In the mid 1990s, people started doing business on the Internet. At that time, there were two kinds of companies. First, there were traditional companies which sold things in shops. Then, there were Internet companies which didn't have shops; they sold things only over the net.
Traditional companies didn't want to lose any business. Quickly, they created their own website and began selling things over the net. These are the so-called "brick and click" companies. Many shops are made of brick, and you click on your mouse to buy things with your computer. That's where the name "brick and click" comes from.
By the late 1990s, e-businesses like Amazon.com and Buy.com were in trouble. Their profits were not very high, and there was a lot of competition. Many of these businesses lost a lot of money, and in 2000, many e-businesses went out of business.
Why are "brick and click" companies, like Barnes & Noble, Toys "R" Us, and Walmart so successful? First, many customers know and trust their names. Their websites, like walmart.com, are easy to remember. These companies also have a lot of experience. They know how to run a successful business.
In the world of e-commerce, companies are fighting for every dollar and every customer. Will "brick and click" companies win the war? Only time will tell.
After the Second World War, there were many reports of mysterious "flying saucers (飞碟)". They1throughout the world. For quite a long time strange shapes had been reported in2parts of the world, but it was not until recent times that these were seriously studied. Pictures and films3of flying saucers, or UFOs seen in the sky. Some pilots of4reported that round flying machines had followed5, and moved at great speed. Some unofficial (非官方的) experts and6suggested that some creatures from other planets were watching us. Some reports said a UFO had7the Earth. A space creature8the UFO, moved around, and then flew off again. But none of the landings was ever proved (被证实) to be true.
What lies ahead of us? We do not know.9we can be sure that whatever happens, we are living in an age which will grow steadily10.
Artificial intelligence (人工智能) , or AI in short, is the science of giving computers and machines ability to think and work like humans.
AI is rapidly catching up with the human ability to read faces. As a result, facial recognition (识别) is used a lot in the world. Chinese police use this technology to identify criminals (罪犯).It also checks the ID of ride-hailing (约车) drivers and lets people pay for things with a smile.
Most drivers may wave or nod at passers—by to let them cross the street, but self—driving cars don't have this ability. Carmakers are testing a light signal system to help them "speak" to humans.For example, if a driverless car is yielding (让路) , it will flash two white lights side to side. A rapidly flashing light tells passers-by that the car is about to speed up.
Service robots also show you how powerful AI is. Imagine this—you come back from school and your robot housekeeper is waiting for you at the door. After dinner, he teaches you to play the piano, just like a real music teacher. Such thoughts will soon happen in the real world.AI is so powerful that it can help human beings and even replace us in many jobs.
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A. The system can show what self-driving cars will do. B. AI scientists and engineers have made a lot of cool technologies. C. Once they caught a criminal when he attended a concert. D. In the future, more and more service robots will become good home helpers. E. AI is also used in self-driving cars, which are believed to be the future of driving. |
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Mark wants to have fun with his friends but wouldn't like to spend money. Alice finds some parts of her body change. She is very worried. Li Ping is worried that he can't make lots of friends in the new school. Lin Hong has a problem. It seems that her parents always have different ideas from her. Peter's hobby is to see films. Now he wants to know about some new films. |
A. What are good friends like? True friendships can start right now but they take time to build. Here are some good examples. B. lf you are in a new school and want to make friends there, what will you do? Here are some suggestions. C. Get advice on the best entertainment and shopping for teens, such as places to go, movies to see and gifts to buy for teens. D. If your friends ask you to hang out, consider one of these fun, free activities. You needn't spend money if you don't want. Enter here to get help. E. What should you do if it feels like your parents don't "understand" you? Here are 4 suggestions. F. Looking for ways to make your money grow? Here, find out how to spend less money and still have fun, and how to hold onto the money you've got. G. During your early teen years, your body will change in ways you've never seen before. Get the facts about puberty(青春期)in girls and guys here. |
Have you ever (hear) of the Stonehenge? Every year it (receive) more than 750, 000 visitors. People like to go to this place especially June as they want to see the sun (rise) on the longest day of the year.
For many years, historians believed Stonehenge was a temple where ancient leaders (try) to communicate with the gods.
, historian Paul Stoker thinks this can't (be) true because Stonehenge was built so (much) centuries ago. Other people believe the stones have a medical purpose. They think the stones can prevent illness and keep people (health).
No one is sure what Stonehenge was used for. Some think it might be a burial place or a place to honour ancestors. Others think was built to celebrate a victory over an enemy.
