Unit3AlienationandtheInternet课文翻译综合教程四(20210110055

Unit 3 Alienation and the InternetKey to the ExercisesText comprehensionI. Decide which of the following best states the author's purpose of writing.BII. Judge, according to the text, whether the following statements are true or false.1. T (Refer to Paragraph 1.)2. F (Refer to Paragraph 2. When the author says "this might sound like an apparent contradiction," he implies that this is in fact not a contradiction at all. Throughout the whole essay, the author explains the seemingly contradictory idea: on the one hand the Internet is responsible for global unification, and on the other it alienates the participants.)3. F (Refer to Paragraph 3, where the author, by saying "I have not known this fellow to be given to exaggeration?" actually means that to the best of his knowledge, this friend of his has never exaggerated anything.)4. T (Refer to Paragraph 4. At the end of this paragraph, the author argues that when people spend much time developing on-line relationships with faraway folks, they will have no time to participate in communal activities, which undermines the sense of community.)5. T (Refer to Paragraph6. In this paragraph, the author argues that when surfing the Web a person might be cognitively overloaded and that the cognitive overload might result in a distorted sense of reality.)III. A nswer the following questions.1. Refer to Paragraph 1. As the author sees it, the Internet is most likely to make our global village a better place to live in. It provides a miraculous forum for the globalization of ideas, which contributes to the realization of human potential. Furthermore, it is a powerful tool for the acquisition and application of knowledge. The benefits of the Internet, however, may be darkened by its negative consequences. It may deprive the user of his time for necessary interaction with other society members so that the whole world may be further fragmented. In addition, there is a reasonable likelihood that the Internet presents too much information, which gives the user a skewed sense of reality by making him cognitively overloaded.2. Refer to Paragraph3. His friend was addicted to the Internet. He would spend even over twenty-four hours non-stop on the Internet so that he had to force himself to go off line. As he spent so much time in cyberspace, his sense of reality might have beencrooked. Moreover, without any face-to-face verbal communication with other people, he felt lonely and depressed.3. Refer to Paragraph4. The alienation of society members had begun long before the Internet started to be used worldwide. After World War II, when the soldiers returned from the battlefields, they devoted themselves to "progress." Large quantities of cars were manufactured, which fed the creation of suburbs, and consequently people lived far apart from each. The Internet, however, has added to the problem and Internet addicts are far from rare. As illustrated by the example of the author's nephew, it seems to be an irreversible trend that more and more people, old and young, are becoming addicted to the Internet. They will spend many hours non-stop in cyberspace rather than with their families or friends. For lack of communication, they are becoming strangers to other people. Therefore, there is a good reason to believe that society is being further alienated by the Internet.4. The "cruel irony" means that the Internet provides the user with a convenient means of communicating and making friends with people far apart on the one hand, but on the other, it estranges the user from the people around him by canceling his availability for face-to-face communication even with his families and close friends and for involvement in community activities.5. Refer to Paragraphs 6 and 7. The potential of the Internet as a powerful tool for globalizing ideas and for acquiring and applying knowledge can only be realized when the user strikes a balance between reality and the Internet. Although the Internet makes it possible for the user to debate, shop, travel and have romance in cyberspace without leaving home, the overuse of this tool probably results in a distorted sense of reality. The only way to avoid being penalized by the Internet is make moderate use of this tool without losing one's sense of place in the world.IV. Explain in your own words the following sentences.1. As the Internet can be reached and used with relatively few restrictions, it plays a role in connecting people globally, which is comparable to travelling through international waterways.2. A lot of people talk about the "new information age," but not so many people are acquainted with the idea that the Internet separates people from each other and fragments society further as a result.3. I think that in our society top priority is given to the satisfaction of one's immediate needs. The Internet is the best means to achieve this purpose, for on the Internet one can do whatever he likes to.Structural analysis of the textThe three parts of the text:Part 1 (Paragraphs 1?);Part 2 (Paragraphs 3?); andPart 3 (Paragraph 7).Thesis statement: ... the Internet may be responsible for furthering the fragmentation of society by alienating its individual users.Concluding statement: All of this being said, I believe that the key to realizing the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives.Rhetorical features of the textMore antonyms: real杗ot real, reality杤irtual existence, outside playing with his friends 杙lay his games against his friends in cyberspace. The use of all these pairs of antonymous words and expressions helps to reinforce the seeming self-contradiction that the Internet can lead to globalization on the one hand and cause the alienation of the users from the people around them on the other.Vocabulary exercisesI. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.1. ability to develop, achieve or succeed2. causing to feel very distant from or not welcome to other people3. liked it very much and wanted to spend as much time doing it as possible4. more information than one can cope with5. a set of images and sounds produced by a computer which seem so real that for most purposes they can be regarded as realII. Fill in the blank(s) in each sentence with a phrase from the box in its appropriate form.1. for the better2. at the expense of3. was confronted with4. took advantage of5. in earnest6. are available for7. prior to8. would give ... pause to thinkIII. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.1. alienating2. globalization3. fragmenting4. addict5. exaggerates6. Depression7. simulated 8. gratifiedIV. Choose the word or phrase that can replace the underlined part in each sentence without changing its original meaning.1. A2. B3. B4. C5. B6. A7. D8. DV. Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in the sense it is used.1. Antonym: intended (purposeful, intentional, planned)2. Antonym: extraordinary (unusual)3. Synonym: alienate (isolate, estrange)4. Synonym: cultivate (nurture)5. Antonym: considerable (excessive, indulgent)6. Synonym: improvement (enhancement)7. Synonym: misrepresent (falsify)8. Antonym: unimportant (trivial, minor)VI. Explain the meaning of the underlined part in each sentence.1. expanses2. thinking it is necessary3. commonplace4. at home5. tell you6. large numberGrammar exercisesI. Combine the sentences in each group into one, using at least one absolute construction.1. All of this being said, I believe that the key to realizing the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives.2. There having been no rain, the ground was dry.3. When I walked in, Grandpa was sitting at the kitchen table, the newspaper spread before him.4. The boys leaned against the willow tree, their fishing poles resting on sticks, their eyes gazing at the bobbers floating on the ripples.5. Mark went homeward alone, his heart full of a strange emotion.6. The discussion completed, the chairman adjourned the meeting for half an hour.7. Diana stood motionless at the end of the diving board, her hands at her sides, herheels slightly raised, every muscle anticipating action.8. The cowboy dominates the pages of many magazines, his hair dark and curly, his broad shoulders sloping yet powerful and his expression calm and confident.II. Put the verbs in brackets into a gerund or an infinitive.1. pacify, be pacified, grumbling2. seeing3. being treated4. doing5. getting, closing6. answering, ring7. reporting8. resolving9. making10. goingIII. R ewrite the following sentences, beginning with the words given.1. Hardly had he arrived when she started complaining.2. Rarely does Manton care about anything else once he gets logged onto the Net.3. Under no circumstances must you touch this switch.4. Never in all their lives have they known such hardships.5. So much does he worry about his financial position that he can't sleep at night.6. Not only did he speak more correctly but also more convincingly.7. Only after several trials did they succeed.8. Under no circumstances are the passengers permitted to open the doors themselves.IV. Rewrite each of the following sentences, shifting the adverbial phrase of direction or place to the front of the clause. Use inversion where possible.1. The teacher blew a whistle and off ran the children.2. The man lit the fuse and after a few seconds up went the rocket.3. On the stairs was sitting a small dark-haired girl.4. Round the corner came a milk-van.5. There goes the vicar.6. The people dived for cover as over their heads flew the bullets.7. In the doorway stood her father.8. In front of them was a white pillar and on top of it stood a small, marble statue.V. Correct any mistakes you find in this newspaper item.The people of Sawston were evacuated yesterday as forest fires headed towards the town.Such was the heat of the oncoming inferno that trees more than 100 metres ahead began to smoulder. Only once in recent years, during 1994, has a town of this size had to be evacuated because of forest fires. A fleet of coaches and lorries arrived in the town in the early morning. Into these vehicles climbed the sick and elderly, before they headed off to safety across the river. Residents with cars were ordered to leave by midmorning.Later in the day, as the wind changed direction and it became clear that the fire would leave Sawston untouched, complaints were heard from some residents. "At no time did the fires pose a real threat," said one local man. "I didn't want to leave my home, and nor did most of my neighbours." But Chief Fire Officer Jones replied, "Had we not taken this action, lives would have been put at risk. Only when the fires have moved well away from the town will residents be allowed to return to their homes."VI. Make sentences of your own after the sentences given below, keeping the underlined structures in your sentences.(Reference version)1. I am ready to accept your proposal in that I believe it to be the best you can offer.2. All things being considered, I think I ought to award the scholarship to John.Translation exercisesI. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.1. 由于登录和使用互联网的限制相对较少，它的作用就等同于通讯传播中的国际海域。

Unit--Alienation-and-the-In ternet习题答案综合教程四————————————————————————————————作者：————————————————————————————————日期：Unit 3 Alienation and the InternetKey to the ExercisesText comprehensionI. Decide which of the following best states the author's purpose of writing.BII. Judge, according to the text, whether the following statements are true or false.1. T (Refer to Paragraph 1.)2. F (Refer to Paragraph 2. When the author says "this might sound like an apparent contradiction," he implies that this is in fact not a contradiction at all. Throughout the whole essay, the author explains the seemingly contradictory idea: on the one hand the Internet is responsible for global unification, and on the other it alienates the participants.)3. F (Refer to Paragraph 3, where the author, by saying "I have not known this fellow to be given to exaggeration?" actually means that to the best of his knowledge, this friend of his has never exaggerated anything.)4. T (Refer to Paragraph 4. At the end of this paragraph, the author argues that when people spend much time developing on-line relationships with faraway folks, they will have no time to participate in communal activities, which undermines the sense of community.)5. T (Refer to Paragraph6. In this paragraph, the author argues that when surfing the Web a person might be cognitively overloaded and that the cognitive overload might result in a distorted sense of reality.)III. A nswer the following questions.1. Refer to Paragraph 1. As the author sees it, the Internet is most likely to make our global village a better place to live in. It provides a miraculous forum for the globalization of ideas, which contributes to the realization of human potential. Furthermore, it is a powerful tool for the acquisition and application of knowledge. The benefits of the Internet, however, may be darkened by its negative consequences. It may deprive the user of his time for necessary interaction with other society members so that the whole world may be further fragmented. In addition, there is a reasonable likelihood that the Internet presents too much information, which gives the user a skewed sense of reality by making him cognitively overloaded.2. Refer to Paragraph3. His friend was addicted to the Internet. He would spend even over twenty-four hours non-stop on the Internet so that he had to force himself to go off line. As he spent so much time in cyberspace, his sense of reality might have beencrooked. Moreover, without any face-to-face verbal communication with other people, he