研究生英语2.doc

Unit two What the Internet Cannot Do Introduction This essay is a piece of argumentation. An argument is a reasoned, logical way of demonstrating that your position, belief, or conclusion is valid. One purpose of argument is to persuade reasonable people to agree with your position. Another is simply to defend your position, to establish its soundness even if others cannot be persuaded to agree. A third purpose of argumentation is to attack some position you believe to be misguided, untrue, or evil, without necessarily offering an alternative of your own. In a good essay of this type, enough evidence should be given to support your arguments. Addressing the claims of the opposition is also an important component in building a convincing argument. It demonstrates your credibility as a writer - you have researched multiple sides of the argument and have come to an informed decision. In this essay, the authors purpose is to argue against the claims that the Internet can help to eradicate some intrinsic social problems. The authors arguments in this essay are objective and convincing. The arguments have been presented in a clear, logical way. At the beginning of the essay, the author puts forward the counterargument that Internet can help to solve many problems including war, pollution, and inequality. He then argues against such claims by illustrating the limits of the Internet in solving these problems. Next the author makes a concession by explaining the germs of truth in those claims. Finally he draws the conclusion that the Internet, the same as other technologies, is not a panacea that can solve all the intrinsic problems of human society. In the process of arguing he cites a great deal of evidence to support his points. For example, the evidence that brown-outs in Silicon Valley has been caused by Internet-connected server farms is given to show that the Internet can not help to reduce energy consumption. Language Points1. prejudice, bias, intolerance, bigotry (Para. 1): All these words are used to describe the unreasonable dislike and distrust of people who are different from you in some way. Prejudice is an unreasonable dislike of or preference for a person, group, belief, etc., especially when it is based on their race, religion, sex, etc. Examples: Kids looking for work around here come face to face with the prejudices of local employers. Unfortunately there is still a great deal of prejudice against unmarried mothers. Bias is a tendency to treat one group of people less fairly than another, based on your dislike of people whose ideas, beliefs, etc., are different from yours. Examples:Most western history books are written with a strong bias against non-European nations.The way to avoid bias in newspapers is to try to show all sides of the story.Intolerance is unreasonable refusal to accept that other people have the right to have beliefs or customs that are different from yours.Examples:Religious intolerance has always been a major cause of war.The ban on political meetings strongly reflects the regimes intolerance of any views other than its own.Bigotry is a completely unreasonable hatred for people of a different race, religion, etc., based on strong and fixed opinions that no one can change.Examples:Gay people face a constant struggle against bigotry.Religious bigotry has caused the death of thousands of people in Northern India.2. hostility, objection, opposition, antagonism (Para. 1): These words are all used to describebehavior that show that you are against something. Hostility is angry remarks or behavior that show someone opposes a plan or idea very strongly. Examples: Recently there has been hostility towards the Prime Minister from members of his own party. Given his public hostility, it seemed pointless to try and continue with the plan. Objection is something that you say because you oppose one particular detail of a plan, course of action, etc. Examples: My only objection is that the program will be very expensive. Ronny had no objection of the plan, provided Fielding agreed to take most of the responsibility. Opposition is used to describe things that an organized group of people do over a period of time, in order to oppose a plan or idea. Examples: There was strong opposition to the sale of more land to developers. Thousands of people gathered in the towns stadium to express their opposition to the plan. Antagonism is used to describe angry and unpleasant feelings or behavior that show someone dislikes and disagrees very strongly with a person, organization, plan or idea. Examples: Their constant and bitter antagonism has made it very difficult for us to proceed with the project. These moves have failed to end the antagonism between the leaders of the party and its more left-wing members.3. eradicate, eliminate, root out, stamp out (Para. 1): These words all mean to stop an activity that is harmful, illegal, or unacceptable. Eradicate is to completely get rid of something harmful such as an illness, a social problem, or something that causes these things. Examples: The disease has been eradicated from the Western World using vaccines. The President claims he will have eradicated poverty in the country within five years. Eliminate is to completely get rid of something that is unnecessary or unwanted. Examples: Under the agreement all trade barriers between the U.S. and Canada will be eliminated. Recent advances in medical science have eliminated the need for most patients to spend long periods in hospital. Root out is to