英语阅读教程第五课.docx
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英语阅读教程第五课.docx
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英语阅读教程第五课
READINGSELECTIONA
ScienceandTechnology
ByJudithRaughman(Editor)
[1]Optimismandempowerment.Asthecenturydrewtoaclose,thepotentialforhumaninventionandunderstandingappearedboundless.Scientificunderstandingexpandeddaily,fromthefundamentalbuildingblocksofmattertothesourcecodeofalllifetotheorigins,andperhapstheeventualdemise,oftheuniverse.Thetechnologicaladvancesofthe1990susheredinwhatappearedtobeasocialandeconomicrevolutionthatwouldrivaltheIndustrialRevolutiontwocenturiesearlier,creatinganewsocietyoftechnologicallyconnectedcitizenswithaworldofdigitizedinformation,commerce,andcommunicationatitsfingertips.Thenew"DigitalAge",representedbythe"InformationSuperhighway"wasnotall-inclusive,threatenedtoleavemanybehind,includingoldercitizensandthosewhocouldnotaffordthenewtechnology.Still,by1999morethanthree-quartersoftheU.S.populationwas"pluggedin"tothenewdigitalsociety,andmostAmericansfeltthattechnologicaladvanceswereimprovingtheirqualityoflife.Optimismwasthereigningtoneofthedecade.Newadvancesinscienceandtechnologyseemedtopromiseeventualsolutionstoproblemsrangingfromeliminatingtoxicwastetogroceryshopping—geneticengineersdevelopedmicrobesthatwouldeatindustrialsludgeandresearchersattheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology's(MIT)MediaLabworkedtodevisearefrigeratorthatcouldsensewhenitwasoutofmilkandusetheInternettoordermore.The1990sallayedthefearthatatechnologicallyadvancedsocietywasnecessarilyheavilycentralized,withBigBrotherwatchingeverymove.Instead,withthecreationoftheInternetandtheWorldWideWeb,andtheiremphasisondecentralization,equality,andtheopensharingofresources,manyindividualsfoundthatgreateraccesstoinformationincreasedtheirsenseofpersonalfreedomandpower.
[2]EthicsandtheNatural.Withtheexplosionofknowledgecamepublicconcernoverwhereallofthesenewdiscoveriesandtechnologiesmightbetakingsociety.Thecloningofananimalin1997suggestedthathumancloninghadbecomeviableaswell,raisingconcerns—nolongerquitetheoretical—thathumanitymightbemovingtowarda"bravenewworld"ofgeneticallyengineeredpeople.TheHumanGenomeProject,launchedin1990withamissiontodecodetheentirehumangeneticmakeup,heldpromisesforanendtogeneticdisorders,butthreatenedtoopenthewayfor"designerbabies",whocouldbegeneticallyalteredtosuittheirparents'wishes.Whilemanyarguedthatplantandanimalbreedershadbeenfoolingaroundwithgeneticsforcenturiesinordertobetterthelotofhumankind,otherspointedoutthatnewadvancesingeneticsallowedresearcherstocrossboundariessetbynature,implantinghumangenesinanimalsinordertoturnthemintomedicinefactories,creatingplantsthatproducedplasticsandglowedinthedark,evenattemptingtocreateterminator"seedsthatstifledtheirownreproductivecapacityinordertomaintaintheseedmanufacturer'scashflow.Thequestionofwhatwas"natural"cameunderseriousconsideration,asnoaspectoftheenvironmentandtheorganismsinitseemedsafefromgenetictinkering.Yet,whileexperimentswithhumancloningorcustomizingachild'sgeneticmakeupseemedabhorrenttomostAmericans,therewasgeneralsupportforgeneticresearchthatcouldhelptoidentifyandcuregeneticdiseasesormakefoodsourceshealthierandmoreplentifulforagrowingglobalpopulation.
[3]Privacy.Privacywasanoverarchingconcernwithmanyofthetechnologicalandscientificadvancesofthe1990s.TheInternetwasanamazingnewtoolforsharinginformation,yetitwasalsoapowerfulmeansforfindinginformationthatwasintendedtobeprivate,includinggovernmentandmilitarysecrets,thesourcecodestoproprietarysoftware,andevenaneighbor'ssocialsecuritynumber.Companiesandindividualsalikeworriedthattheirprivateinformationwouldbecompromisedwhensophisticatedcomputertechnologistscould"hack"intoprotectedcomputersystemsanderaseorstealimportantdata.Computerviruses,self-replicatingcodeswrittenbymaliciousindividuals,couldstealintopersonalcomputersystemsthroughe-mailortheWebandwreakhavocwiththedatastoredthere.ProtectingprivacyovertheInternetwasnoteasy,andmanypeopleworriedthatgovernmentattemptstointervenewouldonlycripplethedevelopmentoftheInternet.SimilarfearsweresparkedwhenconcernedgroupslobbiedthegovernmenttooutlawpornographyandotherdisturbingmaterialsontheWebinthenameof"protectingthechildren".WhilemostAmericansagreedthatchildrenshouldnotbeexposedtosuchmaterial,attemptstoregulatethecontentofindividualWebpagesandnewsgroupsconflictedwiththeideaoftheInternetasanopen,decentralizedmassmedium,whereeventhemostabsurdorrepellantideascouldreceiveahearing.Digitalsurveillanceintheworkplacealsobecameanissue,assomecompaniesspiedontheirworkers'useoftheInternetande-mail.
