自考英語(yǔ)二原文Unit11CyberWorld

Unit11CyberWorldAFamousQuoteTheInternetisbecomingthetownsquarefortheglobalvillageoftomorrow.-

BillGatesBillGates(1955-),Americanbusinessmagnate,investor,philanthropist,andauthor.Gatesistheformerchiefexecutiveofficer(CEO)andcurrentchairmanMicrosoft,thesoftwarecompanyhefoundedwithPaulAllen.

ofTextACyberLovePre-readingQuestions:HaveyouevermadeafriendontheInternet?Howdidyoudevelopyourfriendship?WhatsuggestionscanyougiveifonehopestomakefriendsontheInternet?Thankstothelate20thcenturytechnology,MariaofDenmarkandMartijinofHollandmetonachatline.Formonthsthey’vetalkedandsentletterstoeachotherwiththehelpoftheircomputersastheyfoundthemselvesfallingheadoverheelsinlove.Itwasthenthattheydecidedtomeetinthereal,notonlythevirtual,world.Itwasnoteasytoarrangeastheyoungmanandhisladywereseparatedby700veryrealkilometers,butthedatewasasuccessandMariaandMartijinhavebeenlivingtogetherhappilyeversince.They’vecreatedahomepagetolettheworldknowhowthey’vefoundhappinessviatheInternetandintroducecoupleswho’vemetundersimilarcircumstances.Throughouthistorymenandwomenhaveusedavarietyofmeanstofindeachother.Internetromance,accordingtosome,isabizarremethod,andtoothersitisanaturalwayforthe90’stomeetpotentialmates.RomancesformedontheInternetfollowacharacteristicscript.Thedevelopmentofemotionalintimacyisalongprogress,sometimestakingseveralmonths.“Loveatfirstbyte”israrealthoughthereareexamples.Theinitiallightexchanges,whetherbye-mailorinchatrooms,aregenerallyfollowedbyincreasinglyself-revealingtopics,andthenafterawhile,thetwostrangersperceiveeachotherasatruefriend.Heartsopen,anavalancheofe-mailcrossescyberspacecarryingliteraryquality,andelectronicmessagesareevenenhancedwithverseandvirtualgifts(flowers,kisses,animatedpictures).Couldanyheartwithromanticinclinationsresist?Whenyoureachforthemousewithsweatypalmsandbutterfliesinthestomachtolookinthein-boxfornewmail–there’sjustnowaytoescapethefactlovehas–arrived.Howdoesacyberromancevaryfromarealliferomance?Perhapsonesignificantdifferenceisthatcommunicationplayssuchalargepart.Wordsthatconveyfeelingshaveenormouseffect.Whilebeforearealdatewefixourhairandourclothes,ontheInternetwepolishourintellect,imaginationandpersonality.Inessence,thesequenceisreversed–firstweshowourinnerbeautyandonlyafterithaswonvictorydoestheveilfalloffthephysicalvehicleofthatpersonalityatthetimeofthatfirstmeetinginperson.Itisapopulartopicincyberspacetodebatewhetherornottruelovecandevelopmerelyonanintellectuallevel,withoutphysicalattractionorthefamiliarityoftheother’sappearance.Toputinanotherway:Doesthephysicalappearanceofthemanorwomanplayapartintherelationshipif,throughtheexchangeofthoughtsandfeelings,theyalreadyfellinlove?Manysayitisagainstthenatureoflovetobedeprivedofthesenseofsight,thelook,themovement,andbodylanguagebeingpresent.Therearethose,ofcourse,whofavorInternetrelationshipclaimingthattheintensityoftheemotionalrelationshipthatdevelopsinsuchawayissuperiortothemerestirringoftheflesh.Whatevertheopinionmaybeoncyberlove,itmustbesaidinfavoroftheInternetthatitputspeopleintouchwiththosewhotheyotherwisewouldneverhavemet.IwouldneverhavesuspectedthatthefirstpersonImetbye-mailwouldbeaGermanchimneysweeper,withwhom,afterayearofcorrespondence,albeitnotromantic,acommonintereststillexists.ItissillytoperceivetheNetasademon,whenwedeterminehowwemeetitschallenges.WhiletherearethosewhocanusetheNettotheiradvantageextractingusefulinformation,therearethosewhobecomeaddictslosingcommonsense,hoppingfromchatroomtochatroom,writingpilesofe-mailsfullofliestochosenvictims,andwhosevirtualreality,theflirtation,becomepartoftheireverydaylives,asifadisease.Onethingistrue–thenetisveryaddictive.Accordingtotheconfessionofamultiplesubstanceaddict,itwaseasiertogiveupcocainethantheIRC.Inanycase,keepyoureyesopenoff-lineaswell.Turnoffthemachineandgotoadanceoraclub,becausemostwomanstillexpecttobecourtedinareal,old-fashioned,andromanticway.TextBTheImpactoftheInternetonSocietyPre-readingQuestions:CanyouimaginewhatyourlifewouldbelikewithouttheInternet?WhatdoyouthinkistheimpactoftheInternetonsociety?TheInternethashadaprofoundeffectonsocietyoverthelasttwodecades.Althoughitbeganasagovernmentoperation,overtimethisinnovativetechnologyeventuallyevolveintoapublicnovelty.Lookingatsocietytoday,onemayfindthatthesituationhascertainlyevolved.Formany,theInternethasbecomeanessentialfordailyliving,nolongerthefunnoveltyitwas10yearsago.EvenadecadeagoifyouweretothinkaboutwhetherornottheInternethadasignificantimpactonsociety,theanswerwouldlikelyhavebeenprobablynot.WhiletheNetmayhavebeenconsideredaneatinnovation,itwasnotlikeanyone“needed”it.However,overtimethisperceptionhaschangedformanyindividualsinsociety.TheInternethasbecome,forthemostpart,andabsolutenecessity,eitherbyrequirementorbydesire.Goingonlinehasbecomeasnaturalasdoingotherdailytaskspeoplehavetraditionallydone.PeopletakeitforgrantedthattheInternetwillbeavailable,anddependencyonbeingconnectedhasbecomethenorm.BothbusinessandindividualsalikedependupontheroutineavailabilityoftheInternet.Duetothefactthatmanybusiness,governmentagenciesantotherorganizationshavenavigatedtotheonlineenvironment,generallypeoplerequireconsistentaccess,or24/7access,ifyouwill.InmanywaystheInternethashadaverypositiveeffectonsociety.Ithasimprovedcommunication,simplifiedhandlingtasksanderrands,offeredhugeconvenience,enabledfasterprocessing,andprovidedmoreoptions,allofwhichhavefreedmoretimetodootherthings.Yet,interestinglyenoughtheInternethas,insomeways,hadnegativeeffects.Thequalityofcommunicationhasdeclined;peopleareimpatientbecausetheyhavebecomeaccustomedtoinstantgratification,andusingtheInternetalsotakesupalotoftime.AswebsitesuchasFacebookandothersociallybasedinteractionsincreaseinusage,manyhoursadayareconsumedaspeoplekeepupwiththeirvariousnetworks,takingawayfromotheractivities.Whenlookingatitfromthelatterperspective,onemaywonderwhetherornottheInternethastrulybenefitedsociety.Realistically,aswithanythingelse,theInternethasitsprosandcons.Toolssuchase-mailandinstantmessaginghavebecomethestandard;socialnetworksarequicklyevolvingintothenextlevelofcommunication,andpeopleenjoytheirconstantaccess.InthisrespectthebenefitsoftheInternetaretremendous.ThisisnotonlyevidencedbythemanyactivitiespeopleengageinwhentheyconnecttotheInternet,butalsobythecontinuousprogressionanddevelopmentofmobiledevicessuchassmart-phones.Societyhasevolvedtothepointwherepeopleexpectandrely