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Wal-Mart，the nation's largest retailer，often intimidates its competitors and suppliers.Makers of goods from diapers to DVD's must cater to its whims.But there is one company that even Wal-Mart eyes warily these days:Google，a seven-year-old business in a seemingly distant industry.

“We watch Google very closely at Wal-Mart，”said Jim Breyer，a member of Wal-Mart's board.

In Google，Wal-Mart sees both a technology pioneer and the seed of a threat，said Mr Breyer，who is also a partner in a venture capital firm.The worry is that by making information available everywhere，Google might soon be able to tell Wal-Mart shoppers if better bargains are available nearby.

Wal-Mart is scarcely alone in its concern.As Google increasingly beComes the starting point for finding information and buying products and services，companies that even a year ago did not see themselves as competing with Google are beginning to view the company with some angst—mixed with admiration.

Google's recent moves have stirred concern in industries from book publishing to telecommunications.Businesses already feeling the Google effect include advertising，software and the news media.Apart from retailing，Google's disruptive presence may soon be felt in real estate and auto sales.

Google，the reigning giant of Web search，could extend its economic reach in the next few years as more people get high-speed Internet service and cellphones beCome full-fledged search tools，according to analysts.And ever-smarter software，they say，will cull and organize larger and larger digital storehouses of news，images，real estate listings and traffic reports，delivering results that are more like the advice of a trusted human expert.

Such advances，predicts Esther Dyson，a technology consultant，will bring“a huge reduction in inefficiency everywhere.”That，in turn，would be an unsettling force for all sorts of industries and workers.But it would also reward consumers with lower prices and open up opportunities for new companies.

Google，then，may turn out to have a more far-reaching impact than earlier Web winners like Amazon and eBay.“Google is the realization of everything that we thought the Internet was going to be about but really wasn't until Google，”said David B.Yoffie，a professor at Harvard Business School.

Google，to be sure，is but one company at the forefront of the continuing spread of Internet technology.It has many competitors，and it could stumble.In the search market alone，Google faces formidable rivals like Microsoft and Yahoo.

Microsoft，in particular，is pushing hard to catch Google in Internet search.“This is hyper-competition，makes no mistake，”said Bill Gates，Microsoft's chairman.“The magic moment will Come when our search is demonstrably better than Google's，”he said，suggesting that this could happen in a year or so.

Still，apart from its front-runner status，Google is also remarkable for its pace of innovation and for how broadly it seems to interpret its mission to“organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

The company's current lineup of offerings includes:software for searching personal computer files；an e-mail service；maps；satellite images；instant messaging；blogging tools；a service for posting and sharing digital photos；and specialized searches for news，video，shopping and local information.Google's most controversial venture，Google Print，is a project to copy and catalog millions of books；it faces lawsuits by some publishers and authors who say it violates copyright law.

Google，which tends to keep its plans secret，certainly has the wealth to fund ambitious ventures.Its revenues are growing by nearly 100 percent a year，and its profits are rising even faster.Its executives speak of the company's outlook only in broad strokes，but they suggest all but unlimited horizons.“We believe that search networks as industries remain in their nascent stages of growth with great forward potential，”Eric Schmidt，Google's chief executive，told analysts last month.

Among the many projects being developed and debated inside Google is a real estate service，according to a person who has attended meetings on the proposal.The concept，the person said，would be to improve the capabilities of its satellite imaging，maps and local search and combine them with property listings.

The service，this person said，could make house hunting far more efficient，requiring potential buyers to visit fewer real estate agents and houses.If successful，it would be another magnet for the text ads that appear next to search results，the source of most of Google's revenue.

In telecommunications，the company has made a number of moves that have grabbed the attention of industry executives.It has been buying fiber-optic cable capacity in the United States and has invested in a company delivering high-speed Internet access over power lines.And it is participating in an experiment to provide free wireless Internet access in San Francisco.

That has led to speculation that the company wants to build a national free GoogleNet，paid for mostly by advertising.And Google executives seem to delight in dropping tantalizing，if vague，hints.“We focus on access to the information as much as the search itself because you need both，”Mr Schmidt said in an analysts'conference call last month.

