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Unit 4 The Virtual World
Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all. ——John F. Kennedy 人类依然是各类计算机中最出类拔萃的。——约翰·F·肯尼迪
Detailed Reading
Ⅰ. Difficult Sentences
1. (LL. 1~4) My boyfriend’s Liverpool accent suddenly becomes impossible to interpret after his easily understood words on screen: a secretary’s clipped tone seems more rejecting than I’d imagined it would be.
What does the sentence imply?
(=I have become more familiar with the virtual world than the real world.)
2. (LL. 20~21) We have become the Net critics’ worst nightmare. Paraphrase the sentence.
(=We have got into a situation that critics of the Net describe as most dreadful.)
3. (LL. 24~25) And once you start replacing real human contact with cyber-interaction, coming back out of the cave can be quite difficult.
1. What does “cyber-interaction” mean?
(=“Cyber-” is a prefix which means “of the computer”. “Cyber-interaction” means the contact with the computer.)
2. What does “cave” here refer to?
(=“Cave” here refers figuratively to the isolated life of the virtual world.) 3. Paraphrase the second part of the sentence.
(=Returning to normal society from the isolated life of the virtual world can be quite a problem.)
4. (LL. 31~32) At times, I turn on the television and just leave it to talk away in the background, something that I’d never done previously. Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(=有时我把电视机开着，让它作为背景声音一直响着，以前我从不这样做。)
5. (LL. 35~37) “Dateline,” “Frontline,” “Nightline,” CNN, New York1, every possible angle of every story over and over and over, even when they are of no possible use to me.
Give the Chinese equivalents for “Dateline”, “Frontline”, “Nightline”, “CNN”, “New York1”. (=“每日新闻”、“一线新闻”、“夜间新闻”、“有线新闻电视网”、“纽约一套”。)
6. (L. 37) Work moves into the background. 1. What does this sentence mean?
(=It means work becomes less important.) 2. Why does work become less important?
(=Because in my mind’s eye, communicating with the real world has become more important at
that time.)
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7. (LL. 45~46) When I’m in this state, I fight my boyfriend as well, misinterpreting his intention because of the lack of emotional cues given by our typed dialogue. Why do I misinterpret my boyfriend’s intention?
(=Because the typed dialogue lacks the emotion that is expressed and implied in the real dialogue.)
8. (LL. 57~59) I arrange interview for stories, doctor’s appointments—anything to get me out of the house and connected with others. What does “story” here refer to?
(=“Story” here refers to any descriptive article in a newspaper or an event, a situation, etc. suitable
for such an article.)
Ⅱ. Words and Expressions
1. (标题) virtual: adj.
1) created and existing only in a computer
*I can visit a virtual store and put what I want in my basket at the click of a mouse button.
*Some people spend too much time escaping from reality into the virtual world conjured up on their computer screens.
2) almost what is stated; in fact though not in name *The officials hear this kind of talk in virtual silence.
*国王处处都受王后的影响，以至于王后成了国家实际上的统治者。
(=The king was so much under the influence of his wife that she was the virtual ruler of the country.)
2. (L. 2) interpret: v.
1) understand (sth. said, ordered, or done) *The gift is generally interpreted as a bribe.
*She made a gesture, which he chose to interpret as an invitation.
2) give or provide the meaning of, explain 诗有助于阐述人生的意义。 (=Poetry helps to interpret life.)
*The evidence is difficult to interpret.
3) translate what is said in one language into another
(=No one in the tour group spoke Spanish so we had to ask the guide to interpret.)
3. (L. 5) stretch: v. (cause to) become longer, wider, etc. without breaking *My wool coat stretched when I washed it.
*The child stretched the rubber band to its full extent.
*你已经使我忍无可忍了。
(=You are stretching my patience to limit.)
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4. (L. 8) submit: vt.
1) give (sth.) to sb. so that it may be formally considered
*I am going to submit an application for that job in Microsoft.
*Peter submitted his application to the local government.
2) yield (oneself); agree to obey
*Should a wife submit herself to her husband?
*We should submit ourselves to discipline.
Collocation:
submit oneself to 甘受, 服从 submit to 服从于；把…提交给… submit willingly 心悦诚服
5. (L. 9) edit: vt. revise or correct
*Scholars often edit Shakespeare’s plays.
