The term e-commerce refers to all commercial transactions conducted over the Internet, including transactions by consumers and business-to-business transactions. Conceptually, e-commerce does not __1__ from well-known commercial offerings such as banking by phone, "mail order" catalogs, or sending a purchase order to supplier __2__ fax.E-commerce follows the same model __3__ in other business transactions; the difference __4__ in the details.
To a consumer, the most visible form of e-commerce consists __5__ online ordering. A customer begins with a catalog of possible items, __6__ an item, arranges a form of payment, and __7__ an order. Instead of a physical catalog, e-commerce arranges for catalogs to be __8__ on the Internet. Instead of sending an order on paper or by telephone, e-commerce arranges for orders to be sent __9__ a computer network. Finally, instead of sending a paper representation of payment such as a check, e-commerce __10__ one to send payment information electronically.
In the decade __11__ 1993, e-commerce grew from an __12__ novelty (新奇事物) to a mainstream business influence. In 1993, few __13__ had a web page, and __14__ a handful allowed one to order products or services online. Ten years __15__, both large and small businesses had web pages, and most __16__ users with the opportunity to place an order. __17__, many banks added online access, __18__ online banking and bill paying became __19__. More importantly, the value of goods and services __20__ over the Internet grew dramatically after 1997.
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying "Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.” You can give an example or two to illustrate your point of view. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.
The shorter growing seasons expected with climate change over the next 40 years will endanger hundreds of millions of already poor people in the global tropics, say researchers working with the world's leading agricultural organisations.
The effects of climate change are likely to be seen across the entire tropical (1) ______ but many areas previously considered to be (2) ______ food secure are likely to become highly vulnerable to droughts, extreme weather and higher temperatures, say the researchers with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
Intensively farmed areas like northeast Brazil and Mexico are likely to see their (3) ______ growing seasons fall below 120 days, which is critical for crops such as corn to mature. Many other places in Latin America are likely to (4) ______ temperatures that are too hot for bean production, a staple in the region.
Higher peak temperatures are also expected to take a heavy (5) ______ on food producers. Today there are 56 million crop-dependent people in parts of west Africa and India who live in areas where, in 40 years, maximum daily temperatures could be higher than 30°C. This is (6) ______ to the maximum temperature that beans can tolerate, while corn and rice yields suffer when temperatures (7) ______ this level.
“We are starting to see much more clearly where the effects of climate change on agriculture could (8) ______ hunger and poverty," said research leader Patti Kristjanson. "Farmers already (9) ______ to variable weather by changing their planting schedules. What this study suggests is that the speed of climate (10) ______ and the magnitude of the changes required to adapt could be much greater."
A) prime B) toll C) transfers D) exceed E) segment F) relatively G) shifts H) intensify I) precisely J) close K) experience L) plague M) adapt N) relevant O) zone |
Fear can be an effective way to change behavior. One study compared the effects of high-fear and low-fear appeals on changes in attitudes and behaviors related to dental hygiene (卫生). One group of subjects was shown awful pictures of (1) ______ teeth and diseased gums; another group was shown less frightening materials such as plastic teeth, charts, and graphs. Subjects who saw the frightening materials reported more anxiety and a greater (2) ______ to change the way they took care of their teeth than the low-fear group did.
But were these reactions actually (3) ______ no better dental hygiene practices? To answer this important question, subjects were called back to the laboratory on two (4) ______ (five days and six weeks after the experiment). They chewed disclosing wafers (牙疾诊断片)that give a red stain to any uncleaned areas of the teeth and thus provided a direct (5) ______ 0f how well they were really taking care of heir teeth. The result showed that the high-fear appeal did actually result in greater and more (6) ______ changes m dental hygiene. That is the subjects (7) ______ to high-fear warnings brushed their teeth more (8) ______ than did those who saw low-fear warnings.
However, to be an effective persuasive device it is very important that the message not be too frightening and that people. be given (9) ______ guidelines to help them to reduce the cause of the fear. If this isn't done, they may reduce their anxiety by denying the message or the (10) ______ of the communicator. If that happens, it is unlikely that either attitude or behavior change will occur.
A) accustomed B)carefully C)cautiously D) concrete E) credibility |