Unit 4 The Virtual World On the Text

Teaching Arrangement News Report Review Words and Phrases Warm-up On the Text Exercises Homework

News Report

Baidu ordered to overhaul its healthcare ads Chinese regulators demanded on Monday an overhaul of the healthcare advertisements displayed by the country's leading search engine Baidu. The demand came after the death of a young man who received experimental cancer treatment at a Beijing hospital. He found the treatment online. Baidu's Nasdaq-listed shares fell by more than 3 percent in morning trade on Monday following the ruling, Reuters reported. Investigators have also found that the hospital illegally outsourced its departments to a for-profit private company and published fake medical advertisements to lure patients. Wei Zexi, 21, a student from Shaanxi province, died from synovial sarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer on April 12. Since September, he had spent more than 200,000 yuan ($31,000) on a type of immunotherapy at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps, which he was recommended while searching for the disease on Baidu. Before he died, Wei denounced the company online as "evil" and warned other cancer patients "not to be cheated" in comments that went viral, drawing waves of criticism against the search engine. Baidu, the Chinese equivalent of Google, is listed on the Nasdaq exchange in New York and has a market capitalization of more than $60 billion, even after its shares fell heavily in the wake of the scandal.

Review Words and Expressions

What are the antonyms of “virtual world” and “virtual life”? Warm-up Questions: 反义词 What are the antonyms of “virtual world” and “virtual life”? Real world; real life 同义词 2. What are the synonyms of “virtual world”? Cyberspace, Internet world, Net world, etc.

virtual: 1) created and existing only in a computer virtual = cyber ▓ virtual university; ~ store; ~ community; ~ life 2) being or acting as what is described, but not accepted as such in name or officially Ms. Green is the virtual president of the company though his title is secretary. ▓ virtual = practical

What can people do on the Internet? Warm-up Questions What can people do on the Internet? Communicating with people, shopping, reading, learning, working, publishing, listening to the music, watching films, playing games, hacking, etc. hacking gain unauthorized access to the contents of a computerized storage system 私自存取 (hacker 黑客)

open one’s on-line access to a database 接通数据库作联机存取 Warm-up Questions 4. How can people live in the virtual world? By logging onto the web. logging onto open one’s on-line access to a database 接通数据库作联机存取 5. Do you like to surf the Internet? 6. How many hours do you surf on the Internet each week?

Homework – Prepare for the oral presentation 1.Well, some of us like to live a life in contact with real things and real people, but others favor a virtual existence. Which life is better? I’m sure you have different opinions. 2. After class, please get ready for the Presentation on the Writing Practice. 3. Now let’s read Text A to find out what Maia Szalavitz has to say about these two life styles.

Introductory Remarks Maia Szalavitz, formerly a television producer, now spends her time as a writer. In this essay she explores digital reality and its consequences. Along the way, she compares the digital world to the "real" world, acknowledging the attractions of the electronic dimension. 迈亚·塞拉维茨曾是电视制片人，目前从事写作。她在本文中探索了数字化世界及其后果。与此同时，她将数字化世界与真实世界做了比较，承认电子空间自有其魅力。

Text Organization: Part One: Part Two: Part Three: Part Four: Part Five: Part Six: Paragraph 1 Paragraph 2--3 Paragraph 4--10 Paragraph 11 Paragraph 12 Paragraph 13

Text A A Virtual Life 虚拟世界的生活

Let’s read the Part One first, and then come back for the content. Part One: Paragraph 1 The content of this part: The consequences of living a virtual life. Let’s read the Part One first, and then come back for the content. Go to Part Two:

Para.1-1 After too long on the Net, even a phone call can be a shock. 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. 在网上呆了太久，听到电话铃声也会吓一大跳。显示屏上看多了我男朋友那些一目了然的文字，他的利物浦口音一下子变得难以听懂；而秘书的清脆快速的语调听上去比我想象的要生硬。

He interpreted silence as contempt /admission. interpret: v. 1) understand or consider (used in the pattern: ~ … as / to be) 理解 He interpreted silence as contempt /admission. 2) give or provide the meaning of, explain (解释) How do you interpret his refusal to see us? ▓ ▓ I would interpret his silence as a refusal.

