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Online shopping can help one buy a book, a T-shirt, or a cell phone. Now, even cars
can be purchased on the Internet with just a few clicks of a mouse.
China's privately owned Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co, which acquired the
Swedish carmaker Volvo Car Corporation from Ford Motor Company earlier this year,
on Monday launched (推出)its official store on Taobao Mall. The venture, on China's
largest business-to-customer shopping site by market share, means Geely is the first
automaker to sell cars on Taobao.
The company will begin offering two of its Panda models on the website from Dec
22, initially (最初)through a group-buying system. "We will add more cars to the Geely
store in the future, and also sell special editions(版本)which are only available on the
Internet," said Liu Jinliang, vice-president of Geely, adding that the special editions will
help differentiate(区分)the products sold in 4S (sales, service, spare parts and survey)
stores and those on the company's online store.
Customers can search for information, place orders, and pay their deposit(保证金)
through the company's online store, and then test-drive, obtain their cars, and pay the
remainder of the purchase price at traditional 4S stores. Liu said the company will provide
door-to-door delivery (交货), an installment payment(分期付款)plan, and pay-in-full
services in the future, as it aims to improve the overall quality of online shopping.
Selling cars online is seen not only as a means of attracting attention, but also as a way
of cutting costs. "By setting up an online store, we can save costs originally incurred (引起)
for land, infrastructure (基础设施), and human resources," said Yang Xueliang, public
relations director of Geely, adding that the company may consider lowering the number
of its physical stores(实体店)if the online venture is successful. "The costs saved, in turn,
will lead to discounts for customers," Yang added.
Though online stores will not replace the functions of 4S stores, they are a phenomenon
many automakers may adopt in the future, said analysts.
"It (setting up an online store) helps automakers to explore new ways of selling, though
it is far from a large-scale practice," said Jia Xinguang, a senior auto industry analyst.
1. The purpose of the passage is to tell us _______________________.             .
A. Online auto stores will replace the functions of 4S stores.
B. Geely is the first automaker to sell cars on Taobao.
C. Now cars can be purchased on the Internet.
D. Selling cars online is a means of attracting attention.
2. According to Liu Jinliang, _______________________.             .
A. the cars sold online will be cheaper
B. more cars have been added to the Geely store
C. the cars sold in 4S stores and those on the company's online store are just the same
D. there'll be special car editions which are only available on the Internet
3. It can be implied from the passage that _____________________.
A. the company offers two of its Panda models on the website
B. the company will provide door-to-door delivery service
C. customers must pay all the money through the online store
D. selling cars online can save money for customers
4. What's the analysts' attitudes towards online auto stores?
A. It will never replace the functions of 4S stores.
B. It's a new way of selling cars.
C. More automakers may adopt it in the future.
D. It is a large-scale practice.

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