新世纪研究生公共英语教材阅读A第二版-第二课

UnittwoWhattheinternetcannotdo?1.itisimpossiblethatoldprejudicesandhostilitiesshouldlongerexist,whilesuchaninstrumenthasbeencreatedfortheexchangeofthoughtbetweenallthenationsoftheearth.acclaimedvictorianenthusiastsonthearrivalin1858ofthefirsttransatlantictelegraphcable.Peoplesaythatsortofthingaboutnewtechnologies,eventoday.Biotechnologyissaidtobethecureofworldhunger.thesequencingofthehumangenomewillsupposedlyeradicatecancerandotherdiseases.Thewildestoptimism,though,hasgreetedtheInternet.Awholeindustryofcybergurushasenthralledaudiences[andmadeafineliving]withexuberantclaimsthattheinternetwillpreventwars,ruducepollution,andcombatvariousformsofinequality.however,althoughtheinternetisstillyoungenoughtoinspireidealism,ithasalsobeenaroundlongenoughtotestwhethertheprophetscanberight.2.GrandestofalltheclaimsarethosemadebysomeofthesavantsattheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnologyabouttheinternet'spotentialasaforceforpeace.oneguru,NicholasNegroponte,hasdeclaredthat,thankstotheInternet,thechildrenofthefuturearenotgoingtoknowwhatnationalismis.Hiscolleagues,MichaelDertouzos,haswrittenthatdigitalcommunicationswillbringcomputeraidedpeacewhichmayhelpstaveofffutureflareupsofethnichatredandnationalbreakups.Theideaisthatimprovedcommunicationswillreducemisunderstandingsandavertconflict.3.Thisisnotnew,alas,anymorethanweretheclaimsforthepeacemakingpossibilitiesofothernewtechnologies.Intheearlyyearsofthe20thcentury,aeroplaneswereexpectedtoendwars,bypromotinginternationalcommunicationandlesscrediblybymakingarmiesobsolete.sincetheywouldbevulnerabletoattackfromtheair.AftertheFirstWorldWarhaddispelledsuchnotions,itwastheturnofradio.Nationshallspeakpeaceuntonation,ranthefinemottoofbritain'BBCWorldService.Sadly,RadioofRwandadisprovedtheideathatradeowasanintrinsicallypacificforceonceandforall.4.Themistakepeoplemakeistoassumethatwarsarecausedsimplybythefailureofdifferentpeoplestounderstandeachotheradequately.Indeed,evenifthatweretrue,theInternetcanalsobeusedtoadvocateconflict.Hatespeechandintoleranceflourishinitsmurkiercorners,wheregovernmentfindithardtointervene.AlthoughtheInternetundeniablyfosterscommunication,itwillnoputanendtowar.5.Butmightitreduceenergyconsumptionandpollution?TheCentreForEnergyandClimateSolutions,awashingtonthinktank,hasadvancejustsuchacase,basedlargelyonenergyconsumptionfiguresfor1997and1998.WhiletheAmericaneconomygrewby9%overthosetwoyears,energydemandwasalmostunchangedbecause,theCECSventures,theInternetcanturnpaperandCDsintoelectrons,andreplacetruckswithfibreopticcable.Nowonderenthusiasticnewspaperheadlinebegged,Shoponline--savetheearth.6.Sadly,earthsavingisharderthanthat.Certainly,shoppingonlinefromhomeisfarlesspollutingthatdrivingtoashoppingmall.Orderinggroceriesonlineandhavingthemdelivered,meansthat,ifthelogisticsarehandledefficiently,onetruckjourneycanreplacedozensoffamilies;separatecartrips.Readingnewspapers,magazinesandotherdocumentsonlineismoreefficientthanprintingandtransportingthemphysically.Yetdongthingsonlineismoreenergy--efficientonlyifitgenuinelydisplacesrealworldactivities.Ifpeopleshoponlineaswellasvisitingthebricksandmortarstore,theresultisanoverallincreaseinenergyconsumption.ThankstotheInternet,itisnoweasyforEuropeanstoorderboosandhavethemextravagantlyairfrightedfromAmericabeforetheyareavailableinEurope.Anditismoreefficienttoreaddocumentsonlineifdoingsoreplaces,ratherthanaddstotheamountofprintedbumf.7.Furthermore,asmoreandmoreofficesandhomesconnecttotheinternet,millionsofPCs,printers,serversandotherdevicesgobblesignificantquantitiesofenergy.Homecomputersarebecomingpartofthefabricofeverydaylife,andareincreasinglyleftswitchedonallthetime.onecontroversialassessmentconcludedthatfully8%ofelectricityconsumptioninAmericaisduetointernetconnectedcomputers.theconstructionofvastserverfarmswarehousesfullofcomputersandtheirattendantcoolingsystems---hascontributedtooverloadingoftheelectricalpowernetworkthathascausedbrown-outsinSiliconValley.8.Whataboutthebeliefthattheinternetwillreduceinequality?AccordingtoastudycarriedoutbyAmerica'sdepartmentofcommerce,householdswithannualincomesabove$75.000aremorethan20timesaslikelytohaveinternetaccesssathepooresthouseholds.BillClinton,struckbythedigitaldividebetweenrichandpoor,arguesthatuniversalintretnetaccesswouldhelptoreduceincomesinequality.9.But,asthecostofusingtheinternetcontinuestofall[servicesofferingfreeaccessarebecomingthenorm,andabasicPCcannowbehardforlittlemorethanavideorecorderoralargetelevision],thetruereasonforthedigitaldividebetweenrichandpoorwillbeocmeapparent.Thepoorarenotshunningtheinternetbecausetheycannotaffordit,theproblemisthatthelacktheskillstoexploititeffctively.Soitisdifficulttoseehowconnectingthepoortotheinternetwillimprovetheirfinances.itwouldmakemoresensetoaimforuniversalliteracythanuniversalinternetaccess.10.Yet,eveninthemoreludicrousclaimsfortheinternet,theremaybegermsoftruth.Thisopennetwork,sohardforgovernmenttocontrol,mayindeedhelptogivemorepowertoindividualcitizensandencouragedemocracies.Asdemocraticgovernmentsrarelyfighteachother,thatmightpromo