For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the street or loading a cart in a shopping mall.Soon, that will change.Electronic commerce (trade) is growing fast and will soon bring people more choices.There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from being cheated will be harder.Many governments therefore want to apply street regulations to the electronic world.But politicians would be wiser to see cyberspace as a basis for a new era of corporate self-regulation.
Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything for the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs or their rights to refund when goods are faulty.But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence is on the screen.Even in a country where a clear right to compensation exists, the on-line customer in Tokyo, say, can hardly go to New York to get a refund for a clothes purchase.
One answer is for government to cooperate more: to recognize each other’s rules.But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules.And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober countries to accept.There is, however, another choice.Let the electronic businesses do the regulation themselves.They do, after all, have a self-interest in doing so.
In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive asset.Governments, too, may compete to be trusted.For instance, customers ordering medicines on-line may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA’s rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead.
Customers will still need to use their judgment.But precisely because the technology is new, electronic shoppers are likely for a while to be a lot more cautious than customers of the normal sort.And the new technology will also make it easier for them to complain when a company lets them down.In this way, at least, the advent of cyberspace may argue for fewer consumer protection laws, not more.According to the author, what will be the best policy for electronic commerce?
A.Self-regulation by the business. | B.Strict consumer protection laws. |
C.Close international cooperation. | D.Government protection. |
In case an electronic shopper bought faulty goods from a foreign country, what could he do?
A.Refuse to pay for the purchase. | B.Go to the seller and ask for a refund. |
C.Appeal to consumer protection law. | D.Complain about it on the Internet. |
In the author’s view, businesses would place a high emphasis on honest dealing because in the electronic world _________________________________.
A.international cooperation would be much more frequent |
B.consumers could easily seek government protection |
C.a good reputation is a great advantage in competition |
D.it would be easy for consumers to complain |
We can infer from the passage that in licensing new drugs the FDA in the United States is ____________________.
A.very quick | B.very cautious | C.very slow | D.rather careless |
If a customer buys something that does not meet his expectation, what is the advantage of dealing through electronic commerce over the present normal one?
A.It will be easier for him to return the goods he is not satisfied with. |
B.It will be easier for him to attain the refund from the seller. |
C.It will be easier for him to get his complaints heard by other consumers. |
D.It will be easier for him to complain about this to the government. |
When Debbie Parkhurst choked on a piece of apple at her Maryland home, her dog jumped in, landing hard on her chest and forcing the piece of apple to pop out of her throat. Debbie Parkhurst’s husband, Kevin, was at his job at a Wilmington, Del., chemical firm when she took a midday break from jewelry and bit into an apple. When the Keesling family of Indiana were about to be overcome by carbon monoxide(CO), their cat clawed(抓) at wife Cathy’s hair until she woke up and called for help.
For their timely acts, Toby, a golden 2 1/2-year-old dog, and Winnie, a gray-eyed American shorthair, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Neither Parkhurst nor Keesling could explain their pets’ timely heroics,though Parkhurst suggested it might have been guided by God intervention(干预). “That’s what our veterinarian(兽医) said,”she said. “He wasn’t making a joke; he’s very spiritual, and now I have to agree with him.”
But both pets were themselves rescued in baby, Toby as a 4-week-old baby thrown into a garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that Keesling’s husband, Eric, had to feed her milk.
As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump spread carbon monoxide through the house. By the time Winnie moved into rescue spot, the couple’s 14-year-old son, Michael, was already unconscious. “Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry noise,” Cathy Keesling said. “When I woke up I felt like a T-bar had hit me across the head.”
State police and officers responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house.We can know Debbie Parkhurst _________.
A.works in a Wilmington, Del.,chemical firm |
B.was making jewelry when she had the accident |
C.might have died but for her pet’s help |
D.was unconscious when her pet found her |
Both pet’s heroic acts most probably connected with _________.
A.God arrangements | B.their being once helped |
C.their sense of danger | D.their veterinarians’ training |
Why did Winnie try to wake Cathy Keesling up?
