自考英语二第九单元讲义

Unit9

Text A

broaden v.放宽, 变宽, 扩大, 加宽 broad a.

efficient a.生效的，有效率的，能干的 efficiency n.

reside vi.居住 residence n. 住宅

submit v.(使)服从, (使)顺从(常与to连用 )vt.提交, 递交

e.g. I hope you can submit your term papers before the deadline.

notch vt.可凹痕，切口，得分 notch up 扩展，完成，创下，达到fundamental adj.基础的, 基本的n.基本原则, 基本原理underestimate vt.低估, 看轻n.低估estimate v.估计, 估价, 评估n.估计, 估价, 评估

overestimate vt.评价过高

We couldn’t underestimate the enemy’s strength because they had made good preparations.

display vt.陈列, 展览, 显示n.陈列, 展览, 显示,显示器

monitor n.班长, 监听器, 监视器, 监控器vt.监控v.监控

We have been monitoring the enemy’s radio broadcasts to try to find out their sacret plans.

commonplace n.平凡的事, 平常话adj.平凡的

Some scientists believe that soon it will be commonplace for people to travel to the moon.

attempt n.努力, 尝试, 企图vt.尝试, 企图

pessimistic adj.悲观的, 厌世的 pessimism n.

Whenever you come across difficulty, you should not be pessimistic. apply for 请求，申请

put up 举起，抬起；提供

bring in 生产；挣得；介绍引进

connect up 连起来，接上

in effect 事实上，实际上

sort through 归类

end up 结束，竖着

check on 检查

The Web Lifestyle 网络生活方式

Today in the United States，there are over 22 million adults using the Web，about half of whom access the Internet at least once a day．

当今美国有2200万个成年人在使用网络，他们中大约半数人要每天至少上互联网一次。

Meanwhile，the variety of activities on the Web is broadening at an amazing rate．

同时，网上活动方式正以惊人的速度变得更加多样化。

There is almost no topic about which you cannot find fairly interesting material on the Web．

任何一个主题你都能在网上找到与之有关的非常有趣的材料。

Many of these sites are getting excellent traffic flow．

许多网站正变成极好的商业交易渠道。

Want to buy a dog? Or sell a share? Or order a car? Use the Internet．

想买狗吗?或者卖股份?或者定购一辆汽车?那就用网络吧。

Where are we going to get the time to live with the Web ?

我们哪有时间消磨在网络上?

In some instances，people will actually save time because the Web will make doing things more efficient than in the past，

一些实例表明应用网络能更节约时间，因为网络能使我们更有效率地处理一些事情，

being able to get information about a major purchase，for example，or finding out how much your used car is worth，or what your cheapest way of getting to Florida is．

能搜索到某一重要购买品的信息，例如帮你判定你那辆旧车的价钱，或者去佛罗里达州的最便宜的方法。

That is easy to find on the Web，even today．

即使是现在，这些都很容易在网上找到答案。

In other instances，people will trade the time they now spend reading the paper，or watching television，for information or entertainment they will find on the computer screen．

其他情况，人们会把现在花费在读报、看电视等获得信息或消遣的时间转用到电脑屏幕前来。

Americans，particularly young ones，will spend less time in front of a television，more on the Web．

美国人特别是年轻人花费在网络上的时间将比花费在电视上的时间多。

One great benefit of the Web is that it allows us to move information online that now resides in paper form．

网络的一大好处在于我们可以在线移动这些现在存在于纸上的资料。

Several states in America are using the Web in a profound way．

美国有几个州的网络运用的范围很广。

You can apply for various permits or submit applications for business licenses．你可以在网上申请各种形式的许可证或提交营业执照申请书。

Some states are putting up listings of jobs——not just state government jobs，but all the jobs available in the state．

一些州在网上张贴工作职位列表——不仅仅有本州政府提供的工作，而且有本州所有可供选择的工作。

I believe，over time，that all the information that governments print，and all those paper forms they now have，will be moved on to the Internet．

我相信随着时间的变化，现在政府印刷出版的资料，以及所有以纸张形式存在的资料都将会被转移到互联网上。

Electronic commerce notches up month by month，too．

电子商务每月也在扩展。

It is difficult to measure，because a lot of electronic commerce involves existing

buyers and sellers who are simply moving paper-based transactions to the Web．很难数清有多少，因为许多电子商务涉及到现存的买卖双方仅仅是(单纯地)把纸上交易转为网上。

That is not new business．

这不是新的商业形式。

Microsoft，for example，purchases millions of dollars of personal computers(PC)online instead of by paper．

例如微软公司就是通过网络而不是纸上形式收购了数百万美元的液晶显示器。However，that is not a fundamental change；it has just improved the efficiency of an existing process．

但是这不是根本性的变化，因为它仅仅提高了现存交易过程的效率，

The biggest impact has occurred where electronic commerce matches buyers and sellers who would not previously have found each other．

而电子商务最大的影响在于它使先前素不相识的买卖双方联系在一起。

When you go to a book site and find an obscure book that you never would have found in a physical bookstore，that is a new type of commerce．

