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Can You Pass This High School English Quiz?

1. What does “umbrage” mean? A: resentment B: bright sunshine C: utter confusion The post Can You Pass This High School English Quiz? appeared first on Reader's Digest . from Reader's Digest https://ift.tt/2JOzohM

What Happens to Cruise Ship Cabins That Don’t Get Sold?

Know when the countdown starts Because cruise cabins can be booked by simply making an initial deposit, cruise lines tend to see a significant number of cancellations once the sail date approaches and the final deposit is due—usually, around 90 days before the sailing, explains Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic . Sixty days is the magic number for deals. “Typically, if cruise lines can’t sell out their cabins within 60 days of departure, they will start to drop pricing or offer promotions such as free drinks. A good example is Carnival’s weekly Pack & Go Sale ,” says Kameish Stanley, vice president of marketing for SmartCruiser . Understand the process The first step cruise lines tend to employ is to redistribute currently booked guests. Rather than steeply discount higher-level cabins (like suites), they’ll first offer cabin upgrades to existing guests at a discounted rate. “The goal in doing that is to then free up the less expensive cabins so they can cut pr...

The Airline with the Worst Reputation in America

Flying can be a hassle: Shrinking seats, delayed departures, and confusing terminals come together to make travel days less of an adventure and more of a headache. Sometimes with insider secrets, like these 13 things airlines won’t tell you , you can avoid problems, but you’ll also want to make sure you’re flying with the right airline. As with any industry, the company you do business with can make all the difference. Fortunately for all frequent fliers, the annual Harris Poll reputation quotient made a list of the best and—and worst—extremely visible companies of 2019. The poll ranks the reputations of various companies, including airlines. To make the list, a company has to be well-known and highly visible in society. The study then measures and evaluates these companies based on six things: vision and leadership, social responsibility, products and services, emotional appeal, workplace environment, and financial performance. For the most recent poll, the highest-ranking airl...

8 Times You Must (Yes, Must) Send a Thank-You Note

Thanks, gracias, thanks a million, warmest thanks, and thanks a bunch are just some of the many different ways to express gratitude. Sometimes just speaking those words isn’t enough, though. That’s where the handwritten thank-you note comes into play. According to Emilie Dulles , who has more than 29 years of experience in traditional etiquette, people should be sending more thank-you notes than ever before. Here’s when you definitely need to send them—and how to write one. When should you send a thank-you note? After a job interview This should go without saying, but you should absolutely be sending a thank-you note after a job interview—if you want an offer. Bonnie Tsai, the founder and director of  Beyond Etiquette , says it’s important to express your gratitude towards your interviewer regardless of whether or not you landed the job since they made time in their busy schedule to meet with you. After receiving gifts No matter the occasion, you should send thank-you no...

These Two Coffee Shops Tied as America’s Favorite—Neither One Is Starbucks

The East-Coast-versus-West-Coast coffee rivalry often pits Dunkin’ Donuts against Starbucks—but there’s another coffee shop that America is throwing into the mix as one of its favorites. According to a new poll from Harris Insights & Analytics , Starbucks lost the 2019 Coffee Shop Brand of the Year award to Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts. The two brands tied for the top spot. No matter what coffee shop you frequent, make sure you know the rude coffee shop habits you need to stop . The Harris Poll’s annual EquiTrend study, one of the longest-running surveys in the United States, surveys more than 45,000 people on randomly selected brands. The yearly study includes more than 2,000 brands in total across 196 categories. In addition to public opinion, the poll uses its Brand Equity Index to calculate familiarity, quality, and purchase considerations to determine the winners as well. The poll also rewards everything from printers to footwear stores, not just food-related...

10 Car Brands That Cost the Least to Repair

Buying a car is a big decision, but price isn’t the only factor. Inevitably, it will require service. How much will the model you’re eying cost you to repair? Fortunately, you can find out. CarMD crunched the numbers in its 2018 Vehicle Health Index ™. B ased on 5.6 million vehicles in which the check-engine light went on in 2018, they determined the makes and models that cost the least to fix. Here they are: The post 10 Car Brands That Cost the Least to Repair appeared first on Reader's Digest . from Reader's Digest https://ift.tt/2Yo6kYz

This Is the Grocery Store with the Best Reputation, According to a New Poll

When we found out America’s favorite grocery chain , we weren’t surprised: People love Wegmans. But now, after reviewing the 2019 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient Rankings , it’s become very clear that Wegmans is an all-around favorite brand. It was ranked as the grocery store with the best reputation in America, and it came in first out of 100 for companies with the best reputation overall. To make this ranking, social scientists, strategists, and storytellers at Harris Insights & Analytics look at public opinion, corporate reputation, brand strategy, and additional research. At their core, they want people to know the truth. And when it comes to grocery stores, the truth is pretty clear: Wegmans is number one. If you don’t have a Wegmans near you, try shopping at one of the other grocery stores that made the list—just make sure to avoid the grocery store with the worst reputation in America . How is the survey ranked? The Reputation Quotient (RQ) rankings are determined in two...