人邮第二辑真题 TEST 3 READING PART 5
　　A SUCCESSFUL AIRLINE
　　Executives at Fastline, now (0)____ of the country’s largest airlines, were in optimistic mood at the press conference they held yesterday afternoon. They announced that they were (31)____ a position to revise the company’s full-year profits forecast sharply upward (32)____ a result of an exceptionally strong performance over the last nine months. Profits during this period rose by very (33)____ 50 per cent compared with the same period last year. The company feels confident that this performance will continue throughout the remainder of the year. It is expected (34)_____will be a 40 per cent increase in profits for the full year compared with the 15 per cent that had been indicated (35)____ the half-year stage.
　　During the year, (36)____than raise its fares as most other airlines did in response to higher fuel costs, Fastline stuck to its decision to keep fares at the same level as last year. This must account to (37)_____ extent for the significant rise (38)____ only in the number of passengers booked on flights, but also in the amount of freight carried.
　　The airline has also confirmed that it is in negotiations with another airline to sell the whole of (39)____ 20 per cent holding in Border Air. However, executives are refusing to reveal the name of the interested party until a definite agreement (40)____ reached.
　　文章是介绍一个航空公司的情况。完形填空文章的选材常出现这种文章，不管是填词版的还是选词版的，介绍的内容都是利润较去年同期有所增长，形势一片大好等等。
　　这套题目比较简单。十个空有八个空是比较明显的，主要是固定搭配。像这种带点主观题性质的英语题，总体上不会太难，做多了，甚至会比选择题简单。
　　31题，看到空格后面的a position就应该意识到空格处应该填入一个介词，表示处在一个什么位置。用in。be in a position to do something，固定搭配。看个例句帮助记忆：Next week we will be in a much better position to comment.
　　32题，前面是介绍结果，修改了预期的利润，后面是说公司在过去九个月强劲的表现，也就是结果，所以很显然，用as a result of。
　　33题，in comparison with，固定搭配，做对比。
　　34题，这是个从句，缺乏代词作主语，表示今年将会有40%的利润增长。在从句里充当主语成分，后面接will be的，是there。
　　35题，很明显要填入一个介词，表示在半年阶段显示的15%的增长，用at或者是by，在，某一个阶段。
　　36题，这空理解了意思，就好做。要看完整版的句子，前面说raise its fares as most other airlines did，像其他航空公司一样涨价。后面说Fastline stuck to its decision to keep fares at the same level as last year.。Fastline坚持保持费用不变。也就是说Fastline的策略和其他航空公司的是不一样的。表示不是的词组，rather than。
　　37题，考查的也是固定短语。to a extent，to some extent，在某种程度上。
　　38题，这题只要看到了整个句子后半部分的but also，就能想到前面要填的是not only，增长的不仅是乘客的数量，还有货物的数量。
　　39题，这空比较考验人。先理解意思，公司将把它全部股份的20%卖给另一个航空公司。空格部分要填入的，是个代词，指代公司的，同后面的20 percent holding是一个整体，表示它20%股份。代词中表示它的，是its。这个词的用法很多人不熟悉，熟悉了就容易联想到。看个例句加深理解：I don't know the price of the dress; its ticket has fallen off.我不知道这件衣服的价钱，它的标签掉了。
　　40题，这题也比较明显。是动词的被动语态，空格处要填入的就是be动词，只需要弄明白时态就行。前面的动作是are reaching，现在时，所以空格填is。