[4]GeneticsandPrivacy.Advancesingeneticsalsothreatenedpersonalprivacy.WiththeHumanGenomeProjectscheduledtobefinishedearlyinthetwenty-firstcentury,andprivatecompaniescompetingtowinpatentsongeneticdiscoveries,manyindividualsworriedaboutwhatscientistsmightdowithacompleteunderstandingofthehumangeneticcode.Whilegeneticdiseasescouldbediscoveredandperhapscured,thisinformationmightalsobeusedtodiscriminateagainstpeoplepredisposedtocertaingeneticmalfunctions,ortogroupindividualsbasedontheirgeneticdata.Theideathatscientistswouldownpatentsonthehumangeneticcodewasdisturbing,aswell,asitmeantthathumanlifecouldbecomeaproprietaryresource.
[5]BigScienceLittleScience.TheNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration(NASA)continuedtowowtheworld,sendingthegiantHubbleTelescopeintoorbittogatherandtransmitnever-before-seenimagesofdeepspacethatofferedincreasinglytantalizingcluestotheoriginsoftheuniverse.Thesearchforextraterrestriallifecontinuedduringthedecade,asNASAscientistsfoundpossibleevidenceofbacteriallifeinameteorfromMars,anddistantplanetswerediscoveredthatmightcontainwater.NASAsentspaceprobestolandonthesurfaceofMars,sentnationalheroJohnHerschelGlennJr.backintospacetostudyaging,andmadeplanstobuildanInternationalSpaceStationwithresearchteamsfromothercountries.Still,somecriticswonderedifallofthemoneyspentonspaceresearchmightnotbebetterusedtofundnewdiscoverieshereonEarth,almostasifthediversionofspacewasnolongerasnecessarywhenthereweresomanynewandinterestingprojectsgoingonrighthere.Oneofthemostfascinatingnewrealmsofstudywasnanotechnology,afieldofresearchthatattemptedtomanipulatematteratthemolecularlevel,buildingnewdevicesatombyatomthatcouldbeusedinminiaturizedmanufacturing,drug-deliverysystem,andtinyminicomputers.Withthediscoveryofanewfamilyofcarbonmoleculesknownasfullerenes,nanotechnologyresearchershadanewrawmaterialtoworkwith.Thesciencewasstillveryexperimentalattheturnofthecentury,butresearchersandgovernmentofficialssawgreatpotentialforthisscienceofthetiny.(I,151words)
ABOUTTHETEXT
ThistextisexcerptedfromthebookAmericanDecades1990-1999,editedbyJudithBaughman(Editor),VictorBondi(Editor),VincentTompkins(Editor)andGaleGroup,whichisthelastvolumeoftheAmericanDecades1900-2000Series.TheseriesisthelatestinstallmentoftheGaleseriesdocumentingthehistoryandsocialtrendsoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaduringthe20thcentury.Thecurrenttextistheoverviewofthebook'sonechapteronScienceandTechnology.
EXERCISES
I.ReadingComprehension
Answerthefollowingquestionsorcompletethefollowingstatements.
1.Thisarticleismainlyabout_____.
A.howtotackletheproblemsinthenew"DigitalAge"
B.thedirectionofscientificandtechnologicaldevelopment
C.boththepositiveandnegativeeffectsofthetechnologicaladvances
D.thegreatimpactonourethicsandprivacybroughtbythetechnologicaladvances
2.The"newsociety"mentionedinthefirstparagraphreferstoasocietywhich_____.
A.representsthedigitalageB.emphasizesonhumanity
C.ishighlycivilizedD.benefitseveryoneexceptoldercitizens
3.Thephrase"pluggedin"inthefirstparagraphisclosestinmeaningto_____.
A.interestedinB.accustomedtoC.fascinatedbyD.connectedto
4.WhichofthefollowingisNOTresponsiblefortheincreasedsenseofpersonalfreedomandpower?
A.Atechnologicallyadvancedsocietyiscentralized.
B.Thereismuchgreateraccesstoinformationthanbefore.
C.Peoplecanhavetheopensharingofresourcesonline.
D.ThenotionofequalityisemphasizedontheInternet.
5.ConcernedaboutthepotentialeffectoftheHumanGenomeProject,mostAmericanswould_____.
A.welcomehumancloningtoimprovetheirstandardofliving
B.supportthegeneticresearchwhichcouldhelptocuregeneticdiseases
C.welcomecreatingplantsthatproducedplasticsandglowedinthedark
D.supportmakinggeneticallyalteredbabiestosuittheirparents'wishes
6.Howcouldthe"terminator"seedsmaintaintheseedmanufacturer'scashflow?
A.Theyaresoreproductivethattheywilloutsellotherkindsofseeds.
B.Thepatentsonthe"terminator"seedswouldguaranteethemanufacturerbigprofit.
C.Thefarmershavetobuyseedsagainasthe"terminator"seedsgrowintoplantsunabletoproduceseedsthemselves.
D.Becausetheplants,intowhichthe"terminator"seedsgrow,couldp
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