你进入某个网上书店并发现一本你在普通书店不容易找到的书，这是一种新型的商业。

Today, about half of all PCs are still not connected to the Web．

目前大约有半数的私人电脑还没有上网。

Getting communications cost down and making all the software simple will bring in those people．

降低信息费并简化软件将吸引这部分人。

And that，in turn，will move us closer to the critical mass that will make the Web lifestyle everyone’s lifestyle．

这样就能逐级接近使网络生活方式成为每个人的一种生活方式这一重要阶段。One element people underestimate is the degree to which the hardware and software will improve．

人们往往低估硬件和软件发展程度这一因素。

Just take one aspect：screen technology．

仅仅举一个例子：显示器技术。

I do my e-mail on a 20-inch liquid crystal display(LCD)monitor．

我在20英寸的液晶显示器上发电子邮件，

It is not available at a reasonable price yet，but in two years it will be．

现在该显示器价格仍然不菲，但是不出两年就会便宜下来。

In ten years，a 40-inch LCD with much higher resolution will be commonplace．不出10年，可能40英寸的高清晰度的液晶显示器就会很平常了。

The boundary between a television set an a PC will be blurred because even the set-top box that you connect up to your cable or satellite will have a processor more powerful than what we have today in the most expensive PC．

电视与电脑之间的界限将会变得模糊起来，因为连接有线或卫星的顶置式电视机将来会安装上一个处理器，它的功能会比我们现在最昂贵的电脑还要强大。This will，in effect，make your television a computer．

这实际上将使我们的电视成为电脑。

Interaction with the Web will also improve，making it much easier for people to be involved．

网络与人之间的相互作用会日益加强，会更便于人们操作。

Today the keywords we use to search the Web often return to too many articles to sort through，many of them out of context．

现在我们在网上搜索关键词常常会得到太多的文章以至于我们无法从中归类选择，其中许多是脱离背景毫不相干的。

If you want to learn about the fastest computer chip available，you might end up getting responses instead about potato chips being delivered in fast trucks．比如你想了解目前运转速度最快的电脑芯片(computer chip)速度是多少，你得到的答案可能是关于快运货车运送薯片(potato chips)的速度。

In the future，we shall be either speaking or typing sentences into the computers. 但是将来我们可以通过语音或手动输入句子到电脑。

If you ask about the speed of chips，the result will be about computers．not potatoes．

如果你再问“speed of chips”，答案会是关于电脑的而不再是关于马铃薯片的。Speech recognition also means that you will be able to call in on a phone and ask if you have any new messages，or check on a flight，or check on the weather．语音识别系统意味着你可以通过电话输入询问最新消息或检查航班或天气。

To predict that it will take over ten years for these changes to happen is probably pessimistic．

估计实现这些变化需要10年时间的话可能太悲观了。

We usually overestimate what we do in two years and underestimate what we can do in ten．

我们通常过高地估计了我们两年内要实现的目标，但对于10年目标又往往估计得过低。

The Web will be as much a way of life as the car by 2008．Perhaps before．

到2008年甚至更早一些，网络可能就像汽车一样成为我们的一种生活方式。Text B

What Are Computers 计算机是什么

attempt n.努力, 尝试, 企图vt.尝试, 企图

access n.通路, 访问, 入门vt.存取, 接近

continuous a 连续不断的，不停歇的

evolve v.(使)发展, (使)进展, (使)进化 evolution n.演变，逐步发展manipulation n.操作，操纵

versatile a.多方面的，通用的，多才多艺的

distribute vt.分发, 分配, 散布, 分布, 分类, 分区v.分发distribution n.分发；分配，分送

put ···down 记下，写下

exchange ···for 与···交换

take away 减少，减弱；拿去

come into use 开始被使用

What Are Computers 计算机是什么

Since their first appearance on earth，men have gathered information and have attempted to pass useful ideas to others．自从人在地球上出现以来，就着手收集信息并设法将有用的想法传达给其他人。

The carvings of word-pictures on the walls of ancient caves as well as symbols on stone tablets represent some of man’s earliest efforts to convey information．Scenes of hunting，maps of battles，and stories of heroes were put down for all to see．

石碑上及古代岩洞壁上刻的图形文字和符号，都体现出人类早期传递信息所做的努力。这些狩猎场面、战斗地图和英雄故事被“记录”下来，供大家观看。

But as civilizations grew more complex，better methods of communication were needed．

但是，社会文明日趋复杂，人们需要有更好的通讯方法。

The written word，the carrier pigeon，the telegraph，and many other devices carried ideas faster and faster from person to person．

文字、信鸽、电报和其他许多手段使人们之间传递消息越来越快。

In recent years one type of machine，the electronic computer，has become increasingly important in the lives of all people in the industrialized nations of the world．

近年来，一种被称为“电子计算机”的机器，在世界各工业国家人们的生活中已变得愈来愈重要。

Computers are now widely used aids for communication，calculation，and other

activities．Their effect becomes more important every day．

计算机已经成为通讯、计算及其他活动中广泛使用的辅助工具，其作用日益重要。

Man has always been interested in extending the range of his senses and the power of his mind．

