These days, online shopping is experiencing dramatic growth. With the COVID-19 pandemic, people in many parts of the world are staying home much more and even working remotely . A lot of them are using the net to buy exactly what Jane Snowball did—groceries—to avoid being infected by the virus. Observers believe the disease has sped up the use of the internet to purchase goods by at least two to three years. As such , it’s likely that the pandemic will be seen as another milestone in the history of online shopping. Let’s take a look at some other major moments in the history of online shopping.
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. com, is now one of the richest men in the world. But back in 1994, he was just a young man with a bold, new idea: selling books online. Since the internet was still in its early stages , it was a risky move. Even Bezos had his doubts and told investors there was a 70% chance that his business idea would fail. Also in that same year, Pizza Hut became one of the first established companies to sell to consumers over the internet. A year later, AuctionWeb—an online auction site which was renamed eBay in 1997—appeared. For Japanese consumers, a milestone occurred in 1997 with the start of Rakuten, which has become that nation’s most popular site for online shopping. Two years after Rakuten began, Alibaba, now one of the world’s largest retailers and e-commerce companies, opened its operations in China.
Data on shopping habits around the world show a continuing upward trend in online shopping, with growth rates increasing. In other words, when it comes to e-commerce, there is no turning back .
1. Which of the following is true about Jane Snowball?
(A) She was a computer technician from Gateshead, England.
(B) She used her computer and Tesco’s website page to order food.
(C) Her grandson, Michael Aldrich, introduced her to online shopping.
(D) Tesco delivered her groceries, and she gave money to the delivery person.
2. What was Michael Aldrich’s opinion of the first case of online shopping?
(A) It was an historic moment.
(B) It was an enjoyable experiment.
(C) It would make the internet popular.
(D) It was an unpleasant and difficult experience.
3. Why does the author suggest the COVID-19 pandemic might be regarded as a milestone in online shopping?
(A) Stores in remote areas went out of business .
(B) It marked the time when groceries became available online.
(C) People spent more time at home and avoided going out shopping.
(D) Patients with the disease had to place orders from their isolation rooms.
4. According to the Day 2 passage, what would a person NOT be doing on the internet in 1995?
