Answer Key

Choose the best explanation for the following words and phrases from the reading...

You answered 0 of 5 questions correctly in this part of the test.

  1. "We are finally beginning to see a few rays of light" means:[Analysts think that the industry's troubles may be coming to an end, and things are starting to improve.]
  2. "an unbelievable series of disasters" means: [The airline industry's recent problems are so big they are hard to understand or accept.]
  3. "Airlines soar on hopes of recovery" means:[Airline stocks realized a large increase in value because investors think the industry is coming out of a difficult period.]
  4. "Upbeat bookings news" means:[Continental and Quantas reported an encouraging increase in ticket sales and reservations this month.]
  5. "Air France…appeared to be lagging behind" means: [Air France is not experiencing the same gains on the market as other major European airlines.]
Are the following statements about the reading correct?

You answered 0 of 5 questions correctly in this part of the test.

1.   Investors are concerned that Air France doesn't have enough customers.That is correct.

2.   The "open skies" agreement will mean almost immediate profit for European airlines.That is incorrect. Correct is: Look in the text to find out.

3.   Only one major air traffic agreement exists between the U.S. and Europe at the moment.That is incorrect. Correct is: Look in the text to find out.

4.   Despite economic improvements, analysts are still worried about the spread of SARS affecting airline revenues.That is incorrect. Correct is: Look in the text to find out.

5.   British Airways owns 17 percent of Continental and Quantas.That is incorrect. Correct is: Look in the text to find out.