单选题
The digital attack of e-books and Amazon-style e-tailers
has put bookstores at risk. Digital books are expected to outsell print titles
by 2015 in Britain and even sooner in America. With this change, physical
bookstores appear to be on borrowed time. So, what is the future of the
bookstore? This is a burning question on everyone's lips at a recent event at
Foyles's flagship bookshop in London. To remain successful, a
bookstore must improve "the experience of buying books," says Alex Lifschutz, an
architect. He suggests an array of approaches: "small, quiet spaces sheltered
with books; larger spaces where one can dwell and read; other larger but still
intimate spaces where one can hear talks from authors about books." Exteriors
must buzz with activity, entrances must be full of eye-catching presentations.
The trend for not only incorporating cafes in bookstores but also placing them
on the top floor makes good sense. This draws shoppers upwards floor-by-floor,
which is bound to encourage people to linger longer and spend more.
There are plenty of ways to delight customers. The consensus is that
bookstores need to become cultural destinations where people are prepared to pay
good money to hear a concert, see a film or attend a talk. The programming will
have to be intelligent and the space comfortable. As shoppers often browse in
shops only to buy online later, some wonder whether it makes sense to charge
people for the privilege. A more attractive idea might be a
membership scheme like those offered by museums and other cultural venues.
Unlike reward cards, which offer discounts and other nominal benefits, a club
membership could provide priority access to events and a private lounge where
members can eat, drink and meet authors before events. Different memberships
could tailor to the needs of children and students. To survive
and thrive, bookstores should celebrate the book in all its forms: rare,
second-hand, digital, self-printed and so on. Readers should have the option of
buying e-books in-store, and budding authors should have access to self-printing
book machines, an important source of revenue in America. The
bookstore of the future will have to work hard. Service will be knowledgeable
and personalized, the inventory expertly selected, spaces well-designed and the
cultural events appealing. Whether bookstores are up to the challenge is not
clear. The fate of these stores is a cliff-hanger.
单选题
The first paragraph implies that without effective countermeasures
______.
A. books on physics will die out soon
B. traditional bookstores will be short-lived
C. no bookstores can survive digitalization
D. printed books will outnumber e-books
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】第一段第三句中的physical bookstores指的是“传统的实体书店”，有具体的建筑、售货员和办公地点，而不是“物理书”。该段中有at risk, what is the future...，a burning question等文字，都说明传统书店日子不好过。be on borrowed time或one's time is borrowed是个成语，有的字典把其解释为be unlikely to be active or working much longer(不会维持太长时间或好日子不长了)。
单选题
The main idea of the second paragraph is that ______.
A. the layout and atmosphere will be vital for bookstores
B. advertising is critical to sales at future bookstores
C. future bookstores should provide quick services