For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the street or loading a cart in a shopping mall．Soon, that will change．Electronic commerce （trade） is growing fast and will soon bring people more choices．There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from being cheated will be harder．Many governments therefore want to apply street regulations to the electronic world．But politicians would be wiser to see cyberspace as a basis for a new era of corporate self-regulation．
Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything for the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs or their rights to refund when goods are faulty．But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence is on the screen．Even in a country where a clear right to compensation exists, the on-line customer in Tokyo, say, can hardly go to New York to get a refund for a clothes purchase．
One answer is for government to cooperate more: to recognize each other’s  rules．But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules．And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober countries to accept．There is, however, another choice．Let the electronic businesses do the regulation themselves．They do, after all, have a self-interest in doing so．
In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive asset．Governments, too, may compete to be trusted．For instance, customers ordering medicines on-line may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA’s rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead．
Customers will still need to use their judgment．But precisely because the technology is new, electronic shoppers are likely for a while to be a lot more cautious than customers of the normal sort．And the new technology will also make it easier for them to complain when a company lets them down．In this way, at least, the advent of cyberspace may argue for fewer consumer protection laws, not more．
【小题1】According to the author, what will be the best policy for electronic commerce?

For some people, the prospect of starting college, especially going away to school, is scary. It’s probably the first time that you’ll be totally responsible for your own schedule. What if you intend to go to college but just don’t feel ready to start yet-for whatever reason-and you don’t want to take on a full-time job after graduation? You might want to take a year off to pause and regroup. This practice is common in some countries, like the United Kingdom, where it’s called a “gapyear”.
Taking time off doesn’t mean you should ignore the idea of applying to college. In fact, you may want to consider making your college plans before you become involved in other things, especially if you’ll be travelling. Apply to schools and make your choice, then ask for a deferred admission. Rachel took a year off and worked in New York City between college and medical school. She says that she had to be extremely well organized about planning for medical school so she didn’t miss any of her deadlines. “Not only did I have to apply to schools and make plans to take my MCAT exams, I also had to make all my living arrangements and other plans for my year off!”
Even if you decide not to apply to college, it can be a great idea to take a year to do something you may not have an opportunity to do again. Lots of volunteer organizations would welcome your time and energy and would provide you with a wonderful learning experience. If you take a year off you will learn some great life skills-like living on a tight budget! If you take a year off you’ll pay your way while you are traveling or doing volunteer work.
【小题1】What’s the best title of the passage?

For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the street or loading a cart in a shopping mall．Soon, that will change．Electronic commerce （trade） is growing fast and will soon bring people more choices．There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from being cheated will be harder．Many governments therefore want to apply street regulations to the electronic world．But politicians would be wiser to see cyberspace as a basis for a new era of corporate self-regulation．

Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything for the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs or their rights to refund when goods are faulty．But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence is on the screen．Even in a country where a clear right to compensation exists, the on-line customer in Tokyo, say, can hardly go to New York to get a refund for a clothes purchase．

One answer is for government to cooperate more: to recognize each other’s  rules．But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules．And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober countries to accept．There is, however, another choice．Let the electronic businesses do the regulation themselves．They do, after all, have a self-interest in doing so．

In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive asset．Governments, too, may compete to be trusted．For instance, customers ordering medicines on-line may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA’s rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead．

Customers will still need to use their judgment．But precisely because the technology is new, electronic shoppers are likely for a while to be a lot more cautious than customers of the normal sort．And the new technology will also make it easier for them to complain when a company lets them down．In this way, at least, the advent of cyberspace may argue for fewer consumer protection laws, not more．

1.According to the author, what will be the best policy for electronic commerce?

A．Self-regulation by the business．           B．Strict consumer protection laws．

C．Close international cooperation．           D．Government protection．

2.In case an electronic shopper bought faulty goods from a foreign country, what could he do?