人类一向希望扩大自己的感官和智力的范围。

Through the years，he has invented many instruments to help him see better and understand more．

多年来，人类发明了许多仪器以便能够看得更清，懂得更多。

He invented the telescope．for example，to be able to look at faraway objects．例如，为了能够观察远处的事物，人类发明了望远镜；

To see the very small things in the world．he developed the microscope．

为了观察世界上非常细小的东西，研制了显微镜。

Radios，telephones ,and telegraphs are means by which man has extended the range of his senses of hearing and speech．

无线电、电话及电报都是人类赖以扩大自己的听觉和说话功能范围的手段。

While developing his power of thought，man first began to identify and count objects．

在发展思维能力的同时，人类首先开始学习识别和点数物件，

He began to ask the questions“What is it?”and“How many?’’

并且开始问：“这是什么?”“有多少?”等。

It was a long time ago that this numbering and comparing of things began．

这种将物体进行编号和比较的方法在很久之前就开始了。

Early man used his fingers and his toes as the first counting aid．

早期的人类最初利用手指和脚趾作为点数辅助工具。

Perhaps each of his fingers and toes represented one of the animals he owned，the measures of grain he had stored，and the piles of firewood he needed each day．

也许他的每个手指和脚趾代表他拥有的一头牲畜，是其谷物储藏量的计量单位，表示他每天所需的木柴堆数。

Whatever it was that early man counted．he soon needed something more than his fingers and toes to keep adequate records．

不管早期人类所点数的是什么，很快他们就需要比手指和脚趾更有效的工具，以便记录做得更详尽。

We know，for example，that in early times shepherds cut notches in their staffs as they led their flocks to pasture．

例如，我们知道古时候牧羊人把羊群赶往牧场的时候，会在牧杖上刻V形凹痕，Each notch probably represented one sheep．

每个刻痕就可能代表一只羊。

Regular checks showed when a ewe was left behind or when a new lamb was born．

定期检查，他们就可以了解一只母羊什么时候掉队的，一只羊羔是什么时候出生的。

Using a different method，a farmer might have had a pile of stones in front of his granary representing the amount of grain stored．

另外一种不同的方法是，农夫可能在谷仓前堆放一堆石块，以代表其贮藏谷物的数量。

More stones were added as more wheat was brought from the fields at harvest time．

收获季节从田野里新收获了小麦，就在石堆上加几块石头。

When craftsmen exchanged cloth or pots for the grain，stones were taken away from the pile．

当手艺．匠用布匹和陶罐来交换谷物时，农夫就从石堆上取掉几块石头。

The farmer then had a continuous record of the grain stored．

这样农夫对自己贮藏的谷物就有一个持续不断的记录。

As times changed and the number of people increased，potters and weavers moved into cities and lived away from farmers in villages．

随着时代的变化和人数的增加，制罐匠和织布匠便从乡村移居城市，

The exchange of goods had to be done through a third person，the merchant．货物交换不得不通过第三者——商人——进行。

Coins came into use，and records of exchanges were needed．

货币开始使用，货物交换需要记账，

Sailors boldly moving into unknown waters needed aids for efficient navigation．贸然闯人陌生水域的水手需要有效的航海辅助工具，

Notched sticks or piles of stones would never do．

带刻痕的牧杖和石堆不足以满足这些要求。

New ways of helping with counting and recording information evolved．

用以计算和记录信息的新方式发展起来了。

Some marks were taken to represent certain quantities, and other marks were taken to represent relationships between quantities．

一些符号用来代表一定的数量，其他一些符号则用来代表各数量间的关系。

New devices to aid in the manipulation of numbers were added to make jobs faster and more accurate．

有助于数字操作的新装置应运而生，因此数据处理工作可以做做得更迅速、更精确。

Electronic computers are among the fastest and most versatile instruments now in use for sorting and comparing．电子计算机就是目前使用的一种最迅速、最通用的遴选比较仪器。

Computers provide the means for greater speed and accuracy in working with ideas than was previously possible．计算机的速度之快，精确度之高是以前的信息处理仪器比不上的。

With the development of these new tools，it is as if man has suddenly become a millionaire of the mind．

由于这些新工具的研制成功，人类似乎突然成了智能百万富翁。

Although man has been growing mentally richer ever since he started to think，

自从开始思维，人类大脑日益发达，

the electronic computer allows and will continue to a11ow him to perform tremendous“mental”tasks in a relatively short time．

但无论现在还是将来，电子计算机使人类在较短时间内完成各项庞杂的“脑力”工作。

Great scientists of the past produced ideas which were the basis for great advances，

科学先哲们提出的各种见解固然是重大进展的基础，

but their ideas sometimes had to wait for years before they were understood sufficiently well to be of practical use．

但他们的见解有时候要等待数年方能被人充分理解，显现出其实用价值。

With the computer．the ideas of today’s scientists can be studied，tested，distributed，and used more rapidly than ever before．

有了电子计算机，当代科学家们的设想可以比先前更迅速地为人研究、验证、传播和运用。（运动已经开始改变我们的生活了。）