4 Hotels That Will Make Your Life Easier
For the business traveler who is all about efficiency: Check out these hotels that will get you in and out with a minimum of trouble.
When you are pressed for time on a business trip, nothing can infuriate you more than a slow hotel check-in process. On your next trip, try these hotels that offer a speedier check-in process.
1. Yotel New York
The self-service kiosks (售货亭) at this high-tech New York hotel work just like the ones you’d see at an airport. There are just five-steps to register and obtain your card key. There is even a robotic luggage bellboy. You tap in the number of bags you are carrying and sizes, then wait for a robot arm to swing down and store your luggage in a locker (say, for a day trip). This also speeds up the check-in process if the first thing you need to do, like me, is heading to a series of meetings
2. Marriott Detroit Airport
Another option for business travelers in a hurry: Marriott is rolling out its mobile check-in app to 325 hotels this year, including the Marriott Detroit Airport hotel (I’ve tested the app itself but not for a real visit quite yet). Here is the basic idea: you download the iPhone or Android app. The night before, you can “check-in” virtually. When you arrive, you get an alert that the room is ready and your key, which is already tied to your reservation, is waiting for you at the desk.
3. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
I happened to stay at this hotel recently and liked how fast the kiosk check-in works. Like the Yotel, the kiosk asks you to insert your credit card, similar to an airport terminal. The whole process took about three minutes, when I left, I was equally impressed-with the fast check-out. An agent meets you in the lobby with an ipad and asks for an email to use for a receipt. The big advantage: you never have to wait in line.
4. Radisson: LaCrosse
The Radisson is trying to make the kiosk process even faster. At a few selected hotels like the Radisson Lacrosse in Wisconsin, you use a mobile app to register and then receive a barcode by email or text. When you get the kiosk, you scan the barcode to get your key without any other steps required. It’s super fast. You can find this new check-in system at the Radisson hotels in Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Phoenix as well.
1. What does “infuriate” mean in the first paragraph?| A．interest | B．anger | C．trouble | D．mislead |
| A．Yotel New York and Marriott Detroit Airport |
| B．Hyatt Regency Minneapolis and Radisson: Lacrosse |
| C．Marriott Detroit Airport and Hyatt Regency Minneapolis |
| D．Marriott Detroit Airport and Radisson: Lacrosse |
| A．Yotel New York |
| B．Hyatt Regency Minneapolis |
| C．Radisson: Lacrosse |
| D．Marriott Detroit Airport |
| A．At Yotel New York, a robot will help you with all the check-in process |
| B．With its check-in app, you may enter your room in Marriott without a key |
| C．Hyatt Regency Minneapolis is close to an airport terminal. |
| D．The barcode you receive from Radisson contributes to the fast check-in |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal attack-when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine who was trapped in a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving a warning about being late for the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam’s a being late-serious illness at home-he decided that this by now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer. His boss was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.
Yes the boss was. Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room(更衣室); everyone was hard at work. Sam’s boss came up to him. Suddenly Sam smiled and stretched out his hand. “How do you do!” he said. “I’m Sam Maynard. I’m applying for a job which I understand became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?”
The room exploded in laughter. However, the boss clamped off a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job-with the only tool that could win a laugh.
Humor is a most effective yet frequently neglected means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no”, criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs it’s the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialogue may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other field.
1. Why was Sam late for his job?| A．He was ill. | B．He got up late. |
| C．He was busy applying for a new job. | D．He was caught in a traffic jam. |
| A．burst into | B．gave out | C．tried to hold back | D．tried to set up |
| A．Humor is embarrassing in difficult situations. |
| B．Comedians may use humor to avoid a quarrel. |
| C．All people lose faces without a sense of humor. |
| D．Humor is the most effective way of solving problems. |
【推荐2】Winslow Homer was a famous American painter. Since Art History class in college，I had always admired his works and I was lucky to see a large exhibition of his works when I was in my early 30s. It was at this event that I bought a print of his painting “Snap the Whip”. It always hung in my classroom until I retired from teaching.
I thought it truly captured the freedom and fun of childhood. In the painting，a group of young boys are playing a game arm in arm on the grass ground in front of a farm house. They are jumping and laughing wildly with great joy. One of the boys is falling down to the ground. They are not even wearing shoes!
