A
With the click of a mouse consumers can purchase the goods and service they need at online shops.What they have to do is waiting for the goods sent to their homes.We shall all be grateful to the pioneers of online shopping for bringing us such convenience.
Michael Aldrich(the U．K.)
Online shopping was invented and pioneered by Michael Aldrich in the U．K.In 1979 he connected a television via a telephone line to a realtime multiuser transaction(交易)processing computer.He sold mainly BusinesstoBusiness systems.There were a number of significant world firsts with new applications in several business fields.
Jeff Bezos(the U．S.A.)
Jeff Bezos defined online shopping and rewrote the rules of commerce.Tim BernersLee invented the World Wide Web server and browser(浏览器)in 1990.In 1994，Jeff Bezos read an article about how the World Wide Web was growing by 2，300%a year.He knew he had to tap into such a great potential for commerce.On July 6，1995，Bezos launched Amazon.com，which operated out of the garage of his twobedroom home in suburban Seattle，Washington.With almost no publicity，sales took off immediately.The company has now expanded into dozens of product categories，forcing the world's biggest retailer(零售商)to rethink their business models，and finally changing the way people shop.
Jack Ma(China)
As a child，Jack Ma was bad at math but fascinated by English.He traveled to the United States in 1995 as a translator to help a Chinese firm recover payment.The attempt failed.But a friend in Seattle showed Ma the Internet，and an idea began brewing.
In 1999，Mr.Ma gathered 17 friends and founded Alibaba in his apartment in Hangzhou.Alibaba's model was simple：allow small and mediumsized Chinese companies to find global buyers they would otherwise only be able to meet at trade shows.It works brilliantly.Alibaba's sales are now more than those of eBay and Amazon combined.
【语篇解读】 本文主要介绍了对网上购物有深远影响的三位人物以及他们对电子商务的促进作用。
1．What made Amazon.com a success?
A．BusinesstoBusiness systems.
B．The World Wide Web server and browser.
C．Commercial publicity.
D．Help from retailers.
B [细节理解题。根据文章第二个小标题下的“Tim BernersLee invented the World Wide Web server and browser(浏览器)”及“With almost no publicity，sales took off immediately.”可知，亚马逊公司依托互联网发展迅猛。故选B项。]
2．How did Jack Ma have the idea of founding Alibaba?
A．A translator helped him.
B．A Chinese firm inspired him.
C．He was introduced to the Internet.
D．He was funded by some companies.
C [细节理解题。根据文章第三个小标题下的第一段最后一句“But a friend in Seattle showed Ma the Internet，and an idea began brewing.”可知，当朋友把互联网介绍给马云时，他开始有了想法。故选C项。]
3．What do the pioneers have in common?
A．They have improved computers.
B．They have sold goods worldwide.
C．They have enlarged product categories.
D．They have contributed to online shopping.
D [推理判断题。根据文章介绍的人物可知，他们都在互联网背景下从事商业贸易活动，因此他们对网上购物起到了推动作用。故选D项。]
