现金消亡的时代是否会到来等2则外刊阅读训练--2023届高三英语二轮复习

外刊精读 现金消亡的时代是否会到来 导读： 数百年来，硬币和钞票一直是人类进行商品交易的主要方式。在英国，自借记卡和信用卡被发明以来，现金的使用已不如以往那样普遍。2017 年，使用现金交易的金额的总数低于借记卡支付的交易金额。这难道意味着我们离现金时代的消亡不远了？借记卡会变成未来唯一的交易方式吗？所有人都认可这种交易方式吗？《外刊精读》带你展望无现金社会的种种可能。 一、语篇泛读 Vocabulary: money 词汇: 金钱 Cash is king, or so they say. In one form or another, human beings have been carrying around money for hundreds of years. Metal was first coined into cash between 700 and 600 BC by the Lydians, and banknotes have been in circulation since their first use in China around 1000 AD. These days, though, habits have changed. Modern technology means that while money is still widely used, it's more likely to be a digital transaction than a wad of notes and a handful of shrapnel. If cash is king, then it may eventually be dethroned. In the UK, the use of tangible currency is in decline. In 2017, the banking trade body UK Finance reported a 15% fall in the use of ready money. Since their first use, debit card payments have given cash a run for its money. Last year, for the first time ever, the use of debit cards and contactless payments became the most popular way to stump up. In fact, if trends continue, the use of cold hard cash, would end by 2026, says the report. For businesses, the smart money is on not taking cash. By doing so, they are in the money. For example, the Boot pub in Freston opened last year as a cashless pub. In a BBC article, its owner Mike Keen lists several advantages, including a quicker speed of service, lower insurance premiums since no cash is kept on site, and a saving in time as he needn't cash up each day nor make a deposit in the bank several times each week. However, eight million people in the UK still need cash, according to the Access to Cash Review, an independent body measuring the need for cash in the UK. Those living in rural areas with poor internet connectivity and people who have physical or mental health issues are among those that find it difficult to use digital services. In addition, many service providers, such a