A.Because a T-bar was going to hit him. |
B.Because he was hungry and wanted milk. |
C.Because Debbie choked something in her throat. |
D.Because there was danger in her house. |
From the passage we can infer that _________.
A.if you love me love my animals |
B.all pets are useful to people |
C.we can’t never be too careful in our daily life |
D.to help others sometimes can get reward |
The earliest newspapers started in ancient Rome. They were handwritten news sheets. The first printed newspapers appeared in China during the Tang dynasty, which were printed from carved(雕刻的) wooden blocks. Modern papers first appeared in Venice, Italy in the middle of the 14th century. The newspapers of today, with advertising and a mixture of political, economic, and social news and comments, were started in Britain in the mid-18th century.
The main function of newspapers is to report news. Many newspapers also provide special information to readers, such as weather reports and television timetables. They also provide comments on politics, economics, arts and culture. Almost all newspapers depend on advertising to make money.
Nearly six out of ten adults in the United States and Canada read a newspaper every day. Seven out of ten read a paper each weekend. Readers search newspapers for de-tailed background information(背景资料)and analysis(分析). This is what television and radio news reports seldom offer. Newspapers tell readers what happened, and they also help readers understand what caused an event and how it will affect the world around them.
The workers at large newspaper companies work under a lot of pressure to bring news to readers as soon as possible. Reporters, photographers, artists, and editors collect articles in just a few hours. Page designers select articles, photos, advertisements, and eye-catching headlines to make the pages, and then rush their work to the printer. Printing workers may work overnight around printing presses to churn out more than 60,000 copies per hour.Which is the best title for the passage?
A.Production of Newspapers | B.Functions of Newspapers |
C.Publication of Newspapers | D.An Introduction to Newspapers |
Modern newspapers were first made in ______.
A.China | B.Ancient Rome | C.Italy | D.Britain |
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A.Most adults in America and Canada read newspapers every day. |
B.The importance of newspapers in people’s lives. |
C.Newspapers offer readers detailed information. |
D.The effects of newspapers on readers. |
We can infer everything from the passage EXCEPT that ______.
A.newspapers will become less popular because of the development of TV |
B.few newspapers have no advertising |
C.many adults in America read newspapers every day |
D.people can read about many different issues in newspapers |
The phrase "churn out" in the last paragraph probably means ______.
A.press | B.produce | C.publish | D.sell |
On the first day of school I brought my camera to school. I gave the students a piece of 8 ×11 cardboard(纸板), and asked them to write their names on both sides. As they finished, I asked them to get into groups of three to four students and took photographs of them holding their name cards.
After school, I developed the film and printed two sets of photos. That evening, I started to match the names with the faces. I kept one set of pictures at home for about a week so that I could review their names each night. On the second day of school, I put up the other set of photos as a bulletin board (公布栏), with a title such as "Presenting Room 108, ..."
The kids loved it! After I had learned all of their names I brought the second set back to school and stuck them onto an 8 ×11 sheet of paper. I placed it in the classroom for other teachers.
The cardboard name cards that were made on the first day were collected and put on a shelf. From time to time, they were given back to the students and placed on their desks so that guests or supply teachers (代课老师) could identify all of the students.
I’ve been doing this with my grade 7 students for the last nine years and they liked it. It’s fun to bring the photos out again at the end of the school year to see how much they have all changed in ten months.The cardboards were used to ______.
A.play some kind of game | B.decorate the classroom |
C.identify the students | D.print the photos on |
The writer of the passage might be a ______.
A.head teacher | B.monitor | C.photographer | D.supply teacher |
Why did the writer leave the second set of the photos at home?
A.To memorize the students’ names at home. | B.To make cardboard name cards for supply teachers. |
C.To make a bulletin board in the classroom. | D.To match the students’ names with their faces |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The students didn’t have to use the cardboard name cards to identify each other. |
B.Other teachers couldn’t identify the students without the cardboard name cards. |
C.The writer kept the cardboard name cards as a souvenir for nine years. |
D.The guests will know the students’ names by reading the cardboard name cards. |
The passage mainly tells us ______.
