Modern means of Communication and electronic commerce
Pre-reading tasks
1. Remember all the following words and word-combination well:
1. commerce (n) – торговля, коммерция
2. to connect (v) – соединять, связывать, сочетать
3. to create (v) – создавать, творить, вызывать
4. to deliver (v) – передавать, доставлять, разносить, снабжать, поставлять
5. original (adj) – первый, первоначальный, оригинальный
6. remote (adj) – отдаленный, дальний, далекий, дистанционный, действующий на расстоянии
7.to elaborate upon/on smth (v) – детально, тщательно разрабатывать, вырабатывать, развивать, дополнять, уточнять
8. to develop (v) – разрабатывать, развивать, совершенствовать
9. to refer to smth/smbd (v) – посылать, отсылать к кому-либо, обращаться к кому-либо, приписывать чему-либо, объяснять чем-либо, относить засчет чего-либо, ссылаться на кого-либо
10. to support smth/smbd (v) – поддерживать, помогать, защищать, содействовать. подтверждать
11. to sell (v) – продавать
12. secure (adj) – безопасный, надежно защищенный
13. to encrypt (v) – шифровать
14. to facilitate (v) – облегчать, помогать, способствовать
15. to collaborate (v) – сотрудничать
16. to surround (v) – окружать, обступать
17. to flourish (v) – пышно расти, процветать, преуспевать
2. Translate the following word and word-combinations from English into Russian:
to grow rapidly, by means of computers, to maintain business relationship, to include economic activity, for the exchange of documents, a retail sector, to handle simple transactions, to be relatively inexpensive, any particular machine, the transfer of information, to contribute to the growth. …, among other innovations, intermediary services, to restrict the access, to replace by the electronic equivalents, to manufacture a product, the increased number of individuals, within the company, purchase forms.
3. Make the corresponding nouns using these verbs:
to connect, to create, to elaborate, to support, to collaborate, to sell, to compare, to specify, to vary, to differ.
4. Find synonyms among the following words:
trade, to carry, sale, primary, to collaborate, to link, to flourish, removed, to connect, selling, to elaborate, commerce, to support, to develop, to deliver, to prosper, original, to cooperate, remote, to encourage.
5. In the dictionary find antonyms to these words:
to create, secure, to connect, simple, growth, to include, expensive.
Text
Modern means of Communication and electronic commerce
Connecting many computer networks and using common addressing system, the Internet has been growing rapidly since its creation in 1983, radio, telephone and cable television wires, satellites being used to deliver Internet services. By mid-1990s the Internet linked millions of computers throughout the world and it is sure to be the most important commercial and popular means of communication nowadays.
The first electronic transactions are supposed to have been handled in the 1950s due to telex, radio-teletype and telephone. In the following decades various industries elaborated upon the system of electronic data interchange before a simple and independent of any particular machine standard was created. Since the mid-1990s electronic commerce has become one of the most rapidly growing retail sectors. Although e-commerce usually refers only to the trading of goods and services over the Internet, it actually includes broader economic activity such as business-to-consumer and business-to-business commerce as well as internal organization transactions that support these activities.
A large part of e-commerce was transferred to the Internet after the first graphical “browser” software for the access to the World Wide Web had been introduced in 1993 and when the number of companies and individuals using “on-line” had greatly increased.
The further development of secure electronic transfer of sensitive information*, such as credit card numbers and electronic funds transfer orders, is certainly to be essential to the continued growth of e-commerce. Among other innovations that have contributed to the growth of e-commerce are electronic directories and search systems for finding information on the Web; software agents that act autonomously to allocate goods and services; and special identifying services over the Internet. These intermediary services facilitate the sale of goods, the rendering of services such as banking, ticket reservations, stock market transactions and even the delivery of remote education and entertainment.
There are some more important benefits of e-commerce. Due to its development the role of geographic distance in forming business relationship has been reduced. Nowadays, some traditional businesses have been replaced by their electronic equivalents.
Commentary to the text
Sensitive information – секретные сведения, засекреченная информация
Tasks to the text:
1. Fill in the following words from the texts (use the appropriate form of the words): to collaborate, to elaborate, to link, to flourish, to deliver, sale, remote, creation.
1. The Internet has been growing rapidly since its _ in1983.
2. By the mid-1990s the Internet _ millions of computers throughout the world.
3. One of the original uses of the Internet is _ computer access.
4. Having _ upon a new Web browser called Mosaic, American engineers made it available to users in September 1993.
5. The latest _ figures for these goods are much in line with market trends.
6. Businesses often develop private intranets for sharing information and _within the company.
7. A new form of collaboration known as a virtual company is _ now.
8. E-mail can _ both texts and graphics to computer users.
2. Answer the questions:
1. What were the original uses of the Internet?
2. Why has the Internet spread so widely all over the world?
3. How can individuals and business use the Internet?
4. What does electronic commerce include?
5. When did e-commerce appear?
6. What promoted the development of e-commerce?
7. What is essential to the continued growth of e-commerce?
8. What are the benefits of e-commerce in comparison with the traditional retail system?
3. Write a short summary to the text (not more than 5 sentences).
Выполните упражнения на закрепление грамматики.
I. Замените прямую речь косвенной.
1. “I’m studying Engineering.” Jim told me he ...
2. “I went to a brilliant lecture this morning.” Jim said he …
3. “Do you know where the post office is?” She asked...
4. “Have you been here before?” She asked ...
5. “What time did you arrive?” She asked ...
II. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на неличные формы глагола.
1. The economist calculated the company’s income, using the new computer programme.
2. We are checking on the accuracy of the data.
3. Measures are being taken to improve storing goods.
4. A number of measures are taken in order to increase profits of the enterprise.
5. It is important to see the difference between revenue and profit.
III. Поставьте подходящие по смыслу союзы и союзные слова. Переведите предложения.
- The problem with government regulation of markets is to control … government restrictions work in real life.
- Basic problems of economics are of great importance to every economist, … specific problems of farm economics are mostly of interest to economists … study agriculture.
- Professional marketing services are of great value to producers … sellers.
- … the price of one good rises, the consumer has to buy another good, … price has not risen.
- Making a decision, the economist should rely on all the information … he can find.
Данная контрольная работа по английскому языку включает в себя множество заданий. В контрольную включен английский текст и задания к нему. Чтобы выполнить задания необходимо повторить соответствующую лексику и грамматику.
