《英语一课文》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英语一课文（12页珍藏版）》请在金锄头文库上搜索。
1、Unit 1 Warm-up questions:1. What do you know about the Net economy?2. Have you ever tried Internet shopping? What do you think of it?3. How is the Net economy going in our country?Future of Net Economy1 As we have entered the new century, human society is beginning its move from the industrial econo
2、my into the knowledge-based economy. In more specific terms, the application of information to the economy is best exemplified in the networking of communication, or the so-called Net economy. This Net refers to the computer network of satellites, optic fibers, cables and telephone lines that connec
3、t the whole world. With the click of a mouse, information from the other end of the globe will be transported to your computer screen at the dizzying speed of seven-and-a-half times around the earth per second. Generally, there are two aspects of the Net. One is the networking between businesses and
4、 their customers. The other is the networking between individual businesses, or the regional and even global networking between industrial production and scientific research. Internet shopping belongs to the first aspect.2 From a long-term perspective, Internet shopping is but a low-level aspect of
5、the Net, and it is not likely to become the most important trend. After all, most merchandise is unsuitable for Internet shopping. Besides, if everyone shops on the Net, what will happen to the hundreds and thousands of shopping malls? Therefore, the second aspect of the Net will be more important.
6、Its significance goes beyond that of connecting businesses. There have been reports of simultaneous consultation of doctors from all over the world on the Internet. These are early examples of high-level networking.3 It is estimated that the new interaction between computers and Net technology will
7、have significant influence on the industry of the future. The sheer power of electronic commerce (e-commerce) will change the face of trade dramatically. Sporting goods company Puma was on the verge of bankruptcy back in 1992. From 1993, Puma began to diffuse its production, logistics and marketing
8、divisions to 80 Net enterprises worldwide, and the results were spectacular. Puma was transformed from a sickly feline into a magnificent beast. The reason for this transformation is that intra and inter-business electronic links greatly increase the efficiency of production, planning, the collectin
9、g of information and data exchange. As the business is rapidly being rationalized, production figures go up while costs come down.4 The development of e-commerce may well bring the world into a brand new era of electronic currency. With the emergence of a phantom electronic currency, everyone of us
10、would be affected. At the moment, developed areas in Europe, the United States and Asia have already started studying the possibility of an electronic currency. Electronic currency is not only about currency. It refers to an entire finance system on the Net. It includes a virtual numeric currency, a
11、n electronic system of withdrawals, transfers and loans, and Smartcards (electronic purses) of all shapes and sizes. The appearance of an electronic currency system implies the emergence of virtual banks and virtual enterprises. Actually, the rudimentary beginnings of a virtual bank appeared in the
12、US in 1995 as the Security First Network Bank, the worlds first Internet bank. Although it is a small and insignificant bank, it represents the trend of the future. In time to come, we may even have to abandon the familiar paper currency.5 As the Net pushes the economy ahead rapidly, the economy is
13、also bringing the Net market forward, resulting in the Internet itself becoming the worlds largest emerging market. Of course, this is just the beginning. Although there are many companies which made huge profits investing in the Internet market, they tend to be small companies, like Yahoo. To date,
14、 most companies are making losses. The Net and e-commerce will foster a large number of free-lancers, and this will affect social structure in a big way. The competition for technological superiority in the era of the knowledge-based economy will also be more intense. This will definitely promote gr
15、eater (even global) and more efficient cooperation to maintain competitiveness. The highly efficient research and development work conducted on the worldwide Net are best suited for small and medium enterprises to band together and break the monopolies of the giants.ExercisesI. Reading comprehension
16、1. Internet shopping belongs to _. A. the networking between individual businesses B. the regional and global networking between industrial production and scientific research C. the networking between businesses and their customers D. the networking between big enterprises and small ones2. _ is the more important aspect as to the Net economy. A. Internet shopping B. Shopping malls C. ConnectingD. S
