大学体验英语4课文.docx

大学体验英语4课文.docx

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大学体验英语4课文

TheUnsungHeroes:

WhatAboutWorkingDads?

Onourfirst“date”afterourtwindaughterswereborn,myhusbandandIwenttoseethemovieToyStory.Weenjoyedit,butafterwardmyhusbandasked,“Wherewasthedad?

”Atfirst,itseemedpettytocriticizeanentertainingfamilymoviebecauseofonesmallpoint.ThemoreIthoughtaboutit,however,themoreglaringanomissionitseemed.Notonlywasdadnotaround,hewasn’tevenmentioned—despitethefactthattherewasababyinthefamily,sodadcouldn't'thavebeenthatlonggone.Itwasasifthepresence—orabsence—ofafatherisaminordetail,notevenrequiringanexplanation.

Thisisonlyoneexampleofthemediatrendtowardmarginalizingfathers,whichmirrorsenormoussocialchangesintheUnitedStates.DavidBlankenhorn,inhisbookFatherlessAmerica,referstothistrendasthe“unnecessaryfather”concept.

Wearebombardedbystoriesaboutthestrugglesofworkingmothers（asopposedtonon-workingmothers,Isuppose）.Meanwhile

highproportionofmediastoriesaboutfathersfocusonabusivehusbandsordeadbeatdads.Itseemsthattheonlytimefathersmeritattentioniswhentheyarecriticizedfornothelpingenoughwiththehousework（aclaimthatIfinddubiousanyway,becausethedefinitionof“housework”rarelyincludescleaningthegutters,changingtheoilinthecarorotherjobstypicallydonebymen）orwhentheydie.WhenMr.Blankenhornsurveyedfathersaboutthemeaningoftheterm“goodfamilyman,”manyrespondedthatitwasaphrasetheyonlyheardatfunerals

Oneexceptiontothe“unnecessaryfather”syndromeistheglowingmediaattentionthatat-homedadshavereceived.Idonotmeantoimplythatat-homedadsdonotdeservesupportformakingthiscommitment.Ionlymeantopointoutthedoublestandardatworkwhenat-homedads

areapplaudedwhileat-homemothersandbreadwinnerfathersaregivenlittle,ifany,culturalrecognition.

Theverylanguageweusetodiscussmen’sroles（i.e.,deadbeatdads）showsalackofappreciationforthemajorityofmenwhoquietlyyetproudlyfulfilltheirfamilyresponsibilities.Wealmostneverheartheterm“workingfather,”anditisrarethatcallsformoreworkplaceflexibilityareconsideredtobeformenasmuchasforwomen.Oursocietyactsasiffamilyobligationsarenotasimportanttofathersastheyaretomothers—asifcareersatisfactioniswhataman'slifeisallabout.

Evenmoreinsultingistherecentmediatrendofregardingat-homewivesas“statussymbols”—likeanexpensivecar—flauntedbythesupposedlyfewmenwhocanaffordsuchaluxury.Theimplicationisthatmenwithat-homewiveshaveiteasierthanthosewhosewivesworkoutsidethehomebecausetheyhavethe“luxury”ofafull-timehousekeeper.Inreality,however,themenwhoarethesolewageearnersfortheirfamiliessufferalotofstresses.Thelossofajob—oreventhethreatofthathappening—isobviouslymuchmoredifficultwhenthatjobisthesolesourceofincomeforafamily.Bythesametoken,solewageearnershavelessflexibilitywhenitcomestoleavingunsatisfyingcareersbecauseofthelossofincomesuchajobchangeentails.Inaddition,manyhusbandsworkovertimeorsecondjobstomakemoreneededmoneyfortheirfamilies.Forthesemen,itisthefamilythatthejobsupportsthatmakesitallworthwhile.Itisthebeliefthathavingamotherathomeisimportanttothechildren,whichmakessomanymengladlytakeontheburdenofbeingasolewageearner.

Today,thereiswidespreadagreementamongresearchersthattheabsenceoffathersfromhouseholdscausesseriousproblemsforchildrenand,consequently,forsocietyatlarge.Yet,ratherthanholdingup“ordinary”fathersaspositiverolemodelsforthedadsoftomorrow,toooftensocietyhasthrownupitshandsanddecidedthattraditionalfatherhoodisatbestobsoleteandatworstdangerously

reactionary.Thishasleftmanymenquestioningthevalueoftheirroleasfathers.

Asasociety,weneedtorealizethatfathersarejustasimportanttochildrenasmothersare—notonlyforfinancialsupport,butforemotionalsupport,educationanddisciplineas

well.Itisnotenoughforusmerelytorecognizethatfatherlessnessisaproblem—tostandbesidethegraveandmournthelossofthe“goodfamilyman”andthentrytofindsomeonetoreplacehim（askanyonewhohaslostafatherthoughdeathifthatispossible）.Wemustacknowledgehowwehavedevaluedfatherhoodandworktoshowmenhownecessary,howimportanttheyareintheirchildren’slives.

Thosefatherswhostrivetobegoodfamilymenbybeingthereeverydaytoloveandsupporttheirfamilies—thoseunsungheroes—needourrecognitionandourthanksforalltheydo.Becausetheydeserveit.

2WhyDigitalCultureIsGoodforYou?