(=John didn’t finish editing the annual report until the end of last month.)
6. (L. 9) communicate:
1. vi. contact sb. in any way, eap. by speaking to them, writing to them or calling them (followed
by with)
*We can communicate with people in most parts of the world by telephone.
*年轻人有时抱怨无法与父母沟通思想。
(=Young people sometimes complain of not being able to communicate with their parents.)
2. vt. make (news, opinions, feelings, etc.) known
*The radio stations communicate the storm warnings to the islanders.
*She communicated her ideas to her subordinates.
7. (L. 13) at times: sometimes
*At times, I feel that I want to leave this job.
8. (L. 18) take in: 1) receive, admit 2) include
3) make (clothes) narrower 4) understand 5) deceive
6) see at a glance; see at once
(Directions:) Match the above definitions with the sentences below.
1. The dress was too big, so I took it in. (=3) 2. I didn’t take in what you were saying. (=4)
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3. She took in every details of the other woman’s clothes. (=6)
4. Do you mean we should get rid of the stale and take in the fresh? (=1) 5. Don’t be taken in by her promises (=5)
6. This is the total cost of the trip, taking in everything. (=2)
Collocation: take after 仿效，跟随；相象，在相貌、脾气或性格上相似 take apart 拆开 take back 收回（所说的或所写的事） take down 拿下，放下 take for 把…视作；误认为 take off 脱掉（衣服等）；起飞 take on 从事；开始对付： take out 取出；弄走 take over 接管 take up 举起；再次开始
9. (L. 18) spit: vt. send (liquid, food, etc.) out from the mouth (used in the pattern: spit sth.(out)
(at/on/onto sb./sth.))
*He’s very ill and spitting (up) blood.
*The baby spat its food out on the table.
*他气呼呼地作了答复。
(=He angrily spat out her answer.)
10. (L. 19) symptom: n.
1) sign of the existence of sth. bad
*The Government must not ignore these symptoms of discontent among their own supporters.
(=High interest rates are a symptom of a weak economy.)
2) change in the body that indicates an illness
*A cold, fever and headache are the usual symptoms of flu.
*持续地咳嗽可能是非典型性肺炎的症状。
(=A persistent cough may be a symptom of atypical pneumonia.)
11. (L. 21) nightmare: n. a terrible dream
*Driving through that snowstorm was a nightmare.
*I had a nightmare about falling off the skyscraper.
12. (L. 26) conversely: adv. in a way that is opposite to sth.
*$1 will buy 100 yen worth of Japanese goods. Conversely, 100 yen will buy $1 worth of American goods.
*You can add the fluid to the powder or, conversely, the powder to the fluid.
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13. (L. 33) but then: yet at the same time
*The failure of China’s soccer team looks inevitable. But then, anything can happen in football.
*这个马戏团并不出色，不过观众的要求也并不高。
(=The circus was not a very good one, but then, the audience was not demanding.)
14. (L. 33) jar: v. have a harsh or an unpleasant effect (used in the pattern: jar sth., jar on sb./sth.)
*The fall jarred every bone in my body.
(=The way he laughs jars on me.)
15. (L. 34) suck in: (usu. passive) involve (sb.) in an activity, an argument, etc., usu. against their will
*Some teenagers don’t want to get involved with gangs, but they find themselves getting sucked in.
*我不想卷入有关学校改革的辩论。
(=I don’t want to get sucked into the debate about school reform.)
16. (L. 34) keep up with:
1) learn about or be aware of ( the news, etc.)
*Carrie likes to keep up with the latest fashions.
*He didn’t bother to keep up with the latest news. His only concern was to study.
2) move at the same rate as
*My salary doesn’t keep up with inflation.
*他请了位家庭教师，因为他的功课跟不上班上其他同学。
(=He hired a tutor because he wasn’t able to keep up with the rest of the class.)
17. (L. 39) in sight: 1) visible
*No vehicle is in sight.
*哪儿也见不到他。 (=He is nowhere in sight.)
2) likely to come soon
(=Peace was in sight at last after four years of war.)
*An immediate agreement is nowhere in sight.
Collocation: lose sight of 看不见；失去联系；忘记；没有考虑到 out of sight 看不到，不被看到
全汇总整编大学英语2（第二版）UNIT4语言学习知识重点
