英语阅读教程第五课.docx

英语阅读教程第五课.docx

《英语阅读教程第五课.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英语阅读教程第五课.docx（24页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

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