The Internet and the World Wide Web have the potential to change the w

Kaplan official answers:

According to the passage, all of the following are true EXCEPT

the Internet and World Wide Web hold much potential for businesses
consumers can presently use technology to order products through on-line channels
there are many different options for advertising on-line
there is a completely secure and user-friendly way to conduct credit card transactions on-line
people across the world can be exposed to on-line advertising
Go right to the answer choices, looking for the one choice that isn't true. (A) is mentioned in the first sentence, so it's true. (B) is mentioned in the text, which says that the technology to do business on-line is in place, so it's true. (C) is proven true as well, since the text states that many people get lost in the maze of on-line advertising options. (D) goes against paragraph 2, which talks about the security risks on-line, so that's the answer.

The primary purpose of this passage is to

dismiss the theory that the Internet and World Wide Web are going to be future business tools
debunk the myth that most businesses will not benefit from the Internet
criticize on-line business practices
describe what effects on-line advertising will have on businesses
mention both the potential benefits and current pitfalls of on-line business practices

Your first skim through the passage should help you determine what the author was trying to do here. The first paragraph talked about the benefits that the on-line world holds for business, while the second paragraph talks about the current problems. The only answer choice that mentions both the good and the bad aspects of on-line business is (E). (A), (B), and (C) are all negative. (D) is incorrect because the author never describes any specific effects. Rather, she simply says that there are big benefits to be had on-line.

The author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements?

The Internet will never be accepted by technophobes.
America Online will struggle once the Internet and World Wide Web become more commonly used for business purposes.
Hackers are more honest than the average business owner.
Public telephone lines are not necessarily secure.
The Internet is not user-friendly.

The author doesn't mention public acceptance of the Internet, so (A) is incorrect. Also, since America Online is never mentioned in the passage, (B) is beyond the scope. (C) Hackers are mentioned in an unfavorable light here, as they are mentioned as being able to steal credit card information as it's transmitted. (D) The author would agree with the idea that telephone lines are not necessarily secure, as she says that hackers can get information from these lines. (E) is beyond the scope of the passage.

According to the passage, which of the following is a way for businesses to benefit from on-line advertising?

Businesses are guaranteed to have more exposure than their competitors.
A single on-line advertisement can be viewed by people all over the world, not just a limited broadcast area.
Because there are no controls on the Internet, people will be wary to purchase from on-line advertisers for fear of fraud.
The average on-line site is seen by over 2,000 per day.
A higher proportion of sales will be made by credit cards.

Whenever you see "according to the passage," you should be looking for an answer that is contained right in the text. Paragraph 1 focuses on the benefits of on-line commerce, so you'll likely find the answer there. The first benefit listed is that an unlimited number of people will have access to the advertising. This is the same as (B), which talks about the range of people that will see a particular site. (A) is not necessarily true, since competitors can also go on-line. (C) is actually a problem, not a benefit. (D) is a potential benefit, but isn’t mentioned in the passage. (E) is neither a benefit nor a pitfall; it's just an irrelevant piece of information.