felt lonely and depressed.3. Refer to Paragraph4. The alienation of society members had begun long before the Internet started to be used worldwide. After World War II, when the soldiers returned from the battlefields, they devoted themselves to "progress." Large quantities of cars were manufactured, which fed the creation of suburbs, and consequently people lived far apart from each. The Internet, however, has added to the problem and Internet addicts are far from rare. As illustrated by the example of the author's nephew, it seems to be an irreversible trend that more and more people, old and young, are becoming addicted to the Internet. They will spend many hours non-stop in cyberspace rather than with their families or friends. For lack of communication, they are becoming strangers to other people. Therefore, there is a good reason to believe that society is being further alienated by the Internet.4. The "cruel irony" means that the Internet provides the user with a convenient means of communicating and making friends with people far apart on the one hand, but on the other, it estranges the user from the people around him by canceling his availability for face-to-face communication even with his families and close friends and for involvement in community activities.5. Refer to Paragraphs 6 and 7. The potential of the Internet as a powerful tool for globalizing ideas and for acquiring and applying knowledge can only be realized when the user strikes a balance between reality and the Internet. Although the Internet makes it possible for the user to debate, shop, travel and have romance in cyberspace without leaving home, the overuse of this tool probably results in a distorted sense of reality. The only way to avoid being penalized by the Internet is make moderate use of this tool without losing one's sense of place in the world.IV. Explain in your own words the following sentences.1. As the Internet can be reached and used with relatively few restrictions, it plays a role in connecting people globally, which is comparable to travelling through international waterways.2. A lot of people talk about the "new information age," but not so many people are acquainted with the idea that the Internet separates people from each other and fragments society further as a result.3. I think that in our society top priority is given to the satisfaction of one's immediate needs. The Internet is the best means to achieve this purpose, for on the Internet one can do whatever he likes to.Structural analysis of the textThe three parts of the text:Part 1 (Paragraphs 1?);Part 2 (Paragraphs 3?); andPart 3 (Paragraph 7).Thesis statement: ... the Internet may be responsible for furthering the fragmentation of society by alienating its individual users.Concluding statement: All of this being said, I believe that the key to realizing the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives.Rhetorical features of the textMore antonyms: real杗ot real, reality杤irtual existence, outside playing with his friends 杙lay his games against his friends in cyberspace. The use of all these pairs of antonymous words and expressions helps to reinforce the seeming self-contradiction that the Internet can lead to globalization on the one hand and cause the alienation of the users from the people around them on the other.Vocabulary exercisesI. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.1. ability to develop, achieve or succeed2. causing to feel very distant from or not welcome to other people3. liked it very much and wanted to spend as much time doing it as possible4. more information than one can cope with5. a set of images and sounds produced by a computer which seem so real that for most purposes they can be regarded as realII. Fill in the blank(s) in each sentence with a phrase from the box in its appropriate form.1. for the better2. at the expense of3. was confronted with4. took advantage of5. in earnest6. are available for7. prior to8. would give ... pause to thinkIII. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.1. alienating2. globalization3. fragmenting4. addict5. exaggerates6. Depression7. simulated 8. gratifiedIV. Choose the word or phrase that can replace the underlined part in each sentence without changing its original meaning.1. A2. B3. B4. C5. B6. A7. D8. DV. Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in the sense it is used.1. Antonym: intended (purposeful, intentional, planned)2. Antonym: extraordinary (unusual)3. Synonym: alienate (isolate, estrange)4. Synonym: cultivate (nurture)5. Antonym: considerable (excessive, indulgent)6. Synonym: improvement (enhancement)7. Synonym: misrepresent (falsify)8. Antonym: unimportant (trivial, minor)VI. Explain the meaning of the underlined part in each sentence.1. expanses2. thinking it is necessary3. commonplace4. at home5. tell you6. large numberGrammar exercisesI. Combine the sentences in each group into one, using at least one absolute construction.1. All of this being said, I believe that the key to realizing the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives.2. There having been no rain, the ground was dry.3. When I walked in, Grandpa was sitting at the kitchen table, the newspaper spread before him.4. The boys leaned against the willow tree, their fishing poles resting on sticks, their eyes gazing at the bobbers floating on the ripples.5. Mark went homeward alone, his heart full of a strange emotion.6. The discussion completed, the chairman adjourned the meeting for half an hour.7. Diana stood motionless at the end of the diving board, her hands at her sides, herheels slightly raised, every muscle anticipating action.8. The cowboy dominates the pages of many magazines, his hair dark and curly, his broad shoulders sloping yet powerful and his expression calm and confident.II. Put the verbs in brackets into a gerund or an infinitive.1. pacify, be pacified, grumbling2. seeing3. being treated4. doing5. getting, closing6. answering, ring7. reporting8. resolving9. making10. goingIII. R ewrite the following sentences, beginning with the words given.1. Hardly had he arrived when she started complaining.2. Rarely does Manton care about anything else once he gets logged onto the Net.3. Under no circumstances must you touch this switch.4. Never in all their lives have they known such hardships.5. So much does he worry about his financial position that he can't sleep at night.6. Not only did he speak more correctly but also more convincingly.7. Only after several trials did they succeed.8. Under no circumstances are the passengers permitted to open the doors themselves.IV. Rewrite each of the following sentences, shifting the adverbial phrase of direction or place to the front of the clause. Use inversion where possible.1. The teacher blew a whistle and off ran the children.2. The man lit the fuse