考研英语阅读命题思路透析和真题揭秘(45)

One hundred and thirteen million Americans have at least one bank-issued credit card. They give their owners automatic credit in stores, restaurants, and hotels, at home, across the country, and even abroad, and they make many banking services available as well. More and more of these credit cards can be read automatically, making it possible to withdraw or deposit money in scattered locations, whether or not the local branch bank is open. For many of us the "cashless society" is not on the horizon-it's already here.

While computers offer these conveniences to consumers, they have many advantages for sellers too. Electronic cash registers can do much more than simply ring up sales. They can keep a wide range of records, including who sold what, when, and to whom. This information allows businessmen to keep track of their list of goods by showing which items are being sold and how fast they are moving. Decisions to reorder or return goods to suppliers can then be made. At the same time these computers record which hours are busiest and which employees are the most efficient, allowing personnel and staffing assignments to be made accordingly. And they also identify preferred customers for promotional campaigns. Computers are relied on by manufacturers for similar reasons. Computer-analyzed marketing reports can help to decide which products to emphasize now, which to develop for the future, and which to drop. Computers keep track of goods in stock, of raw materials on hand, and even of the production process itself.

Numerous other commercial enterprises, from theaters to magazine publishers, from gas and electric utilities to milk processors, bring better and more efficient services to consumers through the use of computers.

1.3亿美国人的手中至少每人持有一家银行发行的信用卡。信用卡持有者可在商店、饭店、宾馆，以及在当地、外地甚至国外赊购货物，同时信用卡还可以使他们得到银行提供的许多服务。越来越多的信用卡可以自动读取，于是持卡人就可以在不同地方存取，不管本地支行是否营业。对于我们很多人来说，"无现钞的社会"不是即将来临，而是已经到来。

计算机在为消费者提供诸多方便的同时，也给商家带来很多优势。电子收银机能做的远不止记录销售额，它们可进行各种各样的记录，包括谁卖了什么，什么时候卖的，卖给谁了等。这些信息通过显示销售商品的种类和销售速度，使商家能够跟踪和记录它们的商品清单，然后决定是再定货还是把商品退还给供应商。同时这些计算机还记录了哪些时段是高峰，哪些员工最有效率，进而就能对人员分配进行相应的调整。此外，他们还可以确定理想的顾客群进行促销活动。基于同样的原因，生产商们也非常依赖计算机。计算机分析的营销报告能有助于决定目前应重点生产哪些商品，将来开发哪些产品，哪些应停止生产。计算机跟踪库存商品，现有原材料甚至生产过程本身。

许多其他商业企业，从剧院到杂志社，从燃气电器公司到牛奶加工厂都通过计算机的使用为消费者提供更好、效率更高的服务。