A.a method of identifying students | B.a method of decorating classrooms |
C.the development of photography | D.the importance of cardboard name cards |
Most visitors come to the UK expecting the rain and weather for which the country is famous. However, when summer finally arrives, British people like nothing more than heading for the coast. Here are some of more famous places of interest that you could expect to visit on a trip to Britain. Black pool, in the northwest of England, is the most visited place in the UK. Each year around 6.5 to 7 million people come to enjoy the miles of sandy beaches, the 158m Black pool Tower and the 11km-long Golden Mile, where there are entertainments, pubs, ice rinks (溜冰场) and even a zoo. On the south coast of the country you can find Brighton. Until 1786, Brighton was a sleepy village. Then the future king, George IV, decided to build a house there, and now it has become a large, international centre. Apart from the beaches, Brighton is famous for its pier (码头). There are theatres, entertainments and restaurants there. Brighton is also fantastic for shopping. If you want to travel a little further, why not go to Corn-wall in the far southwest of the UK? South Cornwall offers miles of sandy beaches and beautiful scenery. The climate there is warmer than the rest of Britain, and you can even find palm trees. For a bit more excitement, go to North Cornwall. The scenery there is nicer, and the beaches are famous for their powerful waves. As a result, North Cornwall has become the home of British surfing. One word of warning though, if you are using the roads in the UK during holidays, you can expect long traffic jams on the motorways. It might be better to take the train.Which is the best title for this passage?
A.Let’s Go to the Beach! | B.How to Enjoy Your Holidays |
C.Welcome to Britain! | D.How to Travel in Britain |
We may find this passage in a ______.
A.geography book | B.storybook | C.travel guide | D.news magazine |
If Andrew likes surfing, which is the best place for him to spend his holidays?
A.Black pool. | B.Brighton. | C.South Cornwall. | D.North Cornwall. |
Which is NOT the reason why Brighton is famous?
A.In Brighton you can satisfy your appetite for shopping. |
B.In 1786, George IV decided to build a house there. |
C.There is an interesting pier in Brighton. |
D.You can enjoy yourself on the beautiful beaches. |
From the passage we can infer that ______.
A.there are no beaches in the east and west of Britain |
B.Black pool is the most famous place in the UK |
C.the pier is more interesting than the beaches in Brighton |
D.the climate in South Cornwall is attractive to many people |
They say that soon, we will be able to receive more than 500 television networks on cable or by satellite. Some people think that it’s useless to have that many channels. Their usual criticism(批评) goes something like this: "I already get more channels on my TV than I have time to watch. No one needs to see that much TV. There’s not enough time in the day to watch all that!"They also say that most of what’s on television now isn’t worth watching in the first place.
I think they’re missing the point. If the local library wanted to add another 5,000 books, would we say, "That’s silly, we’ll never have time to read all those books"? The point is that we would have more choices.
I don’t believe that most people should watch more television. And if we had 500 or even 1,000 channels to choose from, we wouldn’t have to spend more time watching TV. We would, however, have more programs to choose from. That means that the quality of our viewing time would be improved.
I think the more channels we have, the better. Give me more choices! If they’re not worth my time, I’ll just hit the "off" button.The purpose of writing this passage is to ______.
A.make a suggestion | B.express an opinion |
C.give important information | D.complain about cable television |
From the passage we know that the author wants to ______.
A.read more books | B.rent more TV sets |
C.have more choices | D.watch more sports |
The number of television channels is ______.
A.increasing fast |
B.decreasing fast |
C.never going to be more than 1,000 |
D.the same as that of books in the library |
To make his point, the author compares the development of TV networks to that of ______.
A.schoolyards | B.computers | C.libraries | D.satellites |
What does the phrase "hit the 'off’ button" refer to?
A.Go to the library. | B.Switch over the TV channels. |
C.Turn off the TV. | D.Have more TV networks. |