and after a few seconds up went the rocket.3. On the stairs was sitting a small dark-haired girl.4. Round the corner came a milk-van.5. There goes the vicar.6. The people dived for cover as over their heads flew the bullets.7. In the doorway stood her father.8. In front of them was a white pillar and on top of it stood a small, marble statue.V. Correct any mistakes you find in this newspaper item.The people of Sawston were evacuated yesterday as forest fires headed towards the town.Such was the heat of the oncoming inferno that trees more than 100 metres ahead began to smoulder. Only once in recent years, during 1994, has a town of this size had to be evacuated because of forest fires. A fleet of coaches and lorries arrived in the town in the early morning. Into these vehicles climbed the sick and elderly, before they headed off to safety across the river. Residents with cars were ordered to leave by midmorning.Later in the day, as the wind changed direction and it became clear that the fire would leave Sawston untouched, complaints were heard from some residents. "At no time did the fires pose a real threat," said one local man. "I didn't want to leave my home, and nor did most of my neighbours." But Chief Fire Officer Jones replied, "Had we not taken this action, lives would have been put at risk. Only when the fires have moved well away from the town will residents be allowed to return to their homes."VI. Make sentences of your own after the sentences given below, keeping the underlined structures in your sentences.(Reference version)1. I am ready to accept your proposal in that I believe it to be the best you can offer.2. All things being considered, I think I ought to award the scholarship to John.Translation exercisesI. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.1. 由于登录和使用互联网的限制相对较少，它的作用就等同于通讯传播中的国际海域。

Unit 3Alienation and the InternetWill Baker1. The Internet provides an amazing forum for the free exchange of ideas. Given the relatively few restrictions governing access and usage，it is the communications modal equivalent of international waters.1 It is my personal belief that the human potential can only be realized by the globalization of ideas. I developed this position2 years before the Internet came into wide spread use. And I am excited at the potential for the Internet to dramatically alter our global society for the better. However I am also troubled by the possible unintended negative consequences.2. There has been much talk about the“new information age.”But much less widely reported has been the notion that the Internet may be responsible for furthering the fragmentation of society by alienating its individual users.3 At first this might sound like an apparent contradiction：how can something，that is on the one hand responsible for global unification by enabling the free exchange of ideas，alienate the participants？3. I had a recent discussion with a friend of mine who has what he described as a“problem”with the Internet. When I questioned him further he said that he was“addicted，”4 and has“forced”himself to go off-line. He said that he felt like an alcoholic，in that moderate use of the Internet was just not possible for him.5 I have not known this fellow to be given to exaggeration，therefore when he described his internet binges，6 when he would spend over twenty-four hours on line non-stop，it gave me pause to think. He said，“the Internet isn‘t real，but I was spending all my time on line，so I just had to stop.”He went on to say that all of the time that he spent on line might have skewed7 his sense of reality，and that it made him feel lonely and depressed.4. The fragmentation of society has been lamented for some time now. It seems to me that it probably began in earnest after World War II when a generation returned from doing great deeds overseas. They won the war，and by God they were going to win the peace. Automobile ownership became commonplace and suburbs were created.“Progress”was their mantra.8 So even prior to the Internet‘s widespread popularity，folks were already becoming distanced from their extended families and neighbors. And when we fast-forward to today we see an almost cruel irony in that peoplecan and often do develop on-line relationships with folks on the other side of the globe，without leaving their homes. But at the expense of the time that would have otherwise been available for involvement in other activities which might foster a sense of community in their villages，towns and cities.5. Last weekend my wife and I invited our extended family to our home to celebrate our daughter‘s birthday. During the celebration my young nephew spent the entire time on my computer playing a simulated war game. My brother-in-law and I were chatting nearby and it struck us that in generations past，his son，my nephew，would have been outside playing with his friends. But now the little fellow goes on line to play his games against his friends in cyberspace.6. It seems to me that the Internet is a powerful tool that presents an opportunity for the advancement of the acquisition and application of knowledge. However，based on my personal experience I can understand how，as they surf the web some folks might be confronted with cognitive overload.9 And I can also understand how one might have his or her sense of reality distorted in the process. Is the Internet a real place？Depending upon how a“real place”is defined it might very well be. At the very least，I believe that when we use the Internet，we are forced to ask fundamental questions about how we perceive the world about us—perhaps another unintended consequence. Some would argue that the virtual existences created by some users who debate，shop，travel and have romance on line are in fact not real. While others would argue that，since in practical terms，folks are debating，shopping，travelling and having romance，the converse is true.7. All of this being said，I believe that the key to realizing the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives. This would allow us to maximize its potential without losing our sense of place.10 However like most things that is easier said than done. It seems to me that we are a society that values immediate gratification above all else，and what better place to achieve it than in cyberspace，where the cyber-world is your cyber-oyster.11 The widespread use of the automobile forever changed our society and culture，and perhaps a similar sort of thing is occurring now. I am not at all certain where the“information superhighway”will lead us：some say to Utopia，12 while others feel it‘s the road to hell. But I do know that we all have the ability to maintain our sense of place in the world. Whether we choose to take advantage of this ability is another matter.因特网与人际之疏远威尔·贝克1 因特网为思想的自由交流提供了一个非凡的平台。

