Counterfeit goods, or false versions of products, may cost the government of Kenya as much as $1 billion each year. The fake goods also hurt business owners who find it hard to keep customers. But information technology is being used to try to stop the problem. Jemima Mwafigu is a 34-year-old businesswoman who sells products like perfume. But in the first year of running her business, she found it hard to keep customers because of counterfeit goods. Ms. Mwafigu says her business has improved since she began using a smart phone application called Barcode Scanner. The app is used to authenticate products. It checks to make sure the products are not counterfeit. "With this application I'm able to scan the bar codes of each perfume and instantly I get the production date, the _ and I'm able to know the safety," she says. "That way, I have confidence in selling to my customers." In 2010, Kenya created the Anti-Counterfeit Agency, or ACA, to fight against illegal trade. The ACA has successfully asked government officials for stronger punishments for counterfeiters. Agnes Karingu is the agency's acting director for research and awareness. She says the ACA is trying to stay one step ahead of those making fake goods. "We are also looking into IT solutions where we can be able to use SMS programs, bar codes and information sharing," she says. "The end users of the products will actually be able to get the authentication information, and this information comes back to ACA and intellectual property rights holders." The agency is testing another program called Allvirtuous. The application is another way to find out if a product is real or not by scanning its barcode. The barcode information is sent to a database. Then a result is sent back to the app. The International Chamber of Commerce is a global business organization. It says the value of counterfeit goods produced around the world is expected to be more than $1.7 trillion this year. What's the main purpose of this passage? A) To tell us that Information Technology is developing fast. B) To persuade us to resist counterfeit goods. C) To advise us to use phone apps while going shopping. D) To inform us that phone apps can help stop counterfeiters' trade.
D
(Question)
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore, 258350 Singapore General * Air-condition public areas; * Ballroom(s); * Ballroom(s); * Bar; * Elevator/lift; * Gift shops or newsstand(,); * Restaurant(s) in hotel; * Number of rooms:110; * Swimming pool--outdoor; * Tennis on site; * Wired(high-speed) Internet access--free Check-in time is 2PM Check-out time is Noon Pets not allowed 2 Swissotel Merchant Court---Singapore 20 Merchant Road, Singapore, 058281 Singapore General * Air-conditioned public areas; * Ballroom(s); * Bar; * Coffee shop or cafe; * Elevator/lift; * Number of floors:5; * Number of rooms: 120; * Restaurant(s)in hotel; * Swimming pool-outdoor; * Television in entrance hall Check-in time is 3PM Check-out time is Noon Pets not allowed 3 Royal Plaza On Scotts-Singapore 25 Scotts Road, Singapore, 228220 Singapore General * Air-conditioned public areas; *Ballroom(s); * Bar/lounge; * Elevator/lift; * Gift shops or newsstand; * Number of floors: 6; * Number of rooms: 160; * Restaurant(s) in hotel; * Smoke-free property ; * Swimming pool--outdoor; Check-in time is 2PM Check-out time is Noon Pets not allowed 4 Rendezvous Singapore--Singapore 9 Bras Basah Road, Marina Bay, 189559 Singapore General * Air-conditioned public areas; * Ballroom(s); * Bar/lounge; * Coffee shop or cafe; * Elevator/lift; * Number of floors: 6; * Number of rooms: 150; * Restaurant(s) in hotel; * Swimming pool--children's; * Swimming... If you have a child who loves swimming, you should stay in _ . A) Landmark Village Hotel B) Royal Plaza On Scotts C) Rendezvous Singapore D) Swissotel Merchant Court
(Answer)
C
Ques: Scores of people queued up to use a cash machine after it started giving out double the money requested. The cash machine, outside a Sainsbury's store in Barham Road, Hull, attracted a big crowd of people hoping to take advantage of the fault, on Tuesday night. Police officers were eventually sent in to guard the machine and prevent anymore money from being withdrawn. The fault is thought to have affected cash machines at supermarkets across the city. It is not yet known whether the customers will have to repay the cash or how much money was taken out. A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said, "Officers were sent to the cash machine to prevent anyone else from withdrawing anymore money. We have also tried to make contact with the owners of the machine." The spokeswoman said those who benefited from the fault could be traced and could face theft charges, but investigations would only take place if the operator made a complaint. The cash machine is owned by a company called Payzone, a spokesman later confirmed. He said the fault was due to the machine being filled with notes of the wrong denomination . An investigation is underway into the incident and the machine had been taken out of service, he added. The Payzone spokesman said, "The transit company which is contracted to service this ATM has filled it up with the wrong denomination of notes, meaning it is paying out double what it should have. " He could not say how much money had been taken out of the machine, or whether it would have to be paid back. It was understood that a number of cash machines in Hull owned by other companies had also been affected by this problem, he added. When it was discovered that the cash machine outside a Sainsbury's store broke down, _ . A) people queued up inside the store to buy things B) people asked the police to protect the cash machine C) people went to other cash machines to withdraw money D) people queued up at the cash machine to benefit from the fault
Ans:
D