During my last year of teaching，there was a young woman in her first year of teaching right next door to me and we got to be good friends. She had been an art student before taking up education. Her eyes were drawn immediately to this print when she entered my room. So on my last day of teaching，after the students had left，I took the painting off the wall and walked next door and gave it to her.
She was really surprised，but very glad to have it. I was delighted that she liked it and all the students she would have would treasure it as much as I had. We found the perfect place for it on one of her walls and hung it together. I was happy that she brought back this wonderful memory for me.
1. Why did the author admire the painting “Snap the Whip”so much？| A．He had a deep love for children and students. |
| B．It was bought from a famous American painter. |
| C．He appreciated the freedom and fun in the painting. |
| D．It had also drawn the attention of the young woman. |
| A．Homeless children. | B．The nature of children. |
| C．Hard-working farmers. | D．The pleasure of working. |
| A．Recognized. | B．Controlled. |
| C．Caught. | D．Influenced. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Painful. |
| C．Proud. | D．Pleased. |
Have you ever walked outside thinking it was one temperature but quickly discovered it felt colder?That is because of the “wind chill” effect.
Wind chill is how cold people and animals feel when. they are outside, not the actual temperature on the thermometer(温度计).
When scientists first started calculating wind chill, they used research done in 1945 by explorers to Antarctica who measured, how quickly water froze outside. But water freezes faster than exposed skin, so the wind chill index based on that data wasn't accurate.
The experiment showed how quickly exposed skin can be damaged, particularly unprotected areas like your fingers, toes, the tip of your nose and your ear lobes.
The information collected from the volunteers helped scientists work out the math to compute wind chill. It involves wind speed and air temperature.
If, for example, the temperature outside is zero degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 15 miles per hour, the wind chill is calculated at 19 degrees below zero. At that wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.
| A．In fact, 40 percent of your body heat can be lost through your head. |
| B．It is based on how quickly your body loses heat when it is exposed to wind and cold. |
| C．Unlike temperature, wind chill has no universally agreed upon standard definition or measurement. |
| D．Experts dislike “wind chill”, as it is inaccurate and was never intended for widespread use. |
| E．About ten years ago, the US government began to measure wind chill more precisely by testing how quickly people's skin froze. |
| F．Experts advise that in cold weather you wear loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing, worn on top of each other. |
【推荐1】The Best American National Parks to Visit for Christmas
The Christmas season can be stressful if you spend every moment cleaning, cooking, and hosting guests. Or the holidays can be a joyful celebration of beauty and peace if you plan an escape to one of America’s splendid national parks.
Yellowstone National Park
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Yellow stone, the country’s first national park, is your top choice. Your family can enjoy a quiet and private getaway（假日休闲地）at Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins. Sit by the fire with hot cocoa and look out at the vast wilderness all around you. Also you can photograph a bison and other wildlife on a winter photo safari.
Rocky Mountain National Park
If you really want to get away from it all over the holidays, plan a trip to a park less traveled in the winter. Rocky Mountain National Park is quiet and uncrowded, but the wildlife is still active. Seeing a moose（麋鹿）in its natural habitat is an experience you won’t forget. Sledding and skiing are also exciting possibilities.
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park offers a fun holiday experience for families. Families can get on the Polar Express that runs from Arizona to the South Rim of the park through early January and enjoy a pleasant ride complete with hot chocolate and cookies. When you reach the “North Pole”, Santa Claus is waiting with a gift for each child. It’s the best way for your kids to enjoy the magic of Christmas.
Virgin Islands National Park
If snow isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Virgin Islands National Park is perfect for you to escape winter. With white sandy beaches, clear blue water, and more than 800 subtropical plants, you will feel like you traveled outside the U.S. to a tropical area. Cinnamon Bay is a major spot for Christmastime visitors looking for water sports like sailing, diving, and snorkeling（浮潜）.
