Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)   (15 minutes)
　　Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

　　Internet is being adopted as a parallel medium of communication, transaction, and social networking. Internet banking is fast gaining speed across the globe for its convenience and ease of conducting transactions at a speed and service levels never dreamt of, a decade ago. Bankers needs take some learning for this last decade of e-driven environment.
　　Internet banking introspection (反省)
　　In spite of its multiple advantages, there is a need to step back and re-think on perceptions of the masses. Is Internet banking truly replacing the layers of branch banking in a big way? Is Internet banking a definitive future of how world people will transact over net? There is enough evidence of Internet banking gaining considerable adoption in developed and to a lesser degree in developing countries. However ample evidence exists to suggest that Internet banking has been highly accepted in only specific line of services and yet global bankers have to fight a fierce battle when Internet banking will be a truly serious and parallel banking channel. But one thing is sure, e-banking has going through a lot of transformation for a decade and will surely keeping it’s footprint across the globe.
　　By next decade, mobile banking may take over as preferred channel in the tribal regions of Africa and world may follow the pattern. Bangladesh has successfully tested mobile banking for have-nots and again proving a point to the word that micro-banking is not the only aspect they are leading, given the size and status of their economy.
　　Maintaining e-banking infrastructure
　　Developing and maintaining Internet banking is extremely tough call for a modern day banker. At one side the cost and efforts of maintenance of e-banking infrastructure may not necessarily justify the benefits to bank of every size. And at the same time, cost of not providing good internet banking platform is also huge and may affect the opportunities loss for banks. Having said that, in today’s context, providing full-service Internet banking platform is more of “when and not if” and the benefits are comparable to “chicken or egg” theory.
　　Pre-Y2K (千禧危机)
　　In the first generation of Internet banking, i.e. pre Y2K era, banks in the developed world provided basic facilities such as view balance, e-statements, check-book request, stop payment instructions, electronic bill payment etc.
　　Post-Y2K
　　In post Y2K era banks aggressively adopted various services such as electronic bill presentment and payment, customized reporting, account aggregation over multiple bank accounts, investment banking, also portfolio/investment management, comprehensive money management, and trade finance etc.
　　Internet-only banks
　　Y2K was also an era when few “Internet only” banks were established, and out of which Japanese banks have better survived by now. The rest of the world is struggling to keep this “internet only” concept alive.
　　Needless to say, debate is on for account aggregation vs. multi-factor authentication (身份验证) vs. privacy vs. so on.
　　2007 and beyond
　　In the present regime of 2007 and beyond, the banks are concentrating on targeting the incremental (增加的) service-level in online banking value-chain e.g. developing creative ways of countering security threats, targeting comprehensive supply chain management for entire life cycle of a transaction , customizing the social network in wbe2.0 including offering more control to the user, aligning internet banking with multiple channels to offer the best technological upgrades to the customer, mobile banking services, etc. Banks are targeting Internet banking as a medium to generate new business and attracting either offline or fresh customer through effective ways of cross-selling, establishing cross border services for various corporate as well as consumer segment. Internet banking is also been used as a channel to create profile driven marketing campaign for various banking products. 

[本文共有 3 页，当前是第 1 页] <<上一页 下一页>>