【答案解析】很多银行都在筹划在网上开通分行或者办事处。这就意味着，人们可以通过家里的电脑来管理他们的银行业务。在这些网上开设的分行里，顾客可以浏览他们所有的账户，在各个账户之间转账，申请贷款，得到诸如信用卡等产品的最新信息。顾客同样能够进行电子支付，并通过电子邮件向银行询问业务。 [听力原文] Many banks are preparing online branches or Internet offices, which means that people will be able to take care of their banking business through their home computers. At these online branches, customers will be able to view all their accounts, transfer money between their accounts, apply for a loan, and get current information on products such as credit cards. Customers will also be able to pay their bills electronically and even e-mail questions to the bank.

【答案解析】目前，1.96亿人已成为网民。据预测，这个数字在三年内将上升到4亿。在中国，到2006年底，互联网使用者预计将从现在的1350万上升到5000万左右。因为因特网更为广泛的利用，欧洲和美国的零售商估计在今后三年内，15%的零售收入将来自网上购物。零售中心正在成为娱乐中心，它们不再是一排排的商店，而将会有自己的主题，表演、令人兴奋的元素无所不在。 [听力原文] At present, 196 million people are on the Internet. That number is forecast to rise to 400 million within 8 years. In China, the projection is that the present number of 13.5 million Internet users will rise to around 50 million by the end of 2006. Because of this rise in Internet usage, retail executives in Europe and America estimate that within the next three years 15% of all retail dollars will be spent on Internet shopping. Retail centers are becoming entertainment centers. They are no longer just rows of shops, but have themes, shows and excitement on every corner.