1. In which park can you both see animals and go skiing?| A．Yellow stone National Park. | B．Rocky Mountain National Park. |
| C．Grand Canyon National Park. | D．Virgin Islands National Park. |
| A．Art lovers. | B．Explorers. |
| C．Outdoor photographers. | D．Families with children. |
| A．Various water sports. | B．Beautiful train rides. |
| C．The quiet environment. | D．The snow-covered landscape. |
【推荐2】I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles”(风格) of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑) in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; In Japan, people use landmarks(地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
1. When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ________.| A．describe the place carefully | B．show him a map of the place |
| C．tell him the names of the streets | D．refer to recognizable buildings and places |
| A．New York. | B．Los Angeles. | C．Kansas. | D．Iowa. |
| A．in order to save time | B．Los Angeles. |
| C．so as to be polite | D．for fun |
| A．It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
| B．It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
| C．People have similar understandings of politeness. |
| D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
【推荐3】Cheap Travel Destinations for Winter Trips
·Charleston, South Carolina(Hotel Cost：$72.33，Round-Trip Flight：$303)
The charming city of Charleston is ripe for exploring even during the cooler winter months. Catch a show at the Charleston Stage Company or watch a performance from the Charleston Ballet. If it’s your first time visiting, take a carriage tour of the city to explore 25 to 30 blocks of the downtown area.
·Anchorage, Alaska(Hotel Cost：$43. 67，Round-Trip Flight：$577.50)
Walk on a glacier, see wildlife and explore attractive national parks for cheapness in Anchorage. The Chugach Mountains are easily accessible, just 20 minutes from the downtown area.
·Washington, D. C.(Hotel Cost：$150，Round-Trip Flight：$206.50)
Take a trip to the Lincoln Memorial, express respect and admiration to the soldiers that served in World War Ⅱat the National World War Ⅱ Memorial and discover other sites that honor American history—free of charge. Galleries, museums and historic neighborhoods are ripe for exploring even during the winter months.
·Savannah, Georgia(Hotel Cost：$49，Round-Trip Flight：$317.50)
Taking a self-guided tour of this southern city is one of the best ways to see famous landmarks and sites free of charge. Visit the 22 public squares and see the General Casimir Pulaski Monument. And don’t forget to get your picture taken at the same bus stop bench used in the movie Forrest Gump, in Chippewa Square.
1. Which place will you choose to go if you are interested in modern American history?| A．Savannah, Georgia. | B．Charleston, South Carolina. |
| C．Anchorage, Alaska. | D．Washington, D. C. |
| A．Travelers can often see wildlife in the parks. |
| B．Travelers can watch a performance of ballet. |
| C．Travelers have to take a self-guided tour to travel. |
| D．Travelers often take pictures at a bus stop bench. |
| A．newspaper | B．novel | C．web page | D．magazine |
【推荐1】Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in New Zealand
Nature has shaped New Zealand with the beauty of a movie set. Few destinations (目的地) boast so many natural wonders packed into such a small area. Here are the best attractions travelers can explore.
Kaikoura, South Island
Birders, wildlife and seafood lovers will love the charming coasted village of Kaikoura. Between the Seaward Kaikoura Range and the Pacific Ocean, Kaikoura offers excellent coastal hikes and popular whale watching tours. In addition to whales, passengers may spot fur seals, dolphins and a wide variety of birds.
Queenstown, South Island
Queenstown is New Zealand’s adventure capital. Bungee jumping, jet boating, rock climbing, mountain biking and downhill skiing are just some of the thrilling things to do here. In addition to the adventure sports, Queenstown offers all the comforts, with first-class hotels, spas, restaurants, galleries and shops.
Bay of Islands, North Island
A three-hour drive north of Auckland, the beautiful Bay of Islands is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country. There are more than 144 islands on the bay, making it a perfect place for sailing. Penguins, dolphins, and whales live in these waters, and the area is a popular sport-fishing spot. The towns in the area such as Rusell ,Opua and Paihia are great bases for exploring this scenic bay.
Rotorua, North Island
This is a land where the Earth speaks. Boiling mud pools, volcanic craters and steaming hot springs show the forces of New Zealand’s dramatic landscapes. Visitors can take a walking tour of these geothermal(地热的) wonders and bathe in the springs while visiting the interesting attractions to learn about the area’s rich Maori history and culture.
