Should cashless stores be banned?

湖北宜昌天問國際學校 王 晶

題材 熱點話題 體裁 議論文文章詞數319 難度 ★★★ 建議用時6′

現在移動支付非常方便，顧客掃一下二維碼就付款了，所以出現了一些不收現金的商店。但是有一些只能用現金或者只會用現金的群體就不能在這些商店買東西了，因此有人提出應該禁止無現金商店。

海詞積累

1.discriminate v.歧視；區別對待

2.logistics n.后勤；組織工作

Just wanting a hamburger，Hembert Figueroa was surprised to learn the dollar bills in his pocket were no good at Dos Toros Taqueria in Manhattan.

Figueroa,an ironworker,had to stand to the side, holding his hamburger, until a cashier helped him find another customer willing to pay for his meal with a card in exchange for cash.“I had money but I couldn't pay,”he said.

Cash-free stores are generating a backlash among some activists and liberal-leaning policymakers who say the practice discriminates against people like Figueroa, who either lack bank accounts or rely on cash for many transactions.

Advocates for banning cashless stores worry technology is moving too fast for the 6.5%of American households—8.4 million—that do not have a bank account.

Business owners who go cashless say they are following the lead of the majority of customers who are abandoning cash payments.Retailers are under pressure to cater to customers with heightened expectations for fast and convenient service,driven by companies like Amazon and Uber.

Leo Kremer,co-owner of Dos Toros,said the volume of cash transactions at his stores fell from about 50%a decade ago to 15%last year.Cash transactions made the cost and logistics of handling cash especially difficult.However，before going cashless,Dos Toros locations were robbed twice. Kremer argued that businesses that “consistently serve the unbanked and underbanked population won't go cashless. It wouldn't make sense for them”.

But financial experts who work with lowincome people caution against making assumptions about the shopping preferences or buying power of those who rely on cash.Justine Zinkin,CEO of Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners,said the greater urgency in the digital era is finding ways to better include low-income people in the banking system,such as compelling（強迫）banks to offer no-fee starter accounts and encouraging banks to open branches in underserved areas.

——From ABC News

Reading Check

1.What trouble was Hembert Figueroa faced with at Dos Toros Taqueria？

A.He couldn't make a deal with cash.

B.He failed to find a cashier for help.

C.He took no money or a card with him.

D.He was caught carrying false bank notes.

2.What does the underlined word“backlash”in paragraph 3 mean？

A.Heated debate.

B.Warm welcome.

C.Strong objection.

D.High expectation.

3.How many households are there in America？

A.About 8.4 million.

B.About 50.5 million.

C.About 40.2 million.

D.About 129.2 million.

4.What did Justine Zinkin suggest according to the text？

A.Making regulations to ban cashless stores.

B.Forcing banks to offer no-fee starter accounts.

C.Inspiring banks to open branches in underserved areas.

D.Taking low-income people's condition into consideration.

Language Study

I.話題表達

1.無現金交易的優勢

follow the lead of the majority of customers who are abandoning cash payments 跟隨大多數放棄現金支付的客戶

cater to customers with heightened expectations for fast and convenient service 迎合了顧客對快捷方便服務的更高期望

reduce the cost of handling cash 降低現金處理成本

prevent stores from being robbed 防止商店被搶劫

make transactions more convenient and efficient 使交易更方便高效

2.無現金交易的缺點

discriminate against people who either lack bank accounts or rely on cash for many transactions 歧視沒有銀行賬戶或在許多交易中依賴現金的人

not considerate 考慮不周到的

the volume of cash transactions may fall現金交易量可能會下降

may add to the trouble for senior citizens or low-income classes 可能會增加老年人或低收入階層的麻煩

3.對無現金交易的建議

find ways to better include low-income people in the banking system 尋找更好地將低收入者納入銀行系統的方法

compel banks to offer no-fee starter accounts 迫使銀行提供免費開戶

adapt to the new form of transaction 適應新的交易形式

encourage banks to open branches in underserved areas 鼓勵銀行在服務不足的地區開設分行

4.其他

generate a backlash among... 在……中引起強烈的反對

cash transactions 現金交易

cashless transactions 無現金交易

cashless payment 無現金支付

Ⅱ.牛刀小試

假定你是李華，你的英國網友Martin發來電子郵件詢問你關于無現金支付的看法。請給他回一封郵件，內容包括：

1.無現金交易的優勢；

2.無現金交易的缺陷；

3.改進建議。

注意：

1.可以適當增加一些細節，以使行文連貫；

2.盡可能使用以上的話題表達。

Dear Martin，

Yours，

Li Hua