Telecommunications executives are skeptical that Google could seriously eat into their business anytime soon.For one thing，they say，it will be difficult and expensive to build a national network.Still，they monitor Google's every move.“Google is certainly a potential competitor，”said Bill Smith，the chief technology officer of BellSouth，the Atlanta-based regional phone company.

The No.1 rival to phone companies in the Internet access business，Mr Smith noted，is the cable television operators.“But do I discount Google?Absolutely not，”he said.“You'd be a fool to do that these days.”

In retailing，Google has no interest in stocking and selling merchandise.Its potential impact is more subtle，yet still significant.Every store is a collection of goods，some items more profitable than others.But the lessprofitable items may bring people into stores，where they also buy the high-margin offerings—one shelf，in effect，subsidizes another.

Search engines，combined with other technologies，have the potential to drive Comparison shopping down to the shelf-by-shelf level.Cellphone makers，for example，are looking at the concept of a“shopping phone”with a Comera that can read product bar codes.The phone could connect to databases and search services and，aided by satellite technology，reveal that the flat-screen TV model in front of you is$200 cheaper at a store five miles away.

“We see this huge power moving to the edge—to consumers—in this Google environment，”said Lou Steinberg，chief technology officer of Symbol Technologies，which supplies bar-code scanners to retailers.

Such services could lead to lower prices for consumers，but also relentless competition that threatens to break up existing businesses.

A newspaper or a magazine can be seen as a media store—a collection of news，entertainment and advertising delivered in a package.A tool like Google News allows a reader or an advertiser to pick and choose，breaking up the package by splitting the articles from the ads.And Google's ads，tucked to the side of its search-engine results，are often a more efficient sales generator than print ads.

“Google represents a challenge to newspapers，to be sure，”said Gary B.Pruitt，chief executive of the McClatchy Company，a chain of 12 newspapers including The Star Tribune in Minneapolis and The News＆Observer in Raleigh，N.C.“Google is attacking the advertising base of newspapers.”

At the same time，Google and search technology are becoming crucial to the health of newspapers as more readers migrate to the Web.As one path to the future，Mr Pruitt speaks of his newspapers prospering by tailoring search for local businesses，but also partnering with search engines to attract readers.

Within industries，the influence of Internet search is often uneven.For example，search engines are being embraced by car companies，yet they pose a challenge to car dealers.

George E.Murphy，senior vice-president of global marketing for Chrysler，said Chrysler buys ads on 3，000 keywords a day on the big search sites:Google，Yahoo，Microsoft's MSN and AOL，whose search is supplied by Google.If a person types in one of those keywords，the search results are accompanied by a sponsored link to a Chrysler site.

Chrysler refines its approach based on what search words attract clicks，and studies its site traffic for clues on converting browsers to buyers.“We've got Ph.D.'s working on this，”Mr Murphy said.“The great thing about search is that you can do the math and follow the trail.”

After following a link to a Chrysler Web site，a prospective buyer can configure a model，find a dealer and get a preliminary price.Only dealers can make final price quotes.Yet with more information on the Web，the direction of things is clear，in Mr Murphy's view.“It will fundamentally change what the dealer does，because telling people about the vehicle won't add value for the customer anymore，”he said.“If dealers don't change，they'll be dinosaurs.”

Mr Breyer，the Wal-Mart board member，watches Google closely in his job as managing partner of Accel Partners，a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley.These days，he advises startups to avoid a“Collision course”with Google，just as he has long counseled fledgling companies to steer clear of Microsoft's stronghold in desktop software.

Internet search，like personal computing in its heyday，is a disruptive technology，he said，threatening traditional industries and opening the door to new ones.“We think there is plenty of opportunity for innovation in the Google economy，”Mr Breyer said.

1.Why is Google or Internet search considered“disruptive”? Compare that with the concept of“creative destruction.”

2.How does Google extend its economic reach and impact?

3.What is Google's possible effect on retailing industry?What do you think of Google's diversified approaches?