1. Which is the best choice if a traveller is fond of adventure?| A．Kaikoura. | B．Queenstown. |
| C．Bay of Islands. | D．Rotorua. |
| A．They both are isolate islands. | B．Sailing is the most popular there. |
| C．Whales can be seen there. | D．Fishing is forbidden there. |
| A．Watching various birds. | B．Bathing in the springs. |
| C．Learning about the Maori’s history. | D．Witnessing boiling mud pools. |
【推荐2】SIGN YOUR CHILD UP FOR “FLY TO THE MOON CLUB” AND ENJOY A FREE FLIGHT TO ANY DESTINATION IN ASIA!
With a registration fee of just $50 per child, children under the age of 12 can join Eagle Airways’ FLY TO THE MOON CLUB as members.
They can then enjoy the same benefits onboard Eagle Airways' newest Boeing-797 to any destination in the world!
BENEFITS YOU CAN’T MISS!
• A free flight to any destination in Asia
• 30% off any course at Tanya Language School
• 20% off any purchase made at Ruby Bookstore
• A free notebook with every purchase above $50 at Starlight Stationery
• A free bowl of dessert for a family of four at Don's Diners dinner ordered
• A birthday gift on your child's birthday
• A free album containing pictures taken during the journey
All bookings made before 12 September will receive free travel insurance for the entire family! Insurance is issued by Live Life Insurance Group.
10% OFF ALL BOOKINGS for departures from 5 to 11 September
* Child must be accompanied by two paying adults.
** Terms and conditions apply.
1. One of the benefits mentioned in, the advertisement is .
| A．a free flight to any destination in the world |
| B．30% off any book purchased at Ruby Bookstore |
| C．a free bowl of dessert at any restaurant at the airport |
| D．a discount on any course at Tanya Language School |
| A．Booking date Departure date September 13 September 18 |
| B．Booking date Departure date September 2 September 12 |
| C．Booking date Departure date August 15 September 4 |
| D．Booking date Departure date August 16 September 8 |
| A．You need to pay $50 to sign up a child for the club. |
| B．Club members enjoy free travel insurance for any flight. |
| C．The advertisement is intended for students of all ages. |
| D．Any child must be accompanied by at least one paying adult. |
DC Highlights Tour
This is their base tour. It begins at 10 am daily and lasts for 5 hours. This part-bus, part-walking tour includes guided stops in the US. All of their tours include a driver as well as a tour guide, and your tour guide will get off the bus and give you walking tours of each stop, while your bus and driver wait for you. Capitol Building, the White House, Washington Monument as well as the Lincoln and MLK Memorials and the Vietnam War and Korean War Veterans Memorials.
$54—Adult I $44—Child (3—12)
Discover DC Tour
If you want pretty much to explore every famous monument and landmark in DC and take a 1 -hour cruise on the Potomac River, then consider the Discover DC Tour. This 6-hour tour will take you to all locations (景点) listed on their DC Highlights Tour as well as the World War Ⅱ Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
TIP: If you are planning on visiting NYC, you will get 30% off the Discover NYC Tour (normally $100) if you buy it at the same time as your Discover DC Tour.
$74—Adult I $54—Child (3—12)
VIP Exclusive Washington DC City Tour
This 8-hour tour is actually the Discover DC Tour above with a VIP add-on at the beginning and the end. You * 11 meet your guide early for reserved (预留)tickets to tour inside the US Capitol Building. The 45 -minute tour and film have reserved tickets so you don't have to worry about it being sold out. After your day of sightseeing, you 'll be dropped off at the National Archives, again with reserved time tickets so you don't have to worry about waiting in line.
$125 for Adults and Children
Skyview Changeable Bus Tour
On this changeable mini bus, you get to experience a guided tour with panoramic views (全景)without the glare of a window in the photos! A guided bus tour takes you not only through all locations listed on the DC Highlights Tour, but also Old Town Alexandria and National Harbor.
$69—Adult I $59—Child (3—12)
Time: 9 am—4 pm
1. What's special about the DC Highlights Tour?| A．It uses mini buses. | B．It has the fewest locations. |
| C．It has the most tour guides. | D．It provides reserved tickets. |
| A．$128. | B．$174. | C．$104. | D．$144. |
| A．DC Highlights Tour. | B．Discover DC Tour. |
| C．VIP Exclusive Washington DC City Tour. | D．Skyview Changeable Bus Tour. |