I’m sorry, but I don’t understand a word. Could you interpret for me? interpret: v. 3) translate what’s said in one language into another, usu. by speech 翻译, 口译 I’m sorry, but I don’t understand a word. Could you interpret for me? ▓ Other derivations: interpreter n. interpretation n.

周末原本是我一周的黄金时段，现在却不过是平平常常的两天。 not stable, or likely to change. Para.1-2 时间本身变得捉摸不定 Time itself becomes fluid---hours become minutes, or seconds stretch into days. Weekends, once a highlight of my week, are now just two ordinary days. highlight 几小时变成几分钟，或几秒钟延伸为几天。 （一周的）黄金时段 时间本身变得捉摸不定---几小时变成几分钟，或几秒钟延伸为几天。周末原本是我一周的黄金时段，现在却不过是平平常常的两天。 周末原本是我一周的黄金时段，现在却不过是平平常常的两天。

Rubber stretches easily. stretch the hat to fit his head stretch: 1) vt/vi. cause to become longer wider etc. without breaking 拉长；撑大； ▓ Rubber stretches easily. stretch the hat to fit his head 2) v /n. extend or thrust out (a limb or part of the body) and tighten the muscles 伸长，拉长，伸展，舒展，伸懒腰 He woke up, yawned and stretched (himself). She stretched (her arm) across the table for the vinegar. ▓ ▓ ▓ My working day stretches from 7 in the morning to 8 at night.

a long stretch of time 一段很长的时间 travel a hard stretch of road 走过一段难走的路程 stretch: 3) n. unbroken or continuous period of time or extent of country ▓ a long stretch of time 一段很长的时间 travel a hard stretch of road 走过一段难走的路程 at a stretch: without stopping; continuously 不停地，连续地 ▓

Part Two: Paragraph 2--3 The content of this part: Description of the author’s virtual life. Let’s do “Questions & Answers”:

Questions & Answers: 1. What did the author do three years ago? A television producer. 电视制片人 2. What is she doing now? She works as a telecommuter. 3. How does she work nowadays? Submitting articles and edit them via email.

Questions & Answers: 4. How does she manage her daily life? By communicating with colleagues on Internet mailing lists. Her daily life is computer-assisted, including the relationship between her and her boyfriend. Go to Part Two:

Para.2 For the last three years, since I stopped working as a television producer, I have done much of my work as a telecommuter. I submit articles and edit them via email and communicate with colleagues on Internet mailing lists. My boyfriend lives in England, so much of our relationship is also computer-assisted. 远程工作者 投稿和编辑 通过电子邮件 互联网上的人名地址 借助于电脑维系 assisted by computer

You should submit your report to the committee. submit: v. 1) give (sth.) to sb. so that it may be formally considered 提交 ▓ You should submit your report to the committee. 2) to cause oneself to yield or agree to obey 服从，顺从；降服于 (~ to) Our Chinese people will never submit to foreign rule. 决不屈从外国统治 Everybody should submit himself to the discipline. I’m going to submit an application for that job in Microsoft. ▓ ▓

我要是愿意的话，可以一连几个星期不出门而什么也不缺。 1996年那一场接一场的暴风雪我大都是在电视上看到的。 Para.3 （网上）订购食品 If I desired, I could stay inside for weeks without wanting anything. I can order food, and manage my money, love and work. In fact, at times I have spent as long as three weeks alone at home, going out only to get mail and buy newspapers and groceries. I watched most of the endless snowstorm of 96’ on TV. 网上恋爱、网上工作 网上理财 买报纸及日用品 取邮件 1996年那一场接一场的暴风雪我大都是在电视上看到的。 Go to Part Three:

Part Three: Paragraph 4--10 How does the author feel about the virtual life after staying on the Net for a while? Now , let’s read Part Three.

