In the first 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.
Nonetheless, many companies still hesitate to use the Web because of doubts about its reliability."Businesses need to feel they can trust the passway 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.
Another 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 to 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 website. 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.
But 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 pioneers show that a website selling the right kind of products with the right mix of interactivity, 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 may well wonder why so few companies took the online plunge.
1.We learn from the beginning of the passage that Web business_______.
A.has been striving to expand its market B.intended to follow a fanciful fashion
C.tried but in vain to control the market D.has been booming for one year or so
2.Speaking of the online technology available for marketing, the author implies that_______.
A.the technology is popular with many Web users
B.businesses have faith in the reliability of online transactions
C.there is a radical change in strategy
D.it is accessible limitedly to established partners
3.In the view of Net purists,_______.
A.there should be no marketing messages in online culture
B.money making should be given priority to on the Web
C.the Web should be able to function as the television set
D.there should be no online commercial information without requests
4.We learn from the last paragraph that_______.
A.pushing information on the Web is essential to Internet commerce
B.interactivity, hospitality and security are important to online customers
C.leading companies began to take the online plunge decades ago
D.setting up shops in silicon is independent of the cost of computing power
5.The best title for this article is "_______".
A.Development of Web Business B.About Internet Commerce
C.About Push Strategy D.About Online Transaction
长难例句分析
［长难例句］The examples of Virtual Vineyards, Amazon.com, and other pioneers show that a website selling the right kind of products with the right mix of interactivity, hospitality, and security will attract online customers.
［结构分析］本句中，主干是“The examples...show that...”。that引导了一个宾语从句。在这个宾语从句中，主语是a website，谓语是will attract，宾语是online customers。现在分词短语selling the right kind of products with the right mix of interactivity，hospitality，and security作定语修饰a website。
［参考译文］Virtual Vineyards和Amazon.com（两个网站的名称）以及另外的先行者的例子说明：如果一个网站销售对路产品，再加上互相交流、礼貌周到、安全可靠等因素，将同样能吸引网上客户。
全文参考译文
网上交易的头一两年中，大部分业务活动都围绕着开拓消费者市场而进行的。最近，随着网络被证明了不是一时的流行后，公司间才开始在网上交易产品和提供服务。公司间的这种交易方式能达成是因为商人一般都知道自己所寻找的产品。
然而，许多公司因为怀疑网络的可靠性而对使用网络犹豫不决。Forrester研究中心的资深分析家Blane Erwin说：“商业伙伴双方需要找到他们可以信赖的销售商和供应商之间的途径。”有些公司为了降低风险，只与那些被允许进入本公司内部网的固定贸易伙伴进行在线交易。
互联网商业模式的另一个重大变化与可用于营销的技术有关。直到最近，互联网上的营销活动注重的是“吸引”顾客到网站的策略。可就在去年，软件公司开发出了新技术，这种技术可以使公司把信息直接“推销”给顾客——将销售信息直接传送给特定用户。最突出的例子是PointCast网络，该网络使用一种屏幕保护系统，将最新的信息和广告不断地传送到用户的计算机显示器上。用户可以订制他们想要的信息，然后直接进入某公司的网站。像Virtual Vineyards这样的公司已经开始使用相似的策略将有关特价商品、产品推销或其他商业活动的信息“推”向用户。可是，推销策略让很多网上用户生厌。在线文化重视这样的理念——信息应传送给那些提出需要的用户。一旦商业广告不请自来地充斥了电脑屏幕，网络与电视就没有区别了。这样的前景令网络净化者感到可怕。
但是，网上公司即使不使用“推销”策略也肯定能赚钱。Virtual Vineyards和Amazon.com（两个网站的名称）以及另外的先行者的例子说明：如果一个网站销售对路的产品，再加上互相交流、礼貌周到、安全可靠等因素，将同样能吸引网上客户。计算机的运算能力成本不断下降，这对于任何在网上建立专门零售部的企业来说都是个好兆头。只要回顾一下过去5～10年的历史，人们或许会感到迷惑：尝试在线服务的公司为何这么少呢？
题目答案与解析
1.我们从文章的开头了解到，网上业务_________。
A.一直在努力开拓其市场 B.打算遵循一种奇异的风尚
C.企图控制市场，但是徒劳无功 D.已经蓬勃发展了大约一年的时间
【答案】A
【解析】本题可参照文章的第一段。从中可知，网上业务开始的第一年左右，大部分业务活动都围绕着开拓消费者市场而进行。据此可知，网上业务刚开始时，其业务活动主要是开拓消费者市场。A项与文中的意思相符，因此为正确答案。
2.作者谈到可用于营销的在线技术时暗示了_________。
A.这种技术受到许多网络用户的喜爱 B.商家对在线交易的可靠性有信心
C.交易的策略发生了根本变化 D.在线技术只限于固定合作伙伴使用
【答案】C
【解析】本题可参照文章的第三段。从中可知，互联网商业模式的另一个重大变化与可用于营销的技术有关；直到最近，互联网的营销活动注重的是“吸引”顾客到网站的策略；然而，过去一年，软件公司开发出了新的技术，这种技术可以使公司把信息直接“推销”给顾客——把销售信息直接传送给特定用户；用户可以定制他们想要的信息，然后直接进入某公司的网站。据此可知，过去一年里，在线的营销技术发生了变化。C项与文章的意思相符，因此为正确答案。
3.依照网络净化者的观点，_________。
A.在线文化领域不应该有营销信息 B.在网上赚钱应该被赋予优先权
C.网络应该能够像电视那样起作用 D.没有要求就不应该提供在线商业信息
【答案】D
【解析】本题可参照文章的第三段。从中可知，在线文化高度重视这样的理念——信息应传送给那些提出需要的用户；一旦商业广告不请自来地充斥电脑屏幕，那么网络和电视之间就没有区别了；这样的前景令网络净化者们感到可怕。据此可知，网络净化者们认为，商业促销信息不应该未经许可就充斥电脑屏幕，应该根据具体要求而提供信息。D项与文章的意思相符，因此为正确答案。
4.我们从最后一段了解到_________。
A.对于网络商业来说，在网上推销信息至关重要
B.对于在线顾客来说，互相交流、礼貌周到以及安全可靠非常重要
C.走在前头的公司几十年前就开始涉足在线业务
D.在网上建立专门零售部与电脑的成本没有关系
【答案】B
【解析】从文章最后一段的内容可知，网络公司并不是非得使用推销策略来赚钱不可；Virtual Vineyards, Amazon. Com以及其他网络先驱的例子表明——如果一个网站销售对路的产品，再加上互相交流、礼貌周到、安全可靠等因素，将同样能吸引网上客户；并且计算机的运算能力成本不断下降，这对于任何在网上建立专门零售部的企业来说都是一个好兆头；只要回顾过去的5～10年的历史，人们或许会感到迷惑——尝试在线服务的公司为什么这么少呢？据此可知，网络公司要想吸引网上顾客，除了使用推销策略之外，更重要的是对路的产品、互相交流、礼貌周到、安全可靠等这些因素。B项与文中的意思相符，因此为正确答案。
5.本文最佳标题是“________”。
A.网络经营的发展 B.互联网商业 C.推动战略 D.在线交易
【答案】A
【解析】本文的主要内容是讲述通过网络进行商业经营的问题。其他标题的覆盖范围都过于狭窄。
