1 . Market traders and street vendors （摊贩）are making a comeback across China, and this time they find themselves equipped with a new set of digital skills essential to navigating the vast consumer market. To revitalize （复兴）retail stands, in a move aimed at stimulating domestic spending and stabilizing employment, the country's leading e-commerce platforms are lending a helping hand, offering services like accessible financing backed by technologies.

Domestic wholesale site 1688. com is among the first group of tech players with such offerings. At the heart of the action plan is an effort to link street vendors directly with factories, effectively avoiding middlemen and saving time and costs.

According to general manager Wang Hai, numerous small-scale merchants on the site have managed to gain the upper hand in price negotiations, while manufacturers are more willing to mass-produce as the economy of scale serves to reduce costs, thus creating a win-win situation.

“Data analytics also kicks in, giving traders some insight into current consumer trends so that they no longer need to operate their business purely based on intuition （直觉），and they can avoid stockpiling,“ Wang said. For instance, the most sought-after categories in markets are daily necessities _? underwear , digital gadgets and beauty products, according to the company, whereas the most passionate buyers come from Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.

Meanwhile, to stabilize employment _, e-commerce major JD. com vowed to add a number of job positions that either require flexible working hours, allow working from home or are designed to promote startup businesses. For posts related to delivery, warehouse management and packaging, priority is given to people from poverty-stricken areas.

“The COVID-19 outbreak will accelerate the digital transformation of the real economy, and individual traders and smaller stores are no exception,^” said Xu Lei, CEO of JD's retail unit. "We have the capability and, more importantly, the responsibility to inject vitality （活力）into these entities, thus contributing to the economic rebound （回弹）and stabilizing employment.

1. What can we learn about e-commerce platforms like 1688. com?

A．They have an advantage in price negotiation.

B．Their efforts help street vendors cut the cost.

C．They increase production through technology.

D．Their services are financed by the government.

2. How does data analytics benefit traders?

A．By improving traders' business intuition.

B．By helping traders find out market trends.

C．By telling traders when to stockpile goods.

D．By aiding traders in controlling the market.

3. Who is more likely to get a delivery job from JD?

A．A person experienced in driving a truck.	B．A person willing to start a new business.
C．A person from an underdeveloped village.	D．A person preferring flexible working hours.

4. Which column of a newspaper is the passage probably taken from?

A．Culture.	B．World.
C．Lifestyle.	D．Business.