Part Ⅰ Getting ready
Today's kids are sophisticated and see the Internet as a preferred tool for information gathering and commerce. Many online stores are targeting children and teens.
A The following words will appear in this unit. Listen carefully and study the definitions.
1. refund: a sum of money given in return for loss or damage
2. expiry: reaching the end of something (goods, contracts, etc.)
3. transaction: a piece of business
4. cyberspace: the three-dimensional space made up of all the world's computer networks (ft)$M?#JH*t$f0j)
5. dispatch: send to a place or for a particular purpose
6. boom: a (period of) rapid growth or increase
7. rebound: move quickly back to a former level after falling
8. turmoil: a state of confusion and trouble
9. outstrip: do better than
10. club: a thick heavy stick, used as a weapon
B Listen to the report. Write down every word as a dictation. It will be read three times. First reading, read from beginning to end. Second reading, read with pauses. Third reading, global reading again.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
The key issue for Net commerce is the public's confidence ?and the biggest worry is security. However, trust is difficult to win and easy to lose. What can be done?
C Listen to a news report. Supply the missing information.
Tips for staying safe on the Net
Major points Details (key words)
1. Evaluate ________________ Well-known/ trustworthy/ customer
service/ complaints procedure/
refund policy
2. Talk to _________________/ _________________________________
Email and wait for response _________________________________
3. Ensure secure connection _________________________________
4. Be extra careful at a cybercafe -
or other public connection
Part Ⅱ Net shopping under fire
Trust is an essential part of E-commerce, but it is also a quality which the Net is finding hard to come by. Is E-shopping safe?
A Listen to the report. Supply the missing information about the main problems of online shopping found by the survey.
Main problems of online shopping
● Long time waiting for ___________ or even no ___________ (about 8%) after ordering
● No clear information about ___________
● A danger that customers'__________________ would be sold to a third party (as many as _________ of the sites)
● No policy on _______________ (about _________ of the companies)
● No confirmation of the______(about_____of the sites) and the _________ (as many as ______ of the sites)
● No __________ more than four months after returning goods (in _________ cases)
B Now listen again. Complete the summary.
Summary:
The survey shows in spite of the _________ and _________ offered by Net shopping there are still many ____________ that prevent consumers from shopping with ________________. One of the biggest problems is to ________________ in buying online. It takes time for the Internet to become ___________ as a retail channel when it gives support to trust relationships with guarantees of _______ and _______.
Part Ⅲ Banking at home
As the new century arrives, banks and financial services companies stand on the edge of a revolutionary era. The dramatic development of PC technology, together with the emergence of a low-cost, worldwide, communications network is reshaping the way that people transmit money and information. Banking at home is no longer a dream.
A Listen to a description of today's banking services. Complete the outline.
Outline
Ⅰ. Some problems of the walk-in bank
A. standing in long lines
B. running out of checks
C. _____________________
Ⅱ. ______________________
A. viewing accounts
B. moving money between accounts
C. applying for a loan
D. ___________________________
E. paying bills electronically
F. ___________________________
Ⅲ. Reasons for creating online services
A. ______________________
B. taking advantage of modern technology
Ⅳ. Inappropriateness of online banking for some people
A. ______________________
B. preferring to handle accounts the traditional way
B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the material. Then answer the questions.
Questions:
1. What is "interactive banking"?
_______________________________________________
2. Why can "online banking" compete for customers?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
3. What kind of customers do banks want to keep?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Part Ⅳ More about the topic: Asia Sees Boom in E-commerce
E-commerce, or electronic commerce, is the direct use of information technology for transactions between the supplier and the client. There are two types of e-commerce: business to business and business to consumer.
Listen to the report. Complete the chart.
Part Ⅴ Do you know ...?
People go to yard sales mainly because they want a good deal. As a buyer, you may look through the old dishes and well-thumbed paperbacks or maybe you just want to see what they've got. Anyway, take cash and get there early in the day. You may get what you want.
Listen to a description of yard sales. Write down the key points in note form. Then listen to the questions and make a correct choice to answer each question.
1. a. A bargain is something you buy for less than its true value.
b. One person's useless ugly object can be another person's bargain.
c. Everybody loves a bargain.
2. a. Extremely ugly things.
b. Anything.
c. Useless things.
3. a. To go just for a treasure hunt.
b. To have fun.
c. To earn a living or have fun.
4. a. 1675. b. 1975. c. 1970.
5. a. $1250. b. $1675. c. $150 000.
6. a. It belonged to the museum.
b. It was a historic weapon used by an American Indian leader.
c. It had been missing for many years.
Part Ⅵ Reminder of key points in this unit
Verb & Verb Phrase Noun & Noun Phrase Other
Part Ⅰ e-commerce trustworthy
cybercafe
expiry date
transaction
refund policy
Part Ⅱ dispatch obstacle
cyberspace
retail channel
Part Ⅲ e-mail account electronically
appeal walk-in bank
Part Ⅳ rebound boom
generate turmoil
outstrip
cash in
Part Ⅴ negotiate yard sale
treasure hunt
club
