Ⅲ.阅读理解
The World Bank estimates there are about 650 million mobile phone users in African countries south of the Sahara Desert.That is greater than the number of users in the United States and European Union.
Samia Melhem works for the World Bank to increase information technologies in Africa.She says mobile phones are the fastest growing technology on the continent.
“Faster than TV,and definitely faster than electricity.More people have access to mobile phones and therefore communication.More people have Internet access today in Africa than they have access to water,clean water,or even sanitation (卫生设备).So we can say that this has been the most significant revolution in terms of changing the African landscape and how people live their daily life.”
CNN television recently named seven ways of life that have been revolutionized because of mobile phones.They include political activism,education,entertainment,disaster management,agriculture and health.
Another area is banking.Reports say half or more of the adults in Gabon,Kenya and Sudan use mobile money.Rene Mendy sells goods in the streets of Dakar,Senegal.But he never had enough money to open a bank account.
Now he uses a mobile phone banking service called Orange Money.With his telephone,he can add or take out as little as one dollar.He can make payments and send money to family members who live far away.
Orange Money says it serves four million customers in ten countries.The World Bank’s Samia Melhem notes that the French company is facing competition from other mobile banking services.
“The mobile banking is a huge trend.And people in the West don’t understand it,because most people have bank accounts and credit cards.It—mobile banking—is the instant possession of cash at a much lower cost.The cost is the cost of sending a message,which is almost nothing compared to what traditional transfer agents,like Western Union,would charge 10 dollars or more for a particular money transfer.”
1.Which country or area has the most mobile phone users according to the text?
A.The USA. B.European Union.
C.African countries. D.France.
2.The most significant revolution refers to________.
A.seven ways of life revolutionized because of mobile phones
B.more people having access to clean water
C.mobile phones being the fastest growing technology in Africa
D.the fast development of electricity in Africa
3.Using Orange Money,people can________.
A.add or take out as little as 10 dollars
B.pay for what they want to buy
C.only send money to family members
D.deal with any financial problems
4.Most people in the West don’t use mobile banking because________.
A.they have bank accounts and credit cards
B.they all have much money
C.mobile banking costs few dollars
D.mobile banking is hard to understand
5.The text is mainly about________.
A.how people live their life in Africa
B.mobile phones have changed lives in Africa
C.mobile phones are the fastest growing technology
D.the mobile banking is a huge trend