首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
For years, Europeans have been using "smart cards" to pay their way through the day. They use them in shops and restaurants; plu
For years, Europeans have been using "smart cards" to pay their way through the day. They use them in shops and restaurants; plu
admin
2013-05-29
41
问题
For years, Europeans have been using "smart cards" to pay their way through the day. They use them in shops and restaurants; plug them into public telephones and parking meters. In France smart cards cover anything from a biscuit bill to a swimming-pool entry fee. In America, smart cards are not nearly so common-only about 430,000 are now circulating in the US and Canada-but Forrester Research of Cambridge, Mass., predicts that number will balloon to 4.7 million by the year 2002.
What is a smart card, exactly, and how does it work?
Also called a chip card because of the tiny microprocessor embedded in it, a smart card looks a lot like the other plastic in your wallet. To make things more confusing, some smart cards pull double duty as regular ATM bank cards. The difference is that when you swipe your ATM (or debit) card at the grocery-store checkout, you’re draining cash from your bank account. Smart cards, on the other hand, are worthless unless they are "loaded" with ash value, pulled directly from your bank account or traded for currency. The chip keeps track of the amounts stored and spent. The advantage, in theory, is convenience: consumers bother less with pocket change and are able to use plastic even at traditionally cash-only vendors. The electronic transaction doesn’t require a signature, a PIN number or bank approval. Downside: lose the card, lose the money.
Most people are probably more familiar with stored-value cards equipped only with a magnetic stripe, such as fare cards issued to riders on the Washington metro or the New York City subway. The newer Chip-enhanced versions armed with more memory and processing power, have popped up in various places in the past year or so, from college campuses to military bases to sports stadiums. Other experiments are under way. A healthcare claims processor in Indianapolis, Ind., hopes smart cards will streamline medical bill payments. In Ohio, food-stamp recipients receive a smart card rather than paper vouchers.
Smart cards issued for general commerce are rarer, unless you happen to live in a place designated for a test run, such as Manhattan’s Upper West Side. But big banks and plastic-purveying kings Visa and Master Card are hot for the idea, promising more extensive trials and more elaborate, multipurpose cards capable of rendering everything else you carry-plastic, paper or coin-superfluous.
Today’s smart cards may not be revolutionizing the way we buy the morning paper yet, but they could turn out to be the right tool to spur Internet commerce and banking. For the time being, though, smart cards are just another way to buy stuff. And it could be a while before even that catches on. Remember: some people still don’t quite trust ATMs either.
According to the passage, one difference between a smart card and an ordinary ATM card is that a smart card ______.
选项
A、has fewer functions
B、can double as a credit card
C、draws money from your bank account every time it is used
D、requires payment in advance for its buying power
答案
D
解析
第三段说“Smart cards are worthless unless they are ’loaded’ with ash value…”智能卡本身一文不值,必须先充值。因此,D项为正确答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/YKTO777K
0
研究生英语学位课统考(GET)
相关试题推荐
Theobjectiveofthispopularconsultationistodetermine,______,thefinalpoliticalstatusoftheregion,whethertoremaino
Anumberofresearchershaveexaminedthevariables/strategiesthataffectstudents’learningEnglishasasecondlanguage.This
Planningisaveryimportantactivityinourlivesyetreallysophisticated.Itcangivepleasure,evenexcitement,【C1】______ca
Planningisaveryimportantactivityinourlivesyetreallysophisticated.Itcangivepleasure,evenexcitement,【C1】______ca
Oneofthemostdifficultaspectsofdecidingwhethercurrentclimaticeventsrevealevidenceoftheimpactofhumanactivities
Ourlivesarewoventogether.AsmuchasIenjoymyown【C1】______,InolongerimagineIcangetthroughasingledaycompletely
Ourlivesarewoventogether.AsmuchasIenjoymyown【C1】______,InolongerimagineIcangetthroughasingledaycompletely
Some23millionadditionalU.S.residentsareexpectedtobecomemoreregularusersoftheU.S.healthcaresysteminthenext
Forsometimepastithasbeenwidelyacceptedthatbabies—andothercreatures—learntodothingsbecausecertainactsleadto"
Certainlynocreatureintheseaisodderthanthecommonseacucumber.Alllivingcreatures,especiallyhumanbeings,havethei
随机试题
《证券法》第108条规定,“证券交易所依照法律,行政法规定,办理股票公司债权的暂停上市,恢复上市或者终止上市事务”。其具体办法由国务院证券监督管理机构制定,该规定属于()。
低压螺旋式气柜施工时,其施工的关键工序是()。
建造师经( )后,方有资格以建造师名义担任建设工程项目施工的项目经理及从事其他施工活动的管理。
下列关于产品生命周期策略的说法,正确的有()。
甲股份有限公司2013年在上海证券交易所上市,A公司是甲公司的控股股东,持有甲公司35%的股份。甲公司因2014年、2015年净利润均为负数,遂拟进行重组,2016年8月1日公布重组方案:(1)甲公司以全部资产(负债)与重组方乙公司持有的100%丙公司股
道德情感的内容主要包括爱国主义情感、集体主义情感、义务感、责任感、事业感、自尊感和羞耻感。其中,爱国主义情感、责任感和自尊感对于儿童和青少年尤为重要。
神话衰落,哲学兴起,人要自己来解释和安排一切了,他几乎在踌躇满志的同时发现了自己________。面对动物或动物般生活着的芸芸众生,觉醒的智慧感觉到一种神性的快乐。面对宇宙,他却意识到了自己的局限,不得不________由神性不足造成的痛苦。依次填入画横线
人才是创新的根基.创新驱动实质上是人才驱动。深化改革、推动创新,一方面离不开激发民智、汇聚民力,另一方面要发挥高端人才的关键作用。只有大力实施人才强国战略,“掸天下英才而用之,集聚一批站在行业科技前沿、具有国际视野和能力的领军人才”,努力抢占经济科技制高点
HowtoConquerPublicSpeakingFearI.IntroductionA.Publicspeaking—acommonsourceofstressforeveryoneB.Thetruthabou
OnacoldJanuarymorningin1936,GeorgeVwasgivenaking’sburial.Followinghiscoffinwashiseldestson,thehandsome,mu
最新回复
(
0
)