Para. 4 But after a while, life itself begins to feel unreal. I start to feel as though I've become one with my machines, taking data in, spitting them back out, just another link in the Net. Others on line report the same symptoms. We start to feel an aversion to outside forms of socializing. We have become the Net critics' worst nightmare. 与机器融为一体 receive data from others and send them out again. I am just like another link in the Net. 我就如同互联网的一个连接点。 其他上网的人 a strong feeling of dislike Paraphrase this sentence:

Paraphrase & translation: We have become the Net critics' worst nightmare. We have got into a situation that critics of the net describe as most dreadful. 我们的状况成了批评互联网的人们最害怕见到的一幕。

The earth takes in heat and light from the sun. take in: 1) absorb sth. into the body by breathing or swallowing 吸收 接受 收留； ▓ The earth takes in heat and light from the sun. 2) understand completely the meaning or importance of sth. 领会，理解; Could you understand what is said in class? I’m afraid you’ll have to review the notes before you can take it all in. 3) to deceive, cheat 欺骗 Don’t trust that fellow; he’ll take you in if he gets the chance. ▓ ▓

What are the usual symptoms of flu? ---- a cold, fever and headache. symptom n. change in the body that indicates an illness or sign of the existence of sth. bad 症状；征兆, 迹象 What are the usual symptoms of flu? ---- a cold, fever and headache. High interest rates are a symptom of weak economy. ▓ ▓

great enjoyment 高级享受 Para.5 What first seemed like a luxury, crawling from bed to computer, not worrying about hair, and clothes and face, has become a form of escape, a lack of discipline. And once you start replacing real human contact with cyber-interaction, coming back out of the cave can be quite difficult. 缺乏自律 escape from life 逃避生活 What does “cave” here refer to? 你一旦开始用网络交际取代人与人的真实接触，要走出这种穴居状态就会相当困难。 It refers figuratively to the isolated life of the virtual world.

replace: v. 1) 放回原处；2) 代替， 取代 replace A with B: 用 B 取代 A substitute B for A: 用 B 替代 A substitute for 替代；替换 substitute n. 替代品

interaction: n. 交往，相互作用 There is need for greater interaction among different departments. interact: v. 相互作用，相互影响; 互动 I hope you may interact more with me in class.

Para.6-1 I find myself shyer, more cautious, more on the contrary I find myself shyer, more cautious, more anxious. Or, conversely, when suddenly confronted with real live humans, I get overexcited, speak too much, interrupt. 我发现自己变得比以前怯生、谨慎、焦虑。或者，反过来，当我突然面对现实中活生生的人时，会变得过于兴奋，说个不停，爱打断别人的讲话。

confront: v. face (sth.) and try to deal with it （勇敢地）面对，正视 Parents often feel inadequate when (they are) confronted with the eager mind of a child. 当面临孩子强烈的求知欲时，父母们经常感到 力不从心。 ▓ 

Para.6-2 衣着是否得体 I constantly worry if I am dressed appro-priately, that perhaps I've actually for-gotten to put on a skirt and walked out-side in the T-shirt and underwear I sleep and live in. 我老是担心自己衣着是否得体，担心自己会不会真的忘了穿裙子，只穿着夜间睡觉、白天活动的那件T恤和内衣就出门了。

我发现自己沉浸在肥皂剧里，或者不停地收看最新的新闻报道和天气预报。 Para.7-1 Talk continuously （作为背景声音）一直响着 At times, I turn on the television and just leave it to talk away in the background, something that I'd never done previously. The voices of the programs are comforting, but then I'm jarred by the commercials. I find myself sucked in by soap operas, or needing to keep up with the latest news and the weather. bored, disturbed 我发现自己沉浸在肥皂剧里，或者不停地收看最新的新闻报道和天气预报。

but then: yet at the same time 但另一方面，然而 The method is good, but then it will take too much time. ▓ He got turned down for a promotion, but then he never expected to get it.

suck: v. 吸，吮; suck sb./sth. in / into 把…吞入；使…陷入 sb. is sucked in sth. I don’t want to get sucked into the debate about school reform.

keep up with: 1) opposite fall behind 跟上，不掉队 ▓ We should keep up with the rapidly developing situation. 2) learn about or be aware of (the news) 了解，随时知道 John didn’t bother to keep up with the news. His only concern was to study. Kate likes to keep up with the latest fashions. ▓ ▓

Work becomes less important. Para.7-2 “每日新闻” “一线新闻” “夜间新闻” 不同的视角 "Dateline," "Frontline," "Nightline," CNN, New York 1, every possible angle of every story over and over and over, even when they are of no possible use to me. Work moves into the background. I decide to check my email. 一遍又一遍地收看 每一条新闻 有线新闻电视网 纽约台一频道 Work becomes less important. 工作成了次要的。

angle: n. 1) space between two lines 角度 The two lines form an angle of 45 degrees. 2) point of view 观点 He has given an account of the problem from a new angle. ▓ ▓

