2011年6月六级考试听力passage 1 原文

Everyone is looking for a good investment these days. And with stocks, currencies and companys all crashing, some are finding that taking a trip of a lifetime is actually a smart move right now. Prices are good, crowds are fewer and dividens,like expanded world view, life-long memories, the satisfation of boosting the global economy can’t be easily snatched away.
Sylvia and Paul Custson are retired couple from Cambridge, England, recently took 16-day vacation to Limibia where they went on birdwatching excursions. Later this year, they are planning a trip to Patagonia. "We are using our capital now"says Sylvia,"and why not? We are not getting any interest in the bank. If it’s a place we really want to go, then we will go. We
may as well travel when we are fit and healthy". Some travel agents are thriving in spite of the economy. "We’ve had more people booking in the first quarter of this year than last" says Hebert Monia, founder of Salana Travel, which is planning to introduce a new program  of longer adventure trips, including polar expeditions and cruises in the Galapagas." "we’re hearing things like we don’t know don’t know what the situation will be like in 6 months, so let’s travel now" Ashely Toughed, managing director of the UK Tool Operator
Operater Explore, has been surprised to see an increase in last minute bookings of high-priced trips to such places as India, Bhutan and Naple. "It seems people would rather give up something else than the big trip"he says,"Travel has become a necessity. It’s just how we travel that is changing."

今年六级听力passage的第一篇文章难度较大。

一方面，文章前三句列举了许多金融方面的词汇。例如，currency 流通货币，interest 利息，dividend 股利，capital 资本。乍一听，许多考生会以为是和金融相关的文章。但细听下去讲的却是现代社会的一大趋势：人们越来越倾向于把钱投入在旅行上，而非存入银行。

另一方面，文章里充满了地名， 这也对考生造成了一定的难度。