The Cash-Free Society
  Imagine a society in which cash no longer exists. Instead, 'cash' is electronic, as in bank-card systems. Paper money and coins are given up. Cash has been the root of much social and economic evil. However, the use of electronic funds-transfer technology will make it possible to change the nature of money and to separate it from evil.

  The technology will have immediate and numerous benefits. On the one hand, it will be impossible for thieves to steal money from people. Bank robberies will stop, and attacks on shop keepers, taxi drivers and cashiers will all end. Shops in once-dangerous areas can be open till midnight in safety. On the other, security costs and insurance rates will fall and neighborhoods will become better for people to live in.

  People can still use their checks and credit cards to buy goods and pay bills. The difference will be that they don't have to carry cash with them 8in the future. People can easily put their money into their electronic-money account and other money-system accounts.

  Though it may take a long time for people of the world to work out a way to change the form of cash to an international electronic-money system, the idea is encouraging and the day will come sooner or later.

imagine [ i5mAdVin ]vt. 想像
society [ sE5saiEti ] n. 社会
exist [ ig5zist ] vi. 存在
cash [ kAF ] n. 钱,现款
electronic [ ilke5trRnik ] adj. 电子的
coin [ kRin ] n. 硬币
root [ ru:t ] n. 根;根源
economic [ ikE5nRmik ] adj. 经济的, 经济(学)的
evil [ 5:vEl ] n. 邪恶,罪恶
fund [ fQnd ] n. [复]资金;基金
transfer [ trB:ns5fE: ] n .过户
technology [ tek5nRlEdV i ]n. 技术
immediate [ i5mi:diEt ]adj .立即的;直接的
benefit [ 5benefit ] n.& vt. 益处, 有益于……
thief [ Wi: f] n. 小偷,贼
steal [ sti:l ] vt. 偷盗,窃取
robbery [ 5rRbEri ] n. 抢劫
cashier [ kA5FiE ] n. 收银员
security [ si5kjuEriti ] n. 安全
cost [ kRst ] n. 费用
insurance [ in5FuErEns ] n .保险
rate [ reit ] n. 费;率
check [ tFek ] n. 支票
credit card [ `kredit ] 信用卡
bill [ bil ] n.&vt .帐单;开帐单
account [ [`kaunt ] n. 帐目
encouraging a.令人鼓舞的