A．Refuse to pay for the purchase．           B．Go to the seller and ask for a refund．

C．Appeal to consumer protection law．        D．Complain about it on the Internet．

3.In the author’s view, businesses would place a high emphasis on honest dealing because in the electronic world _________________________________．

A．international cooperation would be much more frequent

B．consumers could easily seek government protection

C．a good reputation is a great advantage in competition

D．it would be easy for consumers to complain

4.We can infer from the passage that in licensing new drugs the FDA in the United States is ____________________．

A．very quick         B．very cautious       C．very slow          D．rather careless

5.If a customer buys something that does not meet his expectation, what is the advantage of dealing through electronic commerce over the present normal one?

A．It will be easier for him to return the goods he is not satisfied with．

B．It will be easier for him to attain the refund from the seller．

C．It will be easier for him to get his complaints heard by other consumers．

D．It will be easier for him to complain about this to the government．

For some people, the prospect of starting college, especially going away to school, is scary. It’s probably the first time that you’ll be totally responsible for your own schedule. What if you intend to go to college but just don’t feel ready to start yet-for whatever reason-and you don’t want to take on a full-time job after graduation? You might want to take a year off to pause and regroup. This practice is common in some countries, like the United Kingdom, where it’s called a “gapyear”.

Taking time off doesn’t mean you should ignore the idea of applying to college. In fact, you may want to consider making your college plans before you become involved in other things, especially if you’ll be travelling. Apply to schools and make your choice, then ask for a deferred admission. Rachel took a year off and worked in New York City between college and medical school. She says that she had to be extremely well organized about planning for medical school so she didn’t miss any of her deadlines. “Not only did I have to apply to schools and make plans to take my MCAT exams, I also had to make all my living arrangements and other plans for my year off!”

Even if you decide not to apply to college, it can be a great idea to take a year to do something you may not have an opportunity to do again. Lots of volunteer organizations would welcome your time and energy and would provide you with a wonderful learning experience. If you take a year off you will learn some great life skills-like living on a tight budget! If you take a year off you’ll pay your way while you are traveling or doing volunteer work.

1.What’s the best title of the passage?

2.Going on a “gap year” means _____.

3.The author takes Rachel for example in the second paragraph in order to show _____.

4.Which of the following is NOT the benefit of taking a year off?

Apply to an American College

Earlier, we explained how to begin a search for schools by going to one of the American educational advising centers around the world. We also discussed the rules for entering the United States. And we talked about programs that can be completed online.

But if your goal is to come to the United States to study, then it is time to make a list of colleges or universities that interest you. Be sure to choose more than one. Directors of foreign student admissions say students should apply to at least three schools.

Some students want to attend a small college. Others want to go to a big university. If a really big university appeals to you, then there are ones like Ohio State. That university in Columbus, Ohio, in the Midwest, has almost fifty-two thousand students. There are students this year from around one hundred fifty countries.

Ohio State provides international students with an application on its Website. You can pay the application charge online with a credit card. Or you can print the forms and mail them with the payment.

Many colleges and universities have their applications and also their catalogs online. You should start on your applications at least two years before you want to begin studies.

Completing a college application can take some time. But answering all the questions is not enough. Another important step is taking admissions tests. The SAT is the college entry test that American high school students most commonly take.

Colleges and universities also require international students to take the TOEFL — the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

If you have a general question for our Foreign Student Series, write to special @ voanews. com.

1.What purpose does Paragraph One serve in the passage ?

A. To provide background information of the topic.

B. To attract readers’ attention to the topic.

C. To remind the readers of some related aspects of the topic.

D. To offer basic knowledge of the topic.

2.According to this passage, “Ohio State” is ________.

A. one of the states in America          

B. the name of a Website

C. another name for “Columbus, Ohio”     

D. a university in America

3.Besides a college application, you are required to take ________test(s) if you’ re not an American.

A. one                         B. two                         C. three                      D. four

4.The passage mainly deals with _________.

A. how to pay the application charge

B. the rules for entering for American colleges and universities

C. some information on applications for American colleges and universities

D. when to start one’s applications for American colleges and universities