinetopreventitsspread,andnoreliabletreatment.Some75percentofpeoplewhocontracttheviruswillcarryitforlife;20percentwilldevelopcirrhosisoftheliver.HepatitisCisnowthenation'sleadingreasonforlivertransplantation,andthesecondleadingcauseofcirrhosis(afteralcohol).Itwillkillroughly10,000Americansthisyear--andthatnumberisexpectedtotripleoverthenexttwodecades,asmorepastinfectionscometolight.SaysSurgeonGeneralDavidSatcher,Thisisamajorpublichealthcrisis.Untiltreatmentislesshit-or-miss,livingwithhepatitisCwillbeamatterofaccommodation.Thoughmostpeoplewhocontractedthevirusbecomechronicallyinfected,manyneverdevelopadvancedliverdisease.That'spartlyluck,butnotentirely.Givingupalcoholbrightenstheprognosis,andmanysuffererstoutthebenefitsofreducingstressandgettingmorerest.GettingvaccinatedagainsthepatitisaandBisalsoagoodidea,sinceadualinfectioncanaggravatethedisease.Andpreventingfurtherspreadrequiressomeprecautions.Expertsaredividedontheneedtopractisesafesex,sincethevirusisnormallyonlyintheblood.Buttheystresstheimportanceofcoveringopenwoundsandnotsharingrazorsandtoothbrushes.17.Accordingtothepassage,theleadingcauseforlivercirrhosisis_______.A)toomuchdrinkingB)hepatitisCC)hepatitisAD)hepatitisB18.Accordingtothepassage,whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?A)NoonewhocontractshepatitisCcanhopetolivelong.B)MorepeoplehavecontractedhepatitisCthanHIV.C)AlcoholisthechiefcauseforhepatitisC.D)HepatitisCissexuallytransmitted.19.ThenumberofpeoplewhowilldieofhepatitisCin