UNIT 3 ALIENATION AND THE INTERNET Teaching Objectives1)Familiarize students with the structure of a piece of argumentative writing and somerhetorical features of Text I;2)encourage students to think by themselves and participate in class activities actively.3)Develop the ability of writing a piece of argumentationWarm-up ActivitiesDiscuss the following questions as the lead-in to the text.1)Do you go on line every day? What attracts you to the Internet?2)For how many hours a day do you think a person has to stay on line before he isreckoned to be a net worm? Is it good to be one? Why or why not?Cultural backgroundPros and Cons of the InternetThe Internet is a wonderful source from which we can retrieve valuable information. Moreover, it facilitates our communication with people far away from us at a cost substantially less than that of traditional means of communication. Also, it can be an important building block to children’s learning because a vast amount of information is only clicks away. There is evidence suggesting that computer use is linked to slightly better academic performance.However, there is sufficient evidence indicating that the Internet can exert a harmful influence on people. For example, its addictive power has increased children and youngsters’ time spent in front of the computer screens at the expense of other healthier physical activities, thus increasing their chance of getting overweight and short-sighted. In addition, children have limited ability of telling right from wrong and therefore are subject to the potential contaminating influence of the harmful materials on the Internet.Text IALIENATION AND THE INTERNETWill BakerGlobal ReadingI. Structural analysis of the textIf the Internet allows for the free exchange of ideas, it helps to unify us. Then how does it alienate us while uniting us? How does it fragment society while globalizing ideas? This is the issue that the author tackles in the text.This piece of argumentative writing falls into three parts.Part I (Paragraphs 1 –2):The writer presents his thesis in the opening part: the Internet may be responsible for furthering the fragmentation of society by alienating its individual users.Part II (Paragraphs 3 – 6): The author supports his point with evidence and reasons in the body of argumentation.Part III (Paragraph 7): The writer reiterates his main idea in the conclusion of the text.The thesis statement of the text is in the second paragraph: ―... the Internet may be responsible for furthering the fragmentation of society by alienating its individual users.‖The concluding statement appears at the beginning of the last paragraph: ―All this being said, I believe that the key to realizing the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives.‖II. Rhetorical features of the textThe seeming self-contradiction that the Internet can lead to globalization on the one hand and cause the alienation of the users from the people around them on the other is reinforced by the use of pairs of antonyms.Some examples: globalization/alienation; real / not real; reality / virtual existence; outside playing with his friends / play his games against his friends in the cyberspaceDetailed ReadingQuestions1.How does the author start his argument? (Paragraph 1)Answer: The author starts his argument by presenting an apparent contradiction: on the one hand, the Internet facilitates global unification by enabling the free exchange of ideas; on the other, it alienates the participants.2.What is the author’s purpose of citing the example of his friend in Paragraph 3? How is the example related to his argument? (Paragraph 3)Answer: With the example of his friend, the author intends to convince the reader of the negative consequence of the Internet. His friend was addicted to the Internet and stayed on line too long. The side effect of the Internet upon his friend, i.e. distorting his sense of reality and making him feel lonely and depressed, is evidence that the Internet contributes to the fragmentation of society by alienating its individual users.3.What is the ―cruel irony‖ concerning the use of the Internet mentioned at the end of Paragraph 4? (Paragraph 4)Answer: The ―cruel irony‖ means that on the one hand the Internet provides us ers with a convenient means of communicating and making friends with people far apart, but on the other, it estranges them from people around them by curtailing their availability for face-to-face communication even with their families and close friends and for involvement in community activities.4.What is the main idea of Paragraph 6? (Paragraph 6)Answer: In this paragraph, the author means to illustrate how the overuse of the Internet may distort the user’s sense of reality.5.Does the author believe it is within human capacity to reap the benefit of the Internet without being penalized? (Paragraph 7)Answer: Yes. He thinks that people are able to maintain their sense of place while exploiting the resources of the Internet.Text IIAMERICA ONLINE: LOSING THE BATTLES, BUT WINNING THE WAR1Michael H. Mescon et al.Lead-in questions1)Have you heard of the company American Online (AOL)?2)What do you think will make an Internet-related business successful?Main IdeaIn Text II, the authors described how America Online, an Internet firm, has managed to live through the intense competition.Notes1. About the text ― This text is taken from Business Today(1999) by Michael H.Mescon et al.2. For the better part of 15 years (Paragraph 1) ― For more than half of 15 years, i.e.about 10 years or more3. CEO (Paragraph 1) ― chief executive officer4. jousted with the doubters(Paragraph 2) ― compete with doubtful people forsuperiority5. derby(Paragraph 4) ― race or contest6. at a flat rate (Paragraph 4) — at a fixed price7. back up (Paragraph 4)— jam8. His appeal backfired. (Paragraph 4) — His appeal had the opposite result to what he had expected.9. Silicon Valley Syndrome(Paragraph 6) ― an inward-looking set of attitudes withinthe hi-tech sector10. ESPN(Paragraph 7) ― an electronic commercial network with its major interest in sports11. MTV (Paragraph 7) ― music TV12. CNN (Paragraph 7) ― cable news network13. phenomenal (Paragraph 7) ― unusually good14.1-800-Flowers(Paragraph 7) ― a major floral and gift retailer and distribution company in the U.S., and one of the first retailers to use a 24×7 toll-free telephone number and online media and the Internet for direct sales to consumers. The company specializes in retail sales of flowers and gift items within the U.S.15. browse (Paragraph 8) ― look through in a casual wayAdditional notes1.blanketing the countryside with diskettes containing AOL software(Paragraph 3) —covering the countryside completely in the free distribution of diskettes containing AOL’s software2.marketing by carpet bombing (Paragraph 3) —Carpet bombing is the act ofdropping bombs in an area extensively so as to destroy it completely. Here the expression is used metaphorically to refer to AOL’s marketing strategy.3.advertising revenue (Paragraph 7) —income the company receives fromadvertising4.the technology curve— (Paragraph 8) — the developmental trend of technology5.AOL has a high turnover of subscribers.