新编英语教程 4 Unit 5 拓展知识

Furtherdevelopment•1.AboutBillGates•Biography•WilliamH.GatesChairmanandChiefExecutiveOfficerMicrosoftCorporationWilliam(Bill)H.GatesIIIisco-founder,chairmanandchiefexecutiveofficerofMicrosoftCorporation,theworld'sleadingproviderofsoftwareforpersonalcomputers.•BillGateswasbornonOctober28,1955.HeandhistwosistersgrewupinSeattle.Theirfather,WilliamH.GatesII,isaSeattleattorney.MaryGates,theirlatemother,wasaschoolteacher,UniversityofWashingtonregentandchairwomanofUnitedWayInternational.•GatesattendedpublicelementaryschoolbeforemovingontotheprivateLakesideSchoolinNorthSeattle.ItwasatLakesidethatGatesbeganhiscareerinpersonalcomputersoftware,programmingcomputersatage13.•In1973,GatesenteredHarvardUniversityasafreshman,whereheliveddownthehallfromSteveBallmer,whoisnowMicrosoft'spresident.WhileatHarvard,GatesdevelopedaversionoftheprogramminglanguageBASICforthefirstmicrocomputer-theMITSAltair.BASICwasfirstdevelopedbyJohnKemenyandThomasKurtzatDartmouthCollegeinthemid-1960s.Inhisjunioryear,GatesdroppedoutofHarvardtodevotehisenergiesfull-timetoMicrosoft,acompanyhehadstartedin1975withhisboyhoodfriendPaulAllen.Guidedbyabeliefthatthepersonalcomputerwouldbeavaluabletooloneveryofficedesktopandineveryhome,theybegandevelopingsoftwareforpersonalcomputers.•Gates'foresightandvisionregardingpersonalcomputinghavebeencentraltothesuccessofMicrosoftandthesoftwareindustry.GatesisactivelyinvolvedinkeymanagementandstrategicdecisionsatMicrosoft,andplaysanimportantroleinthetechnicaldevelopmentofnewproducts.MuchofhistimeisdevotedtomeetingwithcustomersandstayingincontactwithMicrosoftemployeesaroundtheworldthroughe-mail.•UnderGates'leadership,Microsoft'smissioniscontinuouslytoadvanceandimprovesoftwaretechnology,andtomakeiteasier,morecost-effectiveandmoreenjoyableforpeopletousecomputers.Thecompanyiscommittedtoalong-termview,whichisreflectedinitsinvestmentofsome$2.6billionforresearchanddevelopmentduringthecurrentfiscalyear.•In1995GateswroteTheRoadAhead,hisvisionofwhereinformationtechnologywilltakesociety.Co-authoredbyNathanMyhrvold,Microsoft'schieftechnologyofficer,andPeterRinearson,TheRoadAheadheldtheNo.1spotontheNewYorkTimes'bestsellerlistforsevenweeks,andremainedonthelistforatotalof18weeks.Publishedinmorethan20countries,thebooksoldmorethan400,000copiesinChinaalone.•In1996,whilestrategicallyredeployingMicrosofttotakeadvantageoftheemergingopportunitiescreatedbytheInternet,GatesthoroughlyrevisedTheRoadAheadtoreflecthisviewthatinteractivenetworksareamajormilestoneinhumancommunication.Thepaperbacksecondeditionalsohasbecomeabestseller.Gatesisdonatinghisproceedsfromthebooktoanon-profitfundthatsupportsteachersworldwidewhoareincorporatingcomputersintotheirclassrooms.•Inadditiontohispassionforcomputers,Gatesisinterestedinbiotechnology.HesitsontheboardoftheICOSCorporationandisashareholderinChiroscienceGroupoftheUnitedKingdomanditswhollyownedsubsidiary,ChiroscienceR&DInc.(formerlyDarwinMolecular)ofBothell,Wash.HealsofoundedCorbisCorporation,whichisdevelopingoneofthelargestresourcesofvisualinformationintheworld-acomprehensivedigitalarchiveofartandphotographyfrompublicandprivatecollectionsaroundtheglobe.•GatesalsohasinvestedwithcellulartelephonepioneerCraigMcCawinTeledesic,acompanythatisworkingonanambitiousplantolaunchhundredsoflow-orbitsatellitesaroundtheEarthtoprovideaworldwidetwo-waybroadbandtelecommunicationsservice.•InthedozenyearssinceMicrosoftwentpublic,Gateshasdonatedmorethan$800milliontocharities,including$200milliontotheGateslibraryFoundationtohelplibrariesinNorthAmericatakeadvantageofnewtechnologiesandtheInformationAge.In1994GatesestablishedtheWilliamH.GatesFoundation,whichsupportsavarietyofinitiativesofparticularinteresttoGatesandhisfamily.ThefocusofGates'philanthropyisinfourareas:education;worldpublichealthandpopulation;non-profit,civicandartsorganizations;andPugetSound-areacapitalcampaigns.•BillandMelindaFrenchGatesweremarriedonJanuary1,1994.Theyhavenowthreechildren,oneisJenniferKatharineGates,whowasbornin1996;andasonRoryJohnGates,bornin1999andadaughter,PhoebeAdelleGates,bornin2002.•Chronology•In2000GatesresignedasCEOofMicrosofttospendmoreonsoftwarearchitectureandlesswithrunningthecompany•Honorsandawards•2-03-2005BillGatesknightedbyQueenElizabethIIforhiscontributiontotheBritisheconomy.Histitlewillbe'KnightCommanderoftheOrderoftheBritishEmpire'.Thoughheisnotallowedtocallhimself'Sir'becauseofhisUSAcitizenshipbutmaysuffixhisnamewithKBE.2.SomeinfoaboutTimBerners-LeeBornJune8,1956,inLondon•1976GraduatesfromQueen’sCollege,Oxford.•1980WhileatCERN,writes“Enquire”•1989Proposesglobalhypertextprojectcalled“WorldWideWeb”•1991TheWebdebutsontheInternet•1993UniversityofIllinoisreleasesMosaicbrowser•1994JoinsMassachusettsInstituteofTechnologytodirecttheW3Consortium•1999Todaynearly150millionpeoplelogontotheInterneteachweek