IhavebeenusingtheInternetsinceIwasfiveyearsold,whenmydadfirstsatmedowninfrontofacomputerandconnectedmetheWorldWideWeb.
I’vealwaysfeltlikeamasteroftheInternetworld.AOLInstantMessaging,MSN,Gmail,Facebook,Myspace--I’vegotitallundercontrol.Ithoughttherewasnothingmoretoitbesidescheckingmye-mailandwastingmytime,untilIwasintroducedtoelectroniccommerce(e-commerce):businessontheInternet.
Someonlinebusinessesarerunfromone-roomhomeoffices.Othershavehundredsofemployees(雇员)acrosstheworld.HaveyoueverheardofAmazon.com,Yahoo.com?
MyfriendsoftensaidtheygotcheaptextbooksoffAmazon.com,orhadagooddeal(交易)onSteveMaddenshoesthatwereonsaleatSteveMaden.com.Unfortunatelyforme,Icontinuedmy“e-commerceless”Web-surfing,notknowingaboutallthedealsIwasmissingouton.
Thatis,ofcourse,untilmysisterfinallysoldtheideatome.
“Whyareallthesepackagesarrivinginthemailforyou,Katy?”Iaskedheroneday.Strangeenvelopes(信封)hadbeenputonourdoorstepforweeksnow,eachonealwaysaddressedtomysister;andweallknowlittlesistersshouldneverbegettingmoremailthantheirelders!
“Oh,it’sthethingsIorderedonline!”sheanswered.Iwatchedspeechlesslyassheopenedthem.Therewasnowayourparentswerelettingherspendthatmuchmoney-onlineoroff!
“Howmuchdidallofthiscoat?”
“Oh,onlyabout$15inall!”Shesaidexcitedly.“EverythingoneBayisonsale!It’sawaybetterthangoingtothemall.”
IfeltasiftherehadbeenastorerightinmybackyardthatIhadneverwalkedinto!Thatweek,IorderedausedSpanishtextbookformysummercourseonlinefor10percentofthepublishingprice.Afewdayslater,IboughtaniPodprotectorandabookortwoviathewonderfuleBay.com.
小题1:Fromthefirsttwoparagraphwecanconcludethattheauthor