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  3. Think of theme parks and you think of roller coasters. The secret checking of the seat restraints, the stomach-sickening climb a

Think of theme parks and you think of roller coasters. The secret checking of the seat restraints, the stomach-sickening climb a

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问题     Think of theme parks and you think of roller coasters. The secret checking of the seat restraints, the stomach-sickening climb and the visceral thrill of the drop are the hallmarks of a park visit. But as a metaphor for the industry, the roller coaster is all wrong. Making money from theme parks is a hard thing, not a thrilling rush. And coasters are not where the best chance of revenue growth lies.
    This week’s July 4th celebrations marked the beginning of the summer season for America’s theme parks. Around the world, another year of moderate growth is expected: global attendance grew by 2.2% in 2006. Growth is slowest in the mature markets of North America and Europe, though the prospects look better in Asia. Scope to raise entry prices is limited by competition. At $300m or more, the economics of building a new park are "brutal", says Raymond Braun of Economic Research Associates, a consultancy.
    In response, operators are concentrating on improving the customer experience, making greater use of their facilities and turning parks into multi-day destinations. Stronger theming helps to make a park more distinctive. Greater interactivity is also important. The "Men in Black" ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, in which passengers shoot at animatronics aliens, is a good example of what industry types like to call an "immersive" experience. Discovery Cove, another Florida park, takes that term literally, charging visitors premium prices to swim with dolphins and other animals.
    Packing more people into parks risks turning visits into a series of queues interrupted by rides, rather than the other way round. "Queuing is a big nuisance," says Mark Fisher of Merlin Entertainments. One answer is to break up the boredom by putting entertainers into the queue. Another is to offer ride-reservation systems or special tickets that let people book a place in line without having to queue. Getting people through the park more efficiently is one way to increase the use of facilities. Extending the season is another. Tivoli, a park in the heart of Copenhagen, introduced a ten-day Halloween season in 2006 to sit alongside its summer and Christmas openings. "We used to be a seasonal business and now we are more or less a full-year business," says the park’s chief executive.
    As squeezing growth out of existing parks becomes harder, operators are also looking to new markets. Indoor city-based attractions, which are cheap to build and easy to get to, have plenty of potential, even in mature markets. Emerging markets look promising, too. Asia’s top ten parks recorded attendance growth of 4.4% in 2006, much of it driven by Hong Kong Disneyland’s first full year of operation. As consumers in developing markets become wealthier, the industry will look a lot more thrilling.
In the author’s opinion, the real driving force for the industry lies in
选项 A、further exploration of new markets.
B、the booming indoor-based attractions.
C、full-year operation of emerging markets.
D、wealthier customers in developing countries.
答案D
解析 推理判断题。考查对作者观点的推断。根据题目选项可定位至最后一段。其中说到新兴市场和室内游乐场前景广阔，但说到新兴市场时，作者认为，随着这些市场消费者愈发富有，该行业将a lot more thrilling，因此可推断D项正确。
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