Ten years ago, Pierre Omidyar, a software engineer working in California’s Silicon Valley, began thinking about how to use the internet for a trading system in which buyers and sellers could establish a genuine market price. Over a long holiday weekend he wrote the computer code. At first, a trickle of users arrived at his website—including his girlfriend, who traded PEZ candy dispensers. By the end of 1995, several thousand auctions had been completed and interest in eBay was growing. And it grew and grew. From this modest beginning, eBay has become a global giant, with around 150m registered users worldwide who are set to buy and sell goods worth more than $40 billion this year.

The remarkable tale of eBay’s growth points to some important lessons for any business trying to operate online—and today that includes, one way or another, most firms. The commercial opportunities presented by an expanding global web seem almost limitless. But the pace of change is rapid, and so is the ferocity of competition. To succeed, firms need agility, an open mind and the ability to reinvent themselves repeatedly. Most of all, they need to listen carefully to their customers, paying close attention to what they do and don’t want.

Such qualities, of course, would be valuable in any kind of business. Yet for online firms they are not a luxury, but necessary for mere survival. This is true for a variety of reasons. The internet is not only growing, but changing rapidly—which, in turn, changes the rules of the game for any business relying on it. The barriers to entry are still low compared with those for most offline businesses, which means that just keeping track of your existing rivals is not enough. These may not represent the greatest competitive threat tomorrow or the next day. That could come from a number of directions—a firm in a different type of online business; one that does not yet exist; or even from one of your own customers. On top of all this, the behavior of many consumers is constantly changing as well, as individuals discover new ways to shop and interact with each other via the web.

All these factors make the internet a dangerous place to do business, as well as one full of promise. eBay’s history demonstrates both of those things. It is probably safe to say that nothing like eBay could have existed without the internet—or could have grown so fast. Even though there have been signs of the firm’s blistering pace slowing a bit in America, its most “mature” market, there remain vast opportunities overseas, particularly, some argue, in China. Meg Whitman, eBay’s chief executive, believes the company is still only at the beginning of what it could achieve.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

［A］ To introduce the founder of eBay and his girlfriend.

［B］ To demonstrate how clever the founder of eBay is.

［C］ To show how eBay started and has grown.

［D］ To introduce eBay to people.

2. Which of the following best summarizes Pierre Omidyar’s intention with regard to eBay?

［A］ To set up a global internet business.

［B］ To allow people to freely buy and sell on the internet at acceptable prices.

［C］ To set up a mechanism on the internet to allow people to trade at true market prices.

［D］ To se up a business mechanism for his girlfriend.

3. Which of these is it NOT necessary for a company selling on the internet to do?

［A］ Have the most competitive price for each of their online products.

［B］ Be able to change to suit the prevailing market conditions.

［C］ Be prepared to consider all options and alternatives.

［D］ Have a good idea of what their customers do not want.

4. What does “barriers to entry are still low compared with those for most offline businesses” in paragraph 3 mean?

［A］ It is easier to set up an internet business than a conventional one.

［B］ Internet trade is growing faster than traditional business sector.

［C］ It is cheaper to set up an internet business than a traditional one.

［D］ Companies generally prefer to do business online rather than offline.

5. Why does the article conclude that the internet “is a dangerous place to do business”?

［A］ Because companies that sell online may be unreliable.

［B］ Because there are no controls on doing business on the internet.

［C］ Because doing business online is unpredictable.

［D］ Because even companies like eBay have problems doing business online.
答案：1-5 CCAAC