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  3. The existence of ghosts may be debated. But the impact of traditional Asian beliefs on Thailand’s tourism trade since the Decemb

The existence of ghosts may be debated. But the impact of traditional Asian beliefs on Thailand’s tourism trade since the Decemb

admin2010-01-10  48
问题    The existence of ghosts may be debated. But the impact of traditional Asian beliefs on Thailand’s tourism trade since the December 26,2004, tsunami (海啸) appears indisputable.
   Tourism from Europe, Australia, and the United States has rebounded since the disaster. But tourist arrivals from elsewhere in Asia have plummeted (垂直落下) since the tsunami and have yet to bounce back.
   Industry observers cite Asian tourists’ fears of ghosts in tsunami-stricken areas as the main reason for the decline. The tsunami claimed more than 215,000 lives in 11 countries around the Indian Ocean and left another 50,000 people unaccounted for. Buddhism and other Asian belief systems hold that if bodies are not recovered and properly buried, their spirits restlessly wander the Earth. Many Asians believe that lost souls try to drag living beings into a spiritual limbo (地狱的边缘).
   On Thailand’s southwestern coast more than 5,300 people died and 2,900 more went missing when the tsunami swept ashore. Half of the victims were foreign tourists. Since the disaster, tales of ghost sightings have become epidemic. Foreign ghosts seem to be particularly common, and many of the accounts are being covered in local newspapers.
   "Belief in ghosts and spirits is widespread and all-important in Asian religious and cultural traditions," said Steven Heine, a religious studies professor at the Institute for Asian Studies at Florida international University in Miami.
   As Buddhism gradually spread from India to Asia, it was molded by various folk religions. Most of these belief systems have a strong element of ancestor worship. "Where someone dies prematurely..., it is commonly believed that the ghosts will hang around the accident area and harass the living who come near," Cohen said.
   In Thailand tourist arrivals to Bangkok dropped by 27 percent between January 2004 and January 2005. Korean and Japanese travel agencies have reportedly seen a massive drop-off in the number of bookings to Thai coastal resorts. Business is so bad that many Asian airlines have cut their direct flights to Phuket.
   "Asian tourists are scared of ghosts.., and these are factors that have made our tourist arrivals drop short of our goal, "Thai tourism minister Somsak Thepsuthin told a local radio show.
   The Thai government has given private companies grants equal to millions of U. S. dollars for marketing and advertising campaigns to help Asian tourists overcome their fears.
   Meanwhile, Buddhist monks have been presiding over cleansing ceremonies at resorts that were destroyed by the tsunami. Days after the tsunami struck, monks in flowing orange robes could be seen walking along the beaches sprinkling holy water.
选项
答案fears of ghosts
解析 由题干中的Asian tourists定位到文章第三段首句Industry observers cite Asian tourists fears of ghosts in tsunami-stricken areas as the main reason for the decline．此处应填入名词性成分，作为because of的宾语。题目中的because of与文中的reason对应。“行业观察员引述亚洲游客对遭受海啸地区鬼魂的恐惧作为游客数量下降的主要原因。”因此应填入fears of ghosts。
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