The cold and rainy weather in Paris has not stopped Joe Schaeffer, an American tourist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from visiting

admin2013-09-23  35

问题     The cold and rainy weather in Paris has not stopped Joe Schaeffer, an American tourist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from visiting the City of Lights with his family of four. Nor have the city’s expensive prices—all the higher because of the huge drop in value of the American dollar compared to the European euro. "We were coming anyway, not matter the price. We might not stay as long. We might eat cheese sandwiches, "he said.
    At Notre Dame Cathedral a few blocks away, Linda Surma from Detroit, Michigan says she is also shocked by high prices in Paris these days. But Surma does not regret deciding to come to Paris, and has no plans to trim tourist attractions from her itinerary because of the expense—even if she might not buy souvenirs.
    Paul Roll is managing director of the Paris Convention and Visitors Office. He says American tourists in Paris—who numbered about 1. 5 million last year—tend to cut expenses when the dollar is weak, rather than cancel their trip.
    "We have no statistics on the subject, but we have seen over the years that when it gets more expensive to go to Europe, they downgrade the type of services they buy. Instead of going to a luxury hotel, they will go to a four-star hotel. Instead of going to a magnificent restaurant, they will go to something that has less stars on the Michelin(restaurant guide).
    But recently a number of Americans have been staying away from Paris altogether—and from Europe as a whole—as the dollar reaches record lows against the euro. Right now, it is nearly a $1. 60 against the European currency—a few years ago, the two currencies were about equal. Paris, has weathered a decline in tourism before—notably in 2003, when trans-Atlantic differences over the Iraq War were at a high. At the time, the French tourist office launched a campaign to woo back Americans, hiring American actor and director Woody Allen for a promotional clip titled;" Let’s Fall in Love Again. "Roll says the Paris tourism bureau has no immediate plans for a new charm offensive, although some Paris hotels are offering fixed euro-to-dollar rates.
    In Paris, Americans who are paid in dollars are also hurting. That includes Eleanor Beardsley, the correspondent for National Public Radio, the American public radio channel.
    " It is getting so bad I do not even look at the exchange rate every day. I do not go shopping anymore for clothes, " she said. " It is just depressing. Every time you look at your bank statement online—I might withdraw 300(euros), that is $500. It is just completely depressing and I do not see any end in sight. "
    But American companies operating in Paris have been less affected by the dollar’s decline, according to Oliver Griffith, managing director of the American Chamber of Commerce. Many of them hire Europeans, not Americans, who are paid in euros—not dollars. "American companies that invest in France have not declined that drastically, " he explained. "Because a lot of the companies are multinational. They have assets in dollars, euros, all over the place. They get some inputs in euro-denominated countries, others in dollar-denominated countries.
    Others are profiting from the slump. Griffith says French investment in the United States has climbed sharply during the past two years—and America exporters are eyeing new opportunities furnished by a cheaper dollar.
What can we learn from the passage?

选项 A、Because of the devaluation of US dollar, American visitors shorten their trip to Europe.
B、Europe does not forecast the huge drop of American visitors.
C、Not only Paris but the whole Europe witnesses the reduction of American tourists.
D、The value of US dollar has become historical low.

答案C

解析 推理题。本题要根据各选项的关键词分别对应原文进行判断。文中第五段提到,近来由于美元与欧元兑换率达到历史新低,因此不仅巴黎的美国游客减少了,甚至整个欧洲的美国客人数量都下降了,由此可以判断[C]正确。根据文章前四段可以判断,美国人应付美元下跌不是缩短在欧洲旅游的时间,而是降低旅游期间的开销,[A]可排除;文中第五段提到:Paris,has weathered a decline in tourism be—fore,可排除[B];文中说美元与欧元的兑换率达到历史最低点,而美元的价值是否是最低还要参照欧元价值是否有变化而定,故[D]”美元达到历史新低”不符合文意。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/5PLK777K
0

最新回复(0)