Part V Reading
Passage 1
Staying in a Hotel
The aim of a hotel is to create a “home” away from home for all the traveling guests who need rest，food and drink.
The Front Office of a hotel is not only its “shop window” but also its “serve center”.The front office staff’s efficiency and personality are of great importance to the realization of the hotel’s aim.It is within this department that the guest’s vacation or business，and indeed，the hotel’s operation itself are made or ruined.The Front Office staff seem to “do it all”—receive reservations，register guests，assign rooms，distribute baggage，store guests’ valuables，provide information，deliver mails and messages，exchange foreign currencies，check room occupancies，check guests out and so on .
The housekeeping department is the backbone of a hotel.In a sense，it is possible to say that a clean and attractive guest room is one of the products that the hotel sells.
The main duty of the housekeeping department staff is to see to the cleanliness and good order of all rooms and public areas in the hotel.The laundry and valet service and many personal services are also parts of their jobs.And they must coordinate the work closely with the Front Office.
Food and beverage service is a major factor in hotel operation.In many large hotels，it brings in more income than room rentals.There are a number of different areas offering a variety of meals and services all within a hotel，the restaurant，grill room，different bars，cafeteria and coffee shop as well as room service，lounge service and banqueting.The food and beverage department involves many people working together as a team.So group cohesiveness is of particular significance there.The food and beverage department employees，especially waiters，waitresses and bartenders，can play an extremely important role in creating a pleasant atmosphere，which is one of the services the hotel sells.
In fact，all these departments as a whole are required to make the guest’s stay comfortable and pleasing.Any reasonable request must be fulfilled.But good service means more than fulfilling requests.Whenever and wherever possible，the staff should offer to do extra things for the guests.What is more，whenever there is an opportunity to “sell”，the staff should take it and suggest that guests use the hotel services as much as possible.They should make sure that they are selling what the guest really wants to buy.
In short，all staff ought to remember that the hotel will enjoy greater financial success only with the greater satisfaction the guests receive from the “home away from home”.
Words:
1.assign v.分配，指派
2.atmosphere n.气氛，氛围
3.cohesiveness n.凝聚力，内聚力
4.coordinate v.协调，整合
5.efficiency n.能力，实力，效率
6.financial adj.经济的，财政的，金融的
7.occupancy n.占有，占有率
8.operation n.经营，运行，操作，手术
9.personality n.个性，人品，人格
10.register v.登记，注册
11.rental n.租金，租费
12.ruin v.破坏，毁坏
Phrases:
1.as well as 也，又，除……之外（也）
2.a variety of 各种各样的
3.in a sense 在某种意义上，在一定程度上
4.see to 负责，注意
5.what is more 而且，此外
Notes:
1.The aim of a hotel is to create a “home” away from home for all the traveling guests who need rest，food and drink.
酒店的目标就是为那些离家在外需要休息、食物和饮料的旅客创造一个“家”。
2.are of great importance = are greatly important of particular significance = particularly significant
3.The Front Office staff seems to “do it all”.前厅部的员工似乎都是全能。
4.exchange foreign currencies 兑换外币
5.The housekeeping department is the backbone of a hotel.
“backbone”本意为脊椎，在本句里可理解为“支柱”，意为客房部是酒店一个非常重要的部门。
6.But good service means more than fulfilling requests
但好的服务不仅仅意味着满足要求。
7.…the hotel will enjoy greater financial success only with the greater satisfaction the guests receive from the “home away from home”.
这里的“home away from home” 指的就是“酒店”
Exercises:
1.Read the passage and decide whether the following statements are true (T)or false (F).
( )1)The front office staff need to reserve reservations，assign rooms and serve meals to guests.
( )2)A clean and attractive room is the product that the hotel only sells.
( )3)The housekeeping department also provide laundry and valet service.
( )4)Food and beverage always bring more income than room rentals.
( )5)Waiters play an important role in creating a pleasant atmosphere.