(Paragraph 8) —The rate is high atwhich old subscribers of AOL are replaced by new ones.More about the authorThe lead author, Michael H. Mescon, former dean of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, is the author or co-author of more than 300 articles and books. He is the lead author of Business Today, the most successful introductory business textbook in the U.S. Business Today, from which the text is taken, received the McGuffey Award for longevity and excellence from the Text and Academic Authors Association. He also wrote Showing Up for Work and Other Keys to Business Success, which earned him the Georgia Author of the Year Award from the Council of Authors andJournalists. He holds an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the College of Charleston and an honorary doctorate of private enterprise from The Citadel, where he also holds a visiting Chaired Professorship. Dr. Michael Mescon is active in community affairs and public service including serving on the boards of the Boys Scouts of America, ALS Association, Adaptive Learning Center, Northside Hospital and Heart Fund Chairperson Heart Association and so on.About the textDespite any disadvantages it may have, as discussed in Text I, the Internet undoubtedly contains unlimited business opportunities. This was recognized as early as the 1980s, when Internet firms mushroomed, and competition became fierce. So it was not easy for the firms to survive.We may divide the text into three parts. Part I includes the first two paragraphs, where the authors introduce their point, ―for Steve Case, living his dream has been anything but easy.‖ In Part II (Paragraphs 3–7), Mescon et al.relate the efforts that America Online made in confronting one difficulty after another on its way to survival: how it attracted so many subscribers, how it dealt with the network jam, and what strategy it took to maintain its financial health. Part III, the last paragraph, concludes that despite all the challenges it is facing, America Online has the potential to thrive.Questions for discussion1.What vision did Case have?2.Why did AOL take the blanketing approach?3.What difficulties did AOL meet with?4.How did AOL survive the strong competition?Key to Questions for discussion1. He imagined a world in which computers would be connected so that they could workmuch faster and everybody could use them.2. Because it was by no means easy to get a large number of subscribers, especially at thevery beginning. AOL had to start with this unique marketing approach to make its product known to the general public. As a matter of fact, it took five years for this company to attract a million subscribers.3. It did not expect the fast increase of subscribers and failed to satisfy the needs of itscustomers. As a result, it lost a lot of money and consumer confidence.4. It got a large amount of revenue from advertising on the Internet and selling productsonline.Memorable QuotesInformation technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without talking about the other.—Bill Gates I think it’s fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we’ve ever created. They’re tools of communication, they’re tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user.—Bill GatesAbout Bill GatesWilliam Henry ―Bill‖ Gates III, (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, philanthropist, author, and was chairman of Microsoft. He is consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest people and was the wealthiest overall from 1995 to 2009, excluding 2008 and is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. He has also authored or co-authored several books.Questions for discussion:1)Share your opinions with your classmates about how computers have changed ourway of life and how they will change our life in the future.2)Give an example about the interweaving between information technology andbusiness.Guidance:1)Suggestion: business life, information sharing, communication, entertainment, etc.Predictions about the future life are open to discussion.2)Suggestion: on-line shopping, on-line advertisement, on-line banking, on-linebusiness transactions, etc.。

Unit 3 Alienation and the InternetKey to the ExercisesText comprehensionI. Decide which of the following best states the author's purpose of writing.Bor true are statements following the whether text, the to according Judge, II. false.1. T (Refer to Paragraph 1.)apparent an might his sound like to (Refer Paragraph 2. When the author says 2. F all. at not a contradiction he implies that this is in fact contradiction, Throughout the whole essay, the author explains the seemingly contradictory idea: other on the is responsible for global unification, and Internet on the one hand the it alienates the participants.)fellow not saying I have known this 3, 3. F (Refer to Paragraph where the author, by this his best of knowledge, exaggeration? to be given to actually means that to the friend of his has never exaggerated anything.)4. T (Refer to Paragraph 4. At the end of this paragraph, the author argues thatwhen people spend much time developing on-line relationships with faraway folks, the undermines activities, will they have no time to participate in communal which sense of community.)surfing (Refer 5. T to Paragraph 6. In this paragraph, the that when author arguesthe Web a person might be cognitively overloaded and that the cognitive overload might result in a distorted sense of reality.)Answer the following questions.III.make to most it, author sees the Internet is likely As 1. Refer to Paragraph 1. the our global village a better place to live in. It provides a miraculous forum for potential. to human the realization of ideas, the globalization of which contributes knowledge. of the a Furthermore, it is powerful tool for acquisition and application consequences. The benefits its darkened by negative may Internet, of the however, be It may deprive the user of his time for necessary interaction with other society members so that the whole world may be further fragmented. In addition, there is gives much information, which too Internet that reasonable a likelihood the presents the user a skewed sense of reality by making him cognitively overloaded.2. Refer to Paragraph3. His friend was addicted to the Internet. He would spend himselfforce to had he that so Internet the on non-stop hours twenty-four over evento go off line. As he spent so much time in cyberspace, his sense of reality might have been crooked. Moreover, without any face-to-face