A
Everyone’s at it, even my neighbors. I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn’t done an eBay deal. So, I decided to try my hand at online auction (网上拍卖).
Buying for beginners：Sign up on www.ebay.co.uk. Most items(e. g. tables, computers, and books) ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description；others may be marked with “Buy It Now” and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.
If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids (出价) for you. The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10 days and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item.
How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a cheque or postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card.
Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item. I followed my friends’ advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday. This way buyers had two weekends to bid.
The big things in life: It’s easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by deliverymen. Check the ways of delivery before you bid.
21. What is the passage mainly about?
A. How to make payment online. B. Ways of making delivery online.
C. How to use an online-auction system. D. Advantages of an online-auction system.
22. After bidding for an item, a buyer ________.
A. has chances to make higher bids B. will get what he wants in ten days
C. should make payment immediately D. may check its picture and description
23. The easiest way of making payment mentioned in the passage is ________.
A. through a local banking system B. through an online payment system
C. by sending the money to the seller D. by paying the deliveryman directly
