Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. booming (adj.) [boom-ing] – growing or progressing quickly
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. booming (adj.) [boom-ing] – growing or progressing quickly
Example: The booming sales of umbrellas and raincoats
happen during the rainy season.
2. client (n.) [klahy-uhnt] – a customer
Example: The hotel serves hundreds
of clients every summer.
3. dominate (v.)
[dom-uh-neyt] – to have the highest or greatest position
Example: Microsoft has dominated the software market for years.
4. portal (n.) [pawr-tl, pohr-] – (in computers) a website which serves as an entrance or starting point to
other websites
Example: People use online
search portals to easily find information.
5. robust (adj.) [roh-buhst, roh-buhst] –strong and with energy
Example: The country is
experiencing a robust economy because of increasing exports.
Article
Read the text below.
Article
Read the text below.
The sales of China’s largest search engine Baidu, increased by up to 70% as a result of China’s booming online advertising business.
From April to June
2012, Baidu’s earnings from advertising increased by 60% to 5.5 billion yuan,
eventually leading to a net profit gain of 2.8 billion yuan ($436 million)
for the company. During this period, the number of clients who advertised with Baidu also increased by more than
18%.
Baidu attracts many
advertisers to invest in its popular portal
as it dominates China’s online
search market with an 80% share.
Several companies
today advertise online to get more customers, especially now that more Chinese
have access to the Internet. Currently, China has the world’s biggest online market
with more than 500 million Internet users, a number which many believe will
still increase.
Baidu has also
entered the phone and mobile Internet market by releasing a low-cost
smartphone. As more people connect to the Internet through these devices, Baidu
sees opportunity for further growth by making their own mobile phone products.
Robin Li, chairman
and CEO of Baidu, said that the company is looking forward to seeing the
results of robust growth by the
end of September. Li said that to accomplish such a goal, Baidu will maintain
growing sales and continue looking for more varied business opportunities in
China.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Do you like seeing advertisements on the
websites you visit? Why or why not?
·
What types of business do you think would
profit the most from online advertising?
Discussion B
·
What are the risks a company might face when
they try starting a different line of business (e.g., from software to
hardware)?
·
Do you think a company should focus on just one
kind of product or line of business? What makes you say so?