4.What is meant by“If dealers don't change，they'll be dinosaurs”?

5.Summarize various reactions towards Google's powerful presence and performance.

Wal-Mart:Wal-Mart Stores is an irresistible(or at least unavoidable) retail force that has yet to meet any immovable objects.Bigger than Europe's Carrefour，Tesco，and Metro AG combined，it is the world's No.1 retailer，with more than 7，870 stores，including about 890 discount stores，2，970 combination discount and grocery stores(Wal-Mart Supercenters in the US and ASDA in the UK)，and 600 warehouse stores(Sam's Club).About 55％of its stores are in the US，but Wal-Mart continues expanding internationally；it is the No.1 retailer in Canada and Mexico and it has operations in Asia(where it owns a 95％ stake in Japanese retailer SEIYU)，Europe，and South America.Founder Sam Walton's heirs own about 40％of Wal-Mart.

Conference call:A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listen into the audio portion of the call.The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call，or the call may be set up so that the called party merely listens into the call and cannot speak.It is often referred to as an ATC(Audio Tele-Conference).

BellSouth:In 1982，AT＆T Corp.agreed to divest(“spin off”)its local exchange service operating companies.Effective 1984，AT＆T Corp.'s local operations were split into seven independent Regional Bell Operating Companies known as“Baby Bells.”BellSouth was one of them.The other six are Ameritech—(acquired by SBC in 1999)，Bell Atlantic—(acquired GTE in 2000 and changed its name to Verizon)，NYNEX—(acquired by Bell Atlantic in 1996)，Pacific Telesis—(acquired by SBC in 1997)，Southwestern Bell—(changed its name to SBC in 1995；acquired AT＆T Corp.in 2005 and changed its name to AT＆T Inc.)and US West—(acquired by Qwest in 2000).

Google Print:即Google Book。Google Book Search web-service at http://books.google.com

Comparison shopping:Shopping by comparing prices for the same item at different stores.Process whereby a consumer gathers as much information as possible about particular products and services for Comparisonbeforepurchasingthem.Comparisonshoppingis accomplished by visiting stores having the merchandise，comparing advertisements，and doing related research.

Startup:初创公司A startup company or start-up is a company with a limited operating history.These companies，generally newly created，are in a phase of development and research for markets.The term beCome popular internationally during the dot-com bubble when a great number of dot-com companies were founded.A high tech startup company is a startup company specialized in a high tech industry.While any new company could be considered a startup，the description is usually applied to aggressive young companies that are actively courting private financing from venture capitalists，including wealthy individuals and investment companies.In many cases，the startups plan to use the cash infusion to prepare for an initial public offering(IPO).

Collision course:A course of a moving object that will lead to a Collision if it continues unchanged.A Collision course，also known as a kamikaze run is the deliberate maneuver by the operator of a moving object(or often in a Sci-fi spaceship)to collide with another object.It is a desperate manoeuvre since it often damages or destroys both.

Google:Google Inc.is an American public corporation，earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search，e-mail，online mapping，office productivity，social networking，and video sharing services as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies.The Google headquarters，the Googleplex，is located in Mountain View，California.As of March 31，2009，the company has over 20，000 full-time employees.

Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a privately held company on September 4，1998.The initial public offering took place on August 19，2004，raising US$1.67 billion，implying a value for the entire corporation of US$23 billion.Google has continued its growth through a series of new product developments，acquisitions，and partnerships.Environmentalism，philanthropy and positive employee relations have been important tenets during the growth of Google.The company has been identified multiple times as Fortune Magazine's No.1 Best Place to Work，and as the most powerful brand in the world.

Google's corporate mission is“to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.”The unofficial company slogan，coined by former employee and Gmail's first engineer Paul Buchheit，is“Don't be evil.”Criticism of Google includes concerns regarding the privacy of personal information，copyright，censorship and discontinuation of services.

Retailing:Retailing consists of the sale of goods/merchandise for personal or household consumption either from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk，or from a fixed location and related subordinated services.In commerce，a retailer buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or importers，either directly or through a wholesaler，and then sells individual items or small quantities to the general public or end-user customers，usually in a shop，also called a store.Retailers are at the end of the supply chain.