( )6)A hotel’s financial success depends on its guests’ satisfaction they receive from the hotel.
2.Summarize the duties of the departments of a hotel mentioned in the passage.
Passage 2
“Green” Hotels and “Green” Hotels Association
Hotels are extremely large-volume users of water，cleanser and other chemicals that can be detrimental to our environment，and hotel managers must be aware of the hotel’s impact on our life resources.“Green” hotels are eco-friendly whose managers are eager to institute programs that save water，save energy and reduce solid waste—while saving money—to help PROTECT OUR ONE AND ONLY EARTH! These hotels include any hotels，motels，and inns，but have to be certified green by an independent third-party or by the state they are located in.
“Green” Hotels Association (GHA)is an organization that enjoys high reputation in the lodging industry，created by Patricia Griffin in 1993.The goal of this association is to reduce the amount of energy and water consumed by the lodging industry.GHA provided hotels around the world with easy access to eco-friendly products and ideas.“Green” Hotels Association is also interested in reducing the amount of solid waste produced by the lodging industry.Managers can add their hotels to the growing list of “Green” Hotels Association’s members by simply paying an annual membership fee of one dollar per room.Members receive a book consisting of over 85 pages listing different ways to save energy and cut back on waste.The eco-friendly products and ideas are always updated and informed by GHA.The hotel’s name is also placed on GHA’s website，www.greenhotels.com.
Two of the most popular products provided by GHA are the printed towel rack hanger cards and sheet-changing cards.The towel-rack hanger card encourages guests to use towels more than once，saying “Please decide for yourself.Towels on the rack mean ‘I will use it again’.Towels on the floor or in the tub mean ‘Please change’.” The sheet-changing card says，“Sheets are customarily changed daily，but if you feel that this is unnecessary，leave this card on your pillow in the morning，and your sheets will not be changed that day.”
Hotels can save significantly by utilizing these cards.GHA reports that hotels can save approximately $1.50 per day per occupied room by using these two products.Guests who decide to use these cards help reduce the amount of water，detergent，labor and utilities used by a hotel in a given day.Many guests eagerly participate in their hotels’ green program because they want to help protect the beautiful destination they are visiting.Very few people wash their linens and towels daily at home，and it is time that we recognized doing this in hotels is unnecessary and wasteful.
By using GHA’s towel rack hanger cards and sheet-changing cards hoteliers are taking the first step toward keeping our earth green.
Words:
1.access n.通路，接近，进入
2.approximately adv.大约
3.consume v.消耗，消费
4.customarily adv.通常
5.destination n.目的地
6.detrimental adj.有害的
7.impact n.影响
8.institute v.实行，建立，制定，
9.update v.更新
10.utilize v.利用
Phrases:
1.be aware of 意识到
2.consisting of 由……组成
3.cut back 削减
4.participate in 参加
Notes:
1.large-volume users （使用量很大的）大用户
2.eco-friendly 对生态环境无害的，环保的
3.solid waste 固体垃圾
4.…，but have to be certified green by an independent third-party or by the state they are located in 但是他们须经第三方或酒店所在地的政府认证才能成为绿色环保酒店
5.lodging industry 酒店业
6.annual membership fee 会员年费
7.towel rack hanger cards and sheet-changing cards 更换毛巾卡和更换床单卡
8.detergent n.清洁剂
9.It is time that we recognized doing this in hotels is unnecessary and wasteful.
“It is (high)time that…”句型中，that后面的句子的动词要用虚拟语气，动词形式为：一般过去式或should +动词原形，should 不能省略。
10.hotelier n.旅馆经营者
Exercises:
1.Answer the following questions according to the passage.
1)What are “Green” hotels?
2)What is the aim of “Green” Hotels Association?
2.Say something in your own words about the following questions.
1)If you stay in a hotel，do you want your towel and bed sheet washed and changed every day?Why?
2)Do you have any good ideas to help hotels to save energy and protect our environment?
3.Translate the words on the following cards into Chinese.
