4. What is the purpose of the article? //

(A) To announce the latest sales performance of an enterprise //

(B) To notify readers of the content of an inaugural speech //

(C) To describe legal procedures / regarding how to set up a joint venture //

(D) To profile a corporate executive //

5. According to the article, / who most likely is Steve Nelson? //

(A) The owner of a successful grocery store //

(B) An advisor to Internet regulatory authorities //

(C) A mid-level manager / at a cargo shipping company //

(D) A CEO of a consulting firm //

6. What is the main function of Steve Nelson’s work? //

(A) To reduce the amount of unpaid bills //

(B) To mediate labor-management disputes //

(C) To increase employee performance //

(D) To eliminate inefficiency //


DL2-38 

Local Retail Consultant Finds New Work on the Web //

Steve Nelson grew up / helping his father run his neighborhood grocery store /

here in the Ridgeborough area. //

Although he never went into the retail business himself, /

he always had a particular talent for making business more efficient. //

On the basis of his experience, /

he came to realize success in business depends on cost, speed, /

and quality of products. //

Since then, / as an entrepreneur, /

he has been particularly focusing on giving customers easy access to products, /

and eventually he devised his own strategies /

for increasing the efficiency of ordering and payment systems /

by simplifying the procedures. //

Now he runs Nelson & Sons Direct Marketing Consultants, /

which advises Internet Web sites /

on how to cut down on the phenomenon of shoppers /

who fill their virtual shopping carts, /

only to abandon them when they reach the check-out procedure. //

“Most of these potential customers give up /

when they are surprised by unexpectedly high shipping costs, /

or troublesome registration and payment procedures,” he said, /

adding that he can advise companies / on how to design Web sites /

to guide customers on through the payment process /

without losing them to impatience /

or various common distractions of the Internet age. //



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