Para.8-1 见谁攻谁，见人就骂 脾气暴躁 容易生气 On line, I find myself attacking everyone in sight. I am bad-tempered, and easily angered. I find everyone on my mailing list insensitive, believing that they've forgotten that there are people actually reading their wounding remarks. 麻木不仁 在网上，我发现自己见谁攻谁。我脾气暴躁，动辄生气。我觉得我与之通信的每一个人都麻木不仁，认为他们已经忘却还有人真会去读他们那些刻薄伤人的言辞。 刻薄伤人的言辞

in sight: 1) visible 看得见的 It was early in the morning and there wasn’t anyone in sight on campus. 2) likely to come soon 在望，在即 Two months passed and victory was not yet in sight. out of sight 消失，看不见了 at first sight 乍一看 at sight of （一）看见… catch sight of 瞥见，看见

sensitive: 敏感的，过敏的，易感的 (to) 灵敏的（仪器） insensitive: not able to feel unsympathetic to other people’s feelings 感觉迟钝的；麻木不仁的 sensitive: 敏感的，过敏的，易感的 (to) 灵敏的（仪器）

In his book there are some interesting remarks on the point. remark: n. thing said or written as a comment v. to say sth by way of comment ( ~ on /upon；make remarks on) n. 言辞，话语；v. 说，评述 In his book there are some interesting remarks on the point. The principal of the school made some remarks about educational reform at the meeting.

remark 我将很高兴听到你的意见。 I shall be pleased to have your remark. Her absence of hair could hardly escape remark. 她没有头发，免不了被人议论。 ▓  ▓ 

Para.8-2 I don't realize that I'm projecting until after I've been embarrassed by someone who politely points out that I've attacked her for agreeing with me. 直到有人礼貌地指出，她同意我的观点却遭到我的抨击时，我才意识到，自己是在以己度人，不由得深感尴尬。

You mustn’t project your guilt on to me. 你不要以为我也和你一样内疚。 project: v. imagine that others have (the same feelings, usu. unpleasant ones) as you (将自己的感情, 通常为不愉快的情绪) 投射给 别人, 以为别人也存在这样的感情，以己度人 You mustn’t project your guilt on to me. 你不要以为我也和你一样内疚。 ▓  He projects his own thoughts and ideas onto her. project a slide onto a screen 把幻灯片投射到银幕上 project a spotlight on a performer 把聚光灯对准演员 n. 规划，工程，方案

quarrel with my boyfriend 在这种精神状态下，我也和男朋友吵架，常因键出的对话缺乏情感暗示而误解他的本意。 Para.9 误解他的本意 When I'm in this state, I fight my boy-friend as well, misinterpreting his intentions because of the lack of emotional cues given by our typed dialogue. The fight takes hours, because the system keeps crashing. I say a line, then he does, then crash! And yet we keep on, doggedly. 缺乏情感暗示 键出的对话 在这种精神状态下，我也和男朋友吵架，常因键出的对话缺乏情感暗示而误解他的本意。 系统常出故障 由于系统常出故障，两人一争就是几个小时。我写一句，他回一句，接着系统失灵！可我们俩还是锲而不舍地接着吵。

Para.10 日常的生活起居 穿戴整齐去上班 I'd never realized how important daily routine is: dressing for work, sleeping normal hours. I'd never thought I relied so much on co-workers for company. I began to understand why long-term unemployment can be so damaging, why life without an externally supported daily plan can lead to higher rates of drug abuse, crime, suicide. 按时就寝 依赖同事做伴 difficult to bear 日常计划 会导致吸毒、犯罪、自杀率的增长。 Go to Part Four:

rely on/upon: depend on; put trust in reliable: 可靠的, 可信赖的 liable: likely 可能的

abuse: n./v : 1) wrong or excessive use 滥用 drug abuse; drink abuse Some government officials abuse their power /authority and throw their weight around. 2) cruel treatment 虐待 The police are making an investigation of child abuse.

Part Four: Paragraph 11 What is the next paragraph (Para. 11) mainly about ? What she does in trying to return to the real world.