search for all examples of a problem in a very determined way, and completely get rid of it. Examples: The new president has promised to root out high-level corruption. He spent his life trying to root out discrimination and prejudice. Stamp out is to completely stop an illegal or harmful activity by making a very determined effort. Examples: We are determined to stamp out prostitution in this neighborhood. The police have introduced new measures to help stamp out violence on the citys streets.4. enthrall (Para. 1): If something enthralls you, it is so interesting, beautiful, etc., that you give it all your attention. Examples: The child watched, enthralled by the bright moving images: We listened enthralled as she told us the stories of her life in the circus.5. exuberant (Para. 1): full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy Examples: The companys dancers executed an exuberant performance confronting social conflicts. To feel sad and depressed is an undesirable life; to feel exuberant and full of zest is the way life ought to be lived.6. guru, counselor, consultant (Para. 2): All these words mean someone who gives advice. Guru is someone who is highly respected within their area of work, and to whom people go for advice. Examples: Peter Drucker, the management guru, has just published a new book. It soon became apparent that Colin was the guru of the whole department. Counselor is someone who gives professional advice to people, especially about personal problems. Examples: I never realized you were so depressed. Have you been to see a counsellor?Each child in the summer camp can see a trained counselor if they have any problems. Consultant is someone who gives special technical advice to companies or other organizations. Examples: Hes left his job as a computer programmer and is working as a consultant on language with one of the national press agencies. Booth is a consultant on language with one of the national press agencies.7. stave off (Para. 2): prevent something bad from affecting you for a period of time; delay somebody/something Examples: We have enough food to stave off hunger pains. The company managed to stave off bankruptcy for another few months.8. flare-up (Para. 2): a sudden expression of angry or violent feeling Examples: The latest flare-up in Georgian-Russian tension began in late July, when Russian border troops intercepted groups of Chechen fighters attempting to cross the Georgian-Russian frontier. The biblical standard allows for some flare-ups of anger, but does not allow for hanging on to anger.9. avert (Para. 2): prevent something bad or dangerous from happening Examples: He did his best to avert suspicion. Accidents can be averted by careful driving.10. obsolete, out of date, antiquated (Para. 3): All these are words for describing old-fashioned machines, equipment, or methods. Obsolete is a word for describing machines or equipment that are no longer useful because they have been replaced by something newer and better. Examples: Large stockpiles of obsolete weapons are to be scrapped. Many animals have developed adaptive mechanisms to deal with cold weather. Out of date is used to describe information, knowledge, laws, etc., that are no longer useful because they belong to the past and have not been changed to make them modem. Examples: This guide book is five years old; it must be very out of date. A significant proportion of what children are studying at school will be out of date within the space of a few years. Antiquated is used to describe something very old and old-fashioned and no longer suitable for modem use. Examples: My mothers antiquated old vacuum cleaner still works, believe it or not. The countrys power stations are antiquated and 10 new ones have to be built.11. . since they would be vulnerable to attack from the air. (Para. 3): . since it would be easy to attack the armies from the air after aeroplanes were invented. Here vulnerable means a person or place that is easy to attack. Examples: The tanks positions made them vulnerable to enemy gunfire.Ground floor windows are particularly vulnerable and secure locks should be fitted.12. After the First World War has dispelled such notions, it was the turn of radio. (para.3) What happened during World War I shattered such beliefs and then people started to shift their hope to radio. Here dispel means to make something, especially a feeling or belief, go away or disappear. Examples: His speech dispelled any fears about his health. The managing director calm words dispelled the clerks fears for their future with the company being cut down.13. intrinsic (Para. 3) belonging to part of the nature of something/somebody Examples: These tasks were repetitive, lengthy and lacking any intrinsic interest. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the idea.14. once and for all (Para. 3): now and for the last time; finally or completely Examples: We need to settle this once and for all. Johns back home once and for all; he wont go away again.15. advocate, be in favor of (Para. 4): These words can both mean to want a person, group, or plan to succeed. Advocate is to support a course of action or way of doing something that you yourself have suggested. Examples: Some extremists are now openly advocating violence. The British government publicly advocated a policy of non-cooperation with European fishing fleets. Be in favor of means to support a plan or a suggested course of action. Examples: Most U.N. delegates are in favor of the new peace plan. Although more congressmen voted in favor of the legislation than opposed it, it did not become law. 16. Hate speech and intolerance flourish in its murkier corners . (Para. 4): Here flourish means to develop quickly and be common. Examples: Few businesses are flourishing in the present economic climate.These plants flourish in a damp climate. Here murky means dark, dim, or gloomy. Examples: Rain poured down from the murky skies. He had a somewhat murky past.17. intervene (Para. 4): become involved in a difficult situation, especially a quarrel or a war between other people or countries, in order to find an answer to the problem, stop the fighting, etc. Examples: The referee intervened when two of the players began to fight. The U.N. was not authorized to intervene in a countrys internal affairs.18. put an end to (Para. 4): stop something, especially so that it never starts again Examples: The police put an end to her ordeal when they burst into the house and overpowered her kidnapper. Amnesty International is an organization whose goal is to put an end to oppression and suffering throughout the world.19. replace, renew, substitute (Para. 6): These verbs are compared as they mean to turn someone or something out and place another in his, her, or its stead. Replace means to put something new in the place of something old, damaged, or broken. Examples: Your cars in good condition, but you ought to replace the spare tire. Before we move in, the place has to be redecorated and all the carpets replaced. Renew means to replace something, such as a piece of machinery or equipment, after it has been used for a certain length of time and is damaged or likely to be damaged. Examples: It is wise to renew your water filter every month, even though it may seem to be working satisfactorily. You should check the engine carefully, renewing any parts that are worn or damaged. Substitute is to replace something old or broken with something different, often something less satisfactory. Examples: I had no more scissors, so I had to substitute the blunt ones with a knife. When the chain broke, he substituted an old piece of rope until something more suitable could be found.20. displace (Para. 6): take the place of; supplant Examples: I dont want to be displaced by that young fool. Gradually factory workers have been displaced by machines.21. If people shop online as well as visiting the bricks-and-mortar store, . (Para. 6): If people do their shopping at stores in the traditional way and also shop online . Here bricks-and-mortar is used to stress the difference between traditional shopping and online shopping.22. extravagant, spendthrift (Para. 6): Both the two are words for describing someone who spends a lot of money carelessly. Extravagant means spending more money than you can afford on expensive things that you do not really need. Examples: All the children had new clothes, bought by their extravagant parents specially for the occasion. It was terribly extravagant of you to buy five bottles of champagne; two would have been plenty. Spendthrift is a word used especially in literature meaning someone who spends money carelessly even when they know that they do not have much money. Examples: John was careful with his money but his brother was a real spendthrift. I remember my father as a spendthrift - generous and impulsive. 23. rather than adds to the amount of printed bumf (Para. 6): Here add to means to increase. Examples: The bad weather only added to our difficulties. Fireworks added to the attraction of the festival night. Here bumf means printed matter, such as pamphlets, forms, or memorandums, especially of an official nature and deemed of little interest or importance. Example: He threw away my letter, thinking it was just more election bumf. 24 . gobble significant quantities of energy. (Para. 7): Here gobble means to use something quickly. Examples: We gobbled up the enemy. Hotel costs gobbled up most of their holiday budget. 25. attendant (Para. 7): closely connected with something that has just been mentioned Examples: We had all the usual problems attendant upon starting a new business. Hunger, famine and malnutrition and their attendant diseases are major public health issues in the West African sub-Saharan semi-arid zone known as the Sahel. 26. contribute to (Para. 7): increase, improve or add to something Examples: Immigrants have contributed to British culture in many ways.This book contributes little to our understanding of the subject.27 . households with annual incomes above $75,000 are more than 20 times as likely to have Internet access as the poorest households. (Para. 8): Families with annual incomes above $75,000 are 20 times more likely to have Internet access than the poorest families.28. shun, reject, rebuff (Para. 9): These words all mean to refuse to accept, recognize, or give affection to. Shun means to refuse to accept or be friendly with someone because they are different from you in some way or they have done something you disapprove of. Examples: Richard knew he was likely to be shunned by the other students in the class. When the truth emerged about her husband being in prison, the neighbors shunned her and talked about her behind her back. Reject means to refuse to speak or listen to someone who wants to be friendly with you or wants to help you. Examples: Samantha had consistently rejected all Bobs offer to help. Little Paul adores his mother, and yet she always rejects him. Rebuff means to reject someones friendly invitation or offer in an unpleasan