Unit 1
Web Business
In the year or so of
Web business, most of the action has
revolved around efforts to tap the
consumer market. More recently, as the Web
proved to be more than a fashion, companies have started to buy and sell
products and services with one another .Such business-to-business sales
make sense because business people typically
know what product they’re looking for.
①Nonetheless,
many companies still hesitate to use the
Web because of doubts about its reliability.”
Businesses need to feel they can trust the pathway between them and the
supplier,”says senior analyst Blane Erwin
of Forrester Research .Some companies are limiting the
risk by conducting online
transactions only with
established business partners who are given
access to the company’s private internet
②Anther
major shift in the model for internet
commerce concerns the technology
available for marketing.
Until recently, Internet marketing activities have focused on
strategies to “pull” customers into sites.
In the past year, however, software companies have developed tools that
allow companies to”push”information directly out to consumers,
transmitting marketing messages directly
targeted customers. Most notably, the Pointcast Network uses a
screen saver to
deliver a continually updated stream of news and advertisements to
subscribers’ computer monitors. Subscribers
can customize the information they want to
receive and proceed directly to a company’s Web site. Companies such as
Virtual Vineyards are already starting to use similar technologies to push
messages to customers about special sales, product offerings, or other
events. But push technology has earned the
contempt of many Web users. Online culture thinks highly of the
notion that the information flowing onto the screen comes there by
specific request. Once commercial promotion
begins to fill the screen uninvited, the distinction between the Web and
television fades. That’s a prospect that
horrifies Net purists.
③But
it is hardly inevitable that companies on the Web will need to resort to
push strategies to make money. The examples
of Virtual Vineyards,Amazon.com,and other pioneer show that a Web site
selling the right kind of products with the right mix of
ineractivity,hospitality,and security will
attract online customers. And the cost of computing power continues to
free fall, which is a good sign for any enterprise
setting up shop in silicon. People looking
back 5 or 10 years from now many well wonder why so few companies took the
online plunge.
名人名言：
Nature is conquered by
obeying her.
Nature never
deceives us, it is always us who deceive
ourselves.
------Rousseau
单词
web---internet
revolve-----rotate-------rotary---------spin-------reel
consume----------consumer
typical---------representative
nonetheless---------nevertheless
hesitate
reliable--------reliability------reliance--------rely
analysis-----analytic-----analyze------analyst
risk---------hazard-----peril-----venture
transaction
access-----entry
shift------transfer
commerce---------commercial
available
strategy-----contrive
transmit-----relay
deliver---------------convey
screen-----------------shutter
subscribe
contempt----------------scorn
promote--------------promotion
prospect
horrify--------------horror---------------horrible--------------terrify
hospitality
enterprise
silicon--------quartz----------mercury-------------sulfur/sulphur-------acid----------carbon
plunge-------------------insert-----------------thrust
obey-----------------obedience-----------------obedient
deceive-----------------deceit--------------cheat
Unit Two
Mad Cows Fears
①The
Unite States on Friday followed Canada’s lead in
temporarily suspending imports of Brazilian beef,
gelatins and other
processed beef products as a precaution
against mad cow disease.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) said although there was no evidence
of mad cow disease in Brazil, it was concerned that certain Brazilian beef
products may have come into contact with
beef from Europe, which has been hit with an
outbreak of the brain-wasting disease.
“This decision is a
temporary action,” USDA said in a statement
.Further action would be taken if needed to keep the disease out of the
United States, which has never had a case.
Mad cow disease is believed to
have spread from Britain to other countries when the bones and other
remains of diseased cattle were ground
up for use in livestock feed.
Nearly 90 people in Britain,
France and Ireland have died from mad cow disease. Canada is the leading
exporter of beef to the U.S., with 345,069 tons shipped in 1999, according
to the USDA. Brazil shipped 50,376 tons of beef to the U.S. in 1999, up
from 33,534 tons in 1998.
Brazil’s
ministry said canned beef exports to the United States were worth
around $82.5 million per year while sales to Canada were about
$5.5million.
Earlier Friday, Canada became the
first NAFTA country to announce it was banning
Brazilian beef products after receiving information that Brazil had
imported live animals from Europe until 1999.
Ottawa said it was suspending all
imports of Brazilian canned beef and would pull the products from grocery
store shelves.
Mexico, the other U.S. trade
partner under the North American Free Trade Agreement, said it expected to
issue its own ban on Brazilian beef
products.
An angry Brazil criticized Canada
for overreacting and initiating a ban that would force similar action by
NAFTA partners. “Brazil.’s beef is absolutely safe, and there is no mad
cow in Brazil.” Said Marcio Fortest, executive secretary of the
agricultural ministry.
②Brazil
home to the world’s largest herd of cattle, is locked in a bitter trade
battle with Canada.
The USDA said it was working with
Brazilian agriculture officials to complete a mad cow risk
assessment in Brazil as quickly as
possible.
“Once this data has been received
and USDA is assured that Brazil has taken sound measures to prevent mad
cow disease, the suspension will be
lifted.” the USDA said.
名人名言：
There is no royal road to science
, and only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb of its steep paths
have a chance of gaining its luminous summits.
-----------------Marx
单词：
temporary-------------temporarily--------------momentary---------transient
suspend-------suspension-------postpone---------delay
gelatin----------protein
process-------procedure---------dispose
precaution----------caution--------cautious
evidence--------evident-------testimony----------testify
contact
outbreak--------------erupt
statement-----------declaration
remains
cattle---------------livestock----------donkey-------bull
grind-----------------mill-----------flour
ministry---------minister----------premier---------------bureau
ban-----------prohibit-------forbid-----taboo---------restrict-----restriction-------restrain------restraint
issue-------------circulate--------distribute
initiate—initiative-----initial-----------commence----------launch--------originate
absolute---------thorough---------sheer----------utter
executive-------------execute
assess-------------assessment-----estimate----verdict-----------appraisal
royal--------------royalty---------dignity
dread
steep----------------cliff-----------summit
luminous--------------brilliant
Marxism |