恢复生活的平衡 Para.11 To restore balance to my life, I force myself back into the real world. I call people, arrange to meet with the few remaining friends who haven't fled New York City. I try to at least get to the gym, so as to set apart the weekend from the rest of my week. I arrange interviews for stories, doctor's appointments --- any-thing to get me out of the house and connected with others. Let’s analyze this paragraph. Go to Part Five:

Front topic: To restore balance to my life, I force myself back into the real world. call people, meet with friends, get to the gym, arrange interviews, and doctor's appointments. details: (I do) anything to get me out of the house and connected with others. End topic:

restore: bring back to a former condition used in the pattern: ~ sth.; ~ sb. to sth. Winning three games restored their confidence. Doing sports everyday restored the old man to good health. c.f. resume: start again ▓ ▓

arrange: n. prepare or plan used in the pattern: arrange sth.; arrange to do sth.; arrange for sb. to do sth. arrange books / a dinner / a meeting arrange to have dinner together arrange for us to have dinner together arrange for a car to pick us up arrange for sb. to go for a job interview interview sb. interviewer interviewee

flee from his country to another flee his country flee: vi/vt. run away flee from his country to another flee his country

appointment: n. an arrangement to meet sb. at a particular time appoint: v. 约定；任命，指派 He was appointed to investigate this matter.

Part Five: Paragraph 12 Does she feel happy when she returns to the real world? Why or why not? Read this part and you will find out: How she feels about the real world.

face to face with people 我重新回到我的公寓，冲向电脑，似乎那儿才是一个安全的地方。 Para.12 face to face with people 面对面地与人相处（打交道） 实在令人难以忍受 too much for me to bear But sometimes being face to face is too much. I see a friend and her ringing laughter is intolerable --- the noise of conversation in the restaurant, unbear-able. I make my excuses and flee. I re-enter my apartment and run to the computer as though it were a place of safety. 刺耳的笑声 噪杂谈话声 我找了个藉口逃之夭夭。 我重新回到我的公寓，冲向电脑，似乎那儿才是一个安全的地方。 Go to Part Six:

intolerable: adj. too bad to be endured tolerate: v. 容忍，忍受 tolerance: n. 容忍；忍受；宽容；容许偏差，公差 tolerant: adj. 容忍的，宽容的

Part Six: Paragraph 13 What does she do then? Return to her computer, click on the modem, enter her virtual world again.

Para.13 I click on the modem, the once-annoying sound of the connection now as pleasant as my favorite tune. I enter my password. The real world disappears. 我点击鼠标，打开调制解调器，曾经听了就烦的连接声此刻听起来就如同最心爱的曲子那么悦耳。我键入密码。真实世界转瞬便消逝了。 Homework for Text A:

C.f.: tune, tone tune: n. a series of musical notes that is pleasant and easy to remember 调子，曲调 v. 调音，收台（调整频道）~ in / to tone: n. a particular quality or intonation of the voice 语调，语气; 风格，特性

C.f.: accent, dialect accent: individual, local, or national way of pronouncing 口音 He has a strong southern accent. dialect: a variety of a language spoken in one part of a country, which is different in some words, grammar or pronunciation from other forms of the same language. 方言 Yangzhou dialect is difficult to under-stand to some Northern people. ▓ ▓

C.f.: pronunciation, intonation pronunciation: way in which a language is spoken or way a person speaks 发音（方式） intonation: rise and fall of the pitch of the voice in speaking 语音语调（升、降） My English pronunciation and intonation are not good, but they are improving. ▓

Homework: Read the text carefully and find out some strange phenomena caused by long time on line, and analyze their specific reasons. What changes have taken place? The narrator’s desire for ordinary life, her efforts to the real world, her real life feeling, and her final decision. Summarize the text according to the above clues.

Homework: List words and expressions, in the text, which are related to computer and the Internet.

Homework: Writing Internet (1) 1. 有些人认为因特网会使人们相互疏远。 2. 有些人认为因特网不会使我们相互疏远。 3. 我的看法。

Homework: Writing Internet (2) 1) 随着科技的进步，网络成了人们生活中重要 的一部分。 2) 但是网络也带来了很多问题。 3) 我的看法。