Venture capital:Venture capital is capital provided by somewhat outside investors for financing of new，growing or struggling businesses.Venture capital investments generally are high risk investments but offer the potential for above average returns.A venture capitalist(VC)is a person who makes such investments.A venture capital fund is a pooled investment vehicle(often a partnership)that primarily invests the financial capital of third-party investors in enterprises that are too risky for the standard capital markets or bank loans.

Disruptive technology:A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is a technological innovation，product，or service that eventually overturns the existing dominant technology or product in the market.Disruptive innovations can be broadly classified into lower-end and newmarket disruptive innovations.A new-market disruptive innovation is often aimed at non-consumption，whereas a lower-end disruptive innovation is aimed at mainstream customers who were ignored by established companies.Sometimes，a disruptive technology Comes to dominate an existing market by either filling a role in a new market that the older technology could not fill(as more expensive，lower capacity but smaller-sized hard disks did for newly developed notebook computers in the 1980s)or by successively moving up-market through performance improvements until finally displacing the market incumbents(as digital photography has begun to replace film photography).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/ AR2006121901471.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/18/ AR2009051802637.html

By Matthew Shaer＆Staff Writer for The Christian Science Monitor December 10，2008

http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2008/12/10/the-future-ofsearch-do-you-ask-google-or-the-gaggle/

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/31/business/technology-microsoftand-google-partners-or-rivals.html

英语新闻标题中缩略词的普遍使用。缩略词有abbreviations，initials和acronyms。使用缩略词既节省标题词数，又能更好地提示新闻内容，读起来简洁易记，有时还具有修辞效果，如押韵等。英语新闻标题中出现的缩写词主要有三类:

●组织机构等专有名称。报刊标题中常用政治、经济、军事、文化、教育、社会等机构的简称，如:

■G.M.to Seek Bankruptcy and a New Start中的G.M.→General Motors美国通用汽车公司

■FBI Director Raises Gitmo Concerns中的FBI→Federal Bureau of Investigation美国联邦调查局；还有Gitmo→Guantanamo美军在古巴的关塔那摩军事基地

●常见事物的名称，如:PDA→Personal Digital Assistant掌上电脑

●表示人们的职业、职务或职称的名词，如:MP→member of parliament(议员)，PM→prime minister(总理；首相)，GM→general manager(总经理)，CEO→Chief Executive Officer(首席执行官)。

1.Since Google is in a distant industry，Wal-Mart considers Google a tech pioneer and does not think Google may pose much threat to it.

2.Google is believed to have more impact on businesses than Amazon or eBay，but is less powerful than Microsoft as far as Web search is concerned.

3.Google's mission to“organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

4.Bill Gates agrees with Eric Schmidt that search networks as industries remain in their early stages of growth with great forward potential.

5.The source of most of Google's revenue Comes from the text ads that appear next to search results.

1.Google is given many titles in this article.Which one is NOTmentioned here?

A.The Internet search leader.

B.The reigning giant of Web search.C.Front runner.

D.Technology pioneer.

2.Google offers all the following services ex cept_________.

A.Google Maps

B.free pc-to-phone calls

C.E-mail

D.satellite images

3.The fact that Google is participating in an experiment to provide free wireless Internet access in San Francisco serves as an example of_________.

A.grabbing the attention of industry executives

B.keeping industry analysts guessing its motive

C.Google's broad interpretation of its mission

D.its first step toward building a national free GoogleNet

4.“Shopping phone”could drive Comparison shopping down to the shelf-by-shelf level with the aid of followin g except_________.

A.a Comera that can read product bar codes

B.satellite technology

C.connecting to databases and search services like Google

D.Google Maps or Google News

5.Which of the following best lists the fields where Google has its footstep?

A.Map search，book search，real estate，telecommunications，auto industry.

B.Satellite imaging，instant messaging，Google code search，retailing.

C.Retailing，entertainment，online education，real estate，e-mail service.

D.Book search，map search，academic paper search，shopping，video games.