Question

One hundred and thirteen million Americans have at least one bank-issued credit card. They give their owners automatic credit in stores, restaurants, and hotels, at home, across the country, and they make many banking services available as well. More and more of these credit cards can be read automatically, making it possible to withdraw or deposit money in scattered locations, whether or not the local branch bank is open. For many of us the “cashless society” is not on the horizon---it’s already here.

While computer offer these conveniences to consumers, they have many advantages for sellers too. Electronic cash registers can do much more than simply ring up sales. They can keep a wide range of records, including who sold what, when and to whom. This information allows businessmen to keep track of their list of goods by showing which items are being sold and how far they are moving. Decisions to reorder or return goods to suppliers can then be made. At the same time these computers record which hours are busiest and which employees are the most efficient, allowing personnel and staffing assignments to be made accordingly. And they also identify preferred customer for promotional campaigns. Computers are relied on by manufacturers for similar reasons. Computer analyzed marketing reports can help to decide which products to emphasize now, which to develop for the future and which to drop. Computers keep track of goods in stock, of raw materials on hand, and even of the production process itself.

Numerous other commercial enterprises, from theaters to magazine publishers, from gas and electric utilities to milk processors, bring better and more efficient services to consumers through the use of computers.

1.From the last sentence of the first paragraph we learn that __________ .

A. in the future all the Americans will use credit cads

B. credit cards are mainly used in the United States today

C. nowadays many Americans do not pay in cash

D. it is now more convenient to use credit cards than before

2.If computers record which hours are busiest and which employees are the most efficient, what will businessmen do?

A. They will fire some employees and raise the work efficiency.

B. They will arrange for different employees to do different jobs according to their abilities and performance.

C. They will assign more work for the employees to do.

D. They will allow the personnel to do whatever work they want to do.

3.What does the underlined phrase “ring up sales” in paragraph two mean?

A. make an order of goods.

B. record sales on a cash register.

C. call the sales manager.

D. keep track of the goods in stock.

4.What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. Approaches to the commercial use of computers.

B. Advantages of credit cards in business.

C. Significance of automation in commercial enterprises.

D. Conveniences brought about by computers in business.

Answer 1