Thenewsmedia,alongwithsocialandbehavioralscientists,haverecentlysentoutamultitudeofwarningsaboutthemanydangersthatawaitusoutthereincyberspace.ThetruthofthematteristhattheWebisnomoreinherentlydangerousthananythingelseintheworld.Itisnotsomeamorphousentitycapableofinflictingharmfuloutcomesonallwhoenter.Infact,inandofitself,theWebisfairlyharmless.IthasnospecialpowertoovertakeitsusersandaltertheirveryexistenceLiketheoldtalethatthevampirecannotharmyouunlessyouinviteittocrossyourthreshold,theInternetcannotcorruptwithoutbeinginvited.And,withtheexceptionofchildrenandtheweak-willed,itcannotcreatewhatdoesnotalreadyexist.

（1）Likealcohol,theWebsimplymagnifieswhatisalreadythere:

ExpertsareconcernedthatthemaskingthatgoesononlineposesadangerforeveryonewhoisapartoftheDigitalCulture.Beforeweknowit,theexpertstellus,wewillallusefakeidentities,becomefragmented,andwillnolongerbesureofjustwhoweare.Wrong.

Theonlypeoplewhofeelcompelledtomask,andotherwisemisrepresentthemselvesonlinearethesamepeoplewhoaremysteriousandunfrankin“reallife”...theNetjustgivesthemonemoretooltopracticetheirdeceit.

Asfortherestofus,gettingtakeninbythesepeopleisalowprobability.Weknowwhothesefolksareinthe“realworld”.TheInternetdoesnot“cause”peopletodisguiseassomethingtheyarenot.AsfortheDigitalCulturegettingcheatedbythesedishonestfolks,well,therearejustasmany“cues”onlinetodecipherdeceptionasthereareinthe“realworld”.ThecompetentWebHeacanrecognizemanyredflagsgivenoffbytheonlinebehaviorofothers.Oftentimestheintentionsoffellowusersiscrystalclear,especiallyovertime.

Whensomeoneistryingtodeceiveusonline,inconsistencies,theessencethattheyaretrying“toohard”orarejustplainunbelievable,oftencomethroughloudandclear.Likewise,justlikeinthe“realworld”,ahostofotherunacceptabletendenciescanbereadilyrecognizedonline.Narcissism（it’sallabout“meeeee”）,thosepeoplewhohavenothingbutnegativityorunpleasantthingstosayaboutothers,andthosewhofeelcompelledtoundermineothersandwhothinktheymustblowouttheotherguys’candlesinorderfortheirowntoshinecanbespottedacybermileaway.

（2）TheWebcanbringoutthebestinpeople:

Gregarious,frankfolksin“reallife”usuallycarrythesesametraitsovertotheironlinelife.Mostarejustasfun-lovingonlineifnotmoreso,astheyareataparty,atwork,oratthelocalbar.Thoughadmittedly,somearenotquiteasmuchfuntobearoundwithoutastiffdrink.Shyfolkshavea“safer”environmentonlinethaninthe“realworld”andcanlearntoexpressthemselvesmorefreelyontheNet（you’veneverseenanyonestutterone-mail,haveyou?

）allowingthemtogainconfidenceandcommunicationskillsthatcaneventuallyspilloverintootheraspectsoftheirlives.Helpfulpeoplein“reallife”areoftenjustaswillingtocometosomeone’sassistanceonlineasanywhereelse.

（3）PeoplearejudgeddifferentlyontheWeb:

OntheInternetpeoplearejudgedbytheirpersonality,beliefsandonlineactions,NOTbytheirphysicalappearance.Thisisgood.Itnotonlygivesuglyfolksanaid,butcausesBeautifulPeopletohavetosaysomethingworthlisteningtoinordertogetattention.

（4）Peopleopenupmore:

ManypeopleareopeningupawholelotmorethesedayssincetheyarenotrequiredtousetheirrealnameandprovidetheirrealidentityintheInternet.

（5）We’reconnected:

MembersoftheDigitalCultureknowfullwellthatthereisawealthofimportantinformationandlife-changingopportunitiesoutthereincyberspace.TheWebhasopeneddoorsfor

manyofusthatotherwisewouldneverhavebeenanoption.Researchpossibilitiesandnetworkingarejusttwosuchopportunities.

（6）WeLearnthePowerofWordsandtobeBetterListeners:

Withnofacialexpressions,bodylanguage,orphysicalappearancetodistractus,membersoftheDigitalCulturehavelearnedthepowerofwords...boththeirown,andothers’.Weknowverywellhowasimplestringofwordscanharm,hurtandoffend,orhowtheycanofferhumor,help,supportandencouragement.Mostexperiencedmembersoftheonlineculturehavelearnedtobecomewordsmiths,carefullycraftingthewordstheyusetoconveyexactlywhattheymeansoasnottobemisunderstood.

ManyofushavealsolearnedtobecomefarbetterlistenersthankstotheInternet.Notonlydowechooseourwordsmorecarefullybutwe（especiallythosewhocommunicateviaemailasopposedtochatrooms）areforcedtowaituntiltheotherpersonfinishesbeforewecanspeakorrespond.

（837words）

3.10BigMythsAboutCopyright

1）“Ifitdoesn’thaveacopyrightnotice,it’snotcopyrighted.”Thiswastrueinthepast,buttodayalmostallmajornationsfollowt