verbal communication with other people, he felt lonely and depressed.3. Refer to Paragraph4. The alienation of society members had begun long before the Internet started to be used worldwide. After World War II, when the soldiersreturned from the battlefields, they devoted themselves to progress. Large quantities of cars were manufactured, which fed the creation of suburbs, and consequently people lived far apart from each. The Internet, however, has added to the problem and Internet addicts are far from rare. As illustrated by the example of the author's nephew, it seems to be an irreversible trend that more and more people, old and young, are becoming addicted to the Internet. They will spend many hours non-stop in cyberspace rather than with their families or friends. For lack of communication, they are becoming strangers to other people. Therefore, there is a good reason to believe that society is being further alienated by the Internet.4. The cruel irony means that the Internet provides the user with a convenient means of communicating and making friends with people far apart on the one hand, but on the other, it estranges the user from the people around him by canceling his availability for face-to-face communication even with his families and close friends and for involvement in community activities.5. Refer to Paragraphs 6 and 7. The potential of the Internet as a powerful tool for globalizing ideas and for acquiring and applying knowledge can only be realized when the user strikes a balance between reality and the Internet. Although the Internet makes it possible for the user to debate, shop, travel and have romancein cyberspace without leaving home, the overuse of this tool probably results ina distorted sense of reality. The only way to avoid being penalized by the Internet is make moderate use of this tool without losing one's sense of place in the world.IV.Explain in your own words the following sentences.1. As the Internet can be reached and used with relatively few restrictions, it plays a role in connecting people globally, which is comparable to travelling through international waterways.2. A lot of people talk about theew information age, but not so many peopleare acquainted with the idea that the Internet separates people from each other and fragments society further as a result.3. I think that in our society top priority is given to the satisfaction of one's immediate needs. The Internet is the best means to achieve this purpose, for on the Internet one can do whatever he likes to.Structural analysis of the textThe three parts of the text:Part 1 (Paragraphs 1?);Part 2 (Paragraphs 3?); andPart 3 (Paragraph 7).Thesis statement: ... the Internet may be responsible for furthering the fragmentation of society by alienating its individual users.realizingto believe I that the key Concluding statement: All of this being said,the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives.Rhetorical features of the textMore antonyms: real杗ot real, reality杤irtual existence, outside playing with his friends杙lay his games against his friends in cyberspace. The use of all these pairs of antonymous words and expressions helps to reinforce the seemingself-contradiction that the Internet can lead to globalization on the one hand and cause the alienation of the users from the people around them on the other.Vocabulary exercisesI. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.1. ability to develop, achieve or succeed2. causing to feel very distant from or not welcome to other people3. liked it very much and wanted to spend as much time doing it as possible4. more information than one can cope with5. a set of images and sounds produced by a computer which seem so real that for most purposes they can be regarded as realII. Fill in the blank(s) in each sentence with a phrase from the box in its appropriate form.1. for the better2. at the expense of3. was confronted with4. took advantage of5. in earnest6. are available for7. prior to8. would give ... pause to thinkIII.Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.1. alienating2. globalizationaddictfragmenting 4. 3.5. exaggerates6. Depression7. simulated 8. gratifiedIV. Choose the word or phrase that can replace the underlined part in each sentence without changing its original meaning.1. A2. B3. B4. C8. D5. B 6. A 7. Dsense word the underlined in each sentence in the V. Give a synonym or an antonym of it is used.1. Antonym: intended (purposeful, intentional, planned)2. Antonym: extraordinary(unusual)3. Synonym: alienate (isolate, estrange)4. Synonym: cultivate (nurture)5. Antonym: considerable (excessive, indulgent)6. Synonym: improvement (enhancement)7. Synonym: misrepresent (falsify)8. Antonym: unimportant (trivial, minor)Explain the meaning of the underlined part in each sentence.VI.expanses1.2. thinking it is necessary3. commonplace4. at home5. tell you6. large numberGrammar exercisesI. Combine the sentences in each group into one, using at least one absoluteconstruction.All of this being said, I believe that the key to realizing the potential of 1.the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives.2. There having been no rain, the ground was dry.spread newspaper the was sitting at the kitchen table, in, 3. When I walked Grandpabefore him.sticks, poles resting on tree, leaned 4. The boys against the willow their fishingtheir eyes gazing at the bobbers floating on the ripples.Mark went homeward alone, his heart full of a strange emotion.5.hour.an half for meeting the adjourned chairman the completed, discussion The 6.7. Diana stood motionless at the end of the diving board, her hands at her sides, her heels slightly raised, every muscle anticipating action.8. The cowboy dominates the pages of many magazines, his hair dark and curly, his broad shoulders sloping yet powerful and his expression calm and confident.II.Put the verbs in brackets into a gerund or an infinitive.1. pacify, be pacified, grumbling2. seeing3. being treated4. doing5. getting, closing6. answering, ring7. reporting8. resolving9. making10. goingIII. Rewrite the following sentences, beginning with the words given.1. Hardly had he arrived when she started complaining.2. Rarely does Manton care about anything else once he gets logged onto the Net.3. Under no circumstances must you touch this switch.4. Never in all their lives have they known such hardships.5. So much does he worry about his financial position that he can't sleep at night.6. Not only did he speak more correctly but also more convincingly.7. Only after several trials did they succeed.8. Under no circumstances are the passengers permitted to open the doors themselves.IV.Rewrite each of the following sentences, shifting the adverbial phrase ofdirection or place to the front of the clause. Use inversion where possible.1. The teacher blew a whistle