Travel websites have been around since the 1990s, when Expedia, Travelocity, and other holiday booking sites were launched, allowing travelers to compare flight and hotel prices with the click of a mouse. With information no longer__26__by travel agents or hidden in business networks, the travel industry was revolutionized, as greater transparency helped __27__ prices.
Today, the industry is going through a new revolution—this time transforming service quality. Online rating platforms— __28__ in hotels, restaurants, apartments, and taxis—allow travelers to exchange reviews and experiences for all to see.
Hospitality businesses are now ranked, analyzed, and compared not by industry __29__, but by the very people for whom the service is intended—the customer. This has __30__ a new relationship between buyer and seller. Customers have always voted with their feet; they can now explain their decision to anyone who is interested. As a result, businesses are much more __31__, often in very specific ways, which creates powerful __32__ to improve service.
Although some readers might not care for gossipy reports of unfriendly bellboys(行李员)in Berlin or malfunctioning hotel hairdryers in Houston, the true power of online reviews lies not just in the individual stories, but in the websites’ __33__ to aggregate a large volume of ratings.
The impact cannot be __34__. Businesses that attract top ratings can enjoy rapid growth, as new customers are attracted by good reviews and __35__ provide yet more positive feedback. So great is the influence of online ratings that many companies now hire digital reputation managers to ensure a favorable online identity.
A) accountable
B) capacity
C) controlled
D) entail
E) forged
F) incentives
G) occasionally
H) overstated
I) persisting
J) pessimistic
K) professionals
L) slash
M) specializing
N) spectators
O) subsequently
答案解析：
26. C根据 "With information no longer... by travel agents or hidden in business networks"(信息不再被旅行社...或隐藏在商业网络中)，可知这里需要一个表示“掌控、控制”的词，与后文的“隐藏”并列，共同描述信息在旧模式下的状态。所以选 "controlled"。
27. L 根据 "greater transparency helped... prices"(更高的透明度有助于...价格)，可知信息透明化带来的直接结果就是价格下降。在商业语境中，"slash prices" 是一个固定搭配，意为“大幅降价”，非常符合文意。所以选 "slash"。
28. M 空格后是 "in hotels, restaurants, apartments, and taxis"，这明显是在具体说明这些在线评价平台的专长领域。因此，需要一个现在分词作后置定语，修饰 "platforms"，表示“专注于...的”。所以选 "specializing"。
29. K 根据 "not by industry..., but by the very people for whom the service is intended—the customer"(不再由行业...，而是由服务的最终对象——顾客来评判)，可知这里是在进行对比，与“顾客”相对的应该是“专业人士”或“业内人士”。所以选 "professionals"。
30. E 根据 "This has... a new relationship between buyer and seller"(这...了买卖双方之间的一种新关系)，可知这种评价体系“建立”或“缔造”了一种前所未有的新关系。"forged"(缔造，建立)比简单的 "created" 更有力度，强调关系的牢固性。所以选 "forged"。
31. A根据 "businesses are much more..., often in very specific ways"(企业变得更加...，而且常常是在非常具体的方面)，以及后文“这创造了强大的...去改善服务”，可知顾客的评价让企业必须对自己的行为负责，变得更加“有责任感的”或“可问责的”。所以选 "accountable"。
32. F 根据 "which creates powerful... to improve service"(这创造了强大的...去改善服务)，可知企业因被问责而产生了改善服务的动力或诱因。"incentives"(激励，动力)符合语境。所以选 "incentives"。
33. B根据 "the websites’... to aggregate a large volume of ratings"(网站...大量评价数据的能力)，可知这里需要一个名词，表示网站所具备的“能力”或“容量”。所以选 "capacity"。
34. H根据 "The impact cannot be..."(这种影响不能被...)，结合后文“获得高评分的企业可以享受快速增长”等巨大影响的描述，可知这种影响是巨大的，不容“夸大”或“言过其实”。所以选 "overstated"。
35. O 根据 "new customers are attracted by good reviews and... provide yet more positive feedback"(新客户被好评吸引，并且...提供更多正面反馈)，可知“被吸引”和“提供反馈”是两个先后发生的动作，新客户在成为顾客之后，才会去写评价。所以选 "subsequently"(随后，接着)。