and off ran the children.2. The man lit the fuse and after a few seconds up went the rocket.3. On the stairs was sitting a small dark-haired girl.4. Round the corner came a milk-van.5. There goes the vicar.6. The people dived for cover as over their heads flew the bullets.7. In the doorway stood her father.8. In front of them was a white pillar and on top of it stood a small, marble statue.V. Correct any mistakes you find in this newspaper item.The people of Sawston were evacuated yesterday as forest fires headed towards the town. Such was the heat of the oncoming inferno that trees more than 100 metres ahead began to smoulder. Only once in recent years, during 1994, has a town of this size had to be evacuated because of forest fires. A fleet of coaches and lorries arrived in the town in the early morning. Into these vehicles climbed the sick and elderly, before they headed off to safety across the river. Residents with cars were ordered to leave by midmorning.Later in the day, as the wind changed direction and it became clear that the fire would leave Sawston untouched, complaints were heard from some residents. At no time did the fires pose a real threat, said one local man. I didn't want to leave my home, and nor did most of my neighbours. But Chief Fire Officer Jones replied, Had we not taken this action, lives would have been put at risk. Only when the fires have moved well away from the town will residents be allowed to return to their homes.VI.Make sentences of your own after the sentences given below, keeping theunderlined structures in your sentences.(Reference version)1. I am ready to accept your proposal in that I believe it to be the best you can offer.2. All things being considered, I think I ought to award the scholarship to John.Translation exercisesI. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.1. 由于登录和使用互联网的限制相对较少，它的作用就等同于通讯传播中的国际海域。

Unit 3Alienation and the InternetWill Baker1. The Internet provides an amazing forum for the free exchange of ideas. Given the relatively few restrictions governing access and usage，it is the communications modal equivalent of international waters.1 It is my personal belief that the human potential can only be realized by the globalization of ideas. I developed this position2 years before the Internet came into wide spread use. And I am excited at the potential for the Internet to dramatically alter our global society for the better. However I am also troubled by the possible unintended negative consequences.2. There has been much talk about the“new information age.”But much less widely reported has been the notion that the Internet may be responsible for furthering the fragmentation of society by alienating its individual users.3 At first this might sound like an apparent contradiction：how can something，that is on the one hand responsible for global unification by enabling the free exchange of ideas，alienate the participants？3. I had a recent discussion with a friend of mine who has what he described as a“problem”with the Internet. When I questioned him further he said that he was“addicted，”4 and has“forced”himself to go off-line. He said that he felt like an alcoholic，in that moderate use of the Internet was just not possible for him.5 I have not known this fellow to be given to exaggeration，therefore when he described his internet binges，6 when he would spend over twenty-four hours on line non-stop，it gave me pause to think. He said，“the Internet isn‘t real，but I was spending all my time on line，so I just had to stop.”He went on to say that all of the time that he spent on line might have skewed7 his sense of reality，and that it made him feel lonely and depressed.4. The fragmentation of society has been lamented for some time now. It seems to me that it probably began in earnest after World War II when a generation returned from doing great deeds overseas. They won the war，and by God they were going to win the peace. Automobile ownership became commonplace and suburbs were created.“Progress”was their mantra.8 So even prior to the Internet‘s widespread popularity，folks were already becoming distanced from their extended families and neighbors. And when we fast-forward to today we see an almost cruel irony in that people can and often do develop on-line relationships with folks on the other side of the globe，without leaving their homes. But at the expense of the time that would have otherwisebeen available for involvement in other activities which might foster a sense of community in their villages，towns and cities.5. Last weekend my wife and I invited our extended family to our home to celebrate our daughter‘s birthday. During the celebration my young nephew spent the entire time on my computer playing a simulated war game. My brother-in-law and I were chatting nearby and it struck us that in generations past，his son，my nephew，would have been outside playing with his friends. But now the little fellow goes on line to play his games against his friends in cyberspace.6. It seems to me that the Internet is a powerful tool that presents an opportunity for the advancement of the acquisition and application of knowledge. However，based on my personal experience I can understand how，as they surf the web some folks might be confronted with cognitive overload.9 And I can also understand how one might have his or her sense of reality distorted in the process. Is the Internet a real place？Depending upon how a“real place”is defined it might very well be. At the very least，I believe that when we use the Internet，we are forced to ask fundamental questions about how we perceive the world about us—perhaps another unintended consequence. Some would argue that the virtual existences created by some users who debate，shop，travel and have romance on line are in fact not real. While others would argue that，since in practical terms，folks are debating，shopping，travelling and having romance，the converse is true.7. All of this being said，I believe that the key to realizing the potential of the Internet is in achieving balance in our lives. This would allow us to maximize its potential without losing our sense of place.10 However like most things that is easier said than done. It seems to me that we are a society that values immediate gratification above all else，and what better place to achieve it than in cyberspace，where the cyber-world is your cyber-oyster.11 The widespread use of the automobile forever changed our society and culture，and perhaps a similar sort of thing is occurring now. I am not at all certain where the“information superhighway”will lead us：some say to Utopia，12 while others feel it‘s the road to hell. But I do know that we all have the ability to maintain our sense of place in the world. Whether we choose to take advantage of this ability is another matter.因特网与人际之疏远威尔·贝克1 因特网为思想的自由交流提供了一个非凡的平台。