四、网络与计算机
TEXT 38
Something is amiss among today's youth. According to San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge, to the question“Do you have a psychological disorder（depression, etc.）? ”the percentage of college students born in 1995 and after（the Internet Generation, or iGen）answering affirmatively rose between 2012 and 2016. For men, the figure increased from 2.7 to 6.1 percent and for women from 5.8 to 14.5 percent.
Twenge attributes the malaise primarily to the widespread use of social media and electronic devices, noting a positive correlation between the use of digital media and mental health problems. Revealingly, she also reports a negative correlation between lower rates of depression and higher rates of time spent on sports and exercise, in-person social interactions, doing homework, attending religious services, and consuming print media, such as books and magazines. Two hours a day on electronic devices seems to be the cutoff, after which mental health declines, particularly for girls who spend more time on social media, where fear of missing out and fear of being left out take their toll.
In search of a deeper cause of this problem—along with that of the campus focus of the past several years involving safe spaces, microaggressions and trigger warnings—Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt argue in their book The Coddling of the American Mind that iGeners have been influenced by their overprotective“helicoptering”parents and by a broader culture that prioritizes emotional safety above all else.
Believing that conflicts will make you weaker, that emotions are a reliable guide for responding to environmental stressors instead of reason and that when things go wrong, it is the fault of evil people, not you, iGeners are now taking those unwholesome attitudes into the workplace and political sphere. “Social media has channeled partisan passions into the creation of a‘callout culture'; anyone can be publicly shamed for saying something well-intentioned that someone else interprets uncharitably, ”the authors explain. “New-media platforms and outlets allow citizens to retreat into self-confirmatory bubbles, where their worst fears about the evils of the other side can be confirmed and amplified by extremists and cyber trolls intent on sowing discord and division. ”
Kids today are being socialized to think they're fragile snowflakes. Solutions? “Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child”is the first folk aphorism Lukianoff and Haidt rec ommend parents and educators adopt. Such prescription may sound simplistic, but its effects are measurable in everything from personal well-being to societal harmony.
1.The“malaise”（Para. 2）refers to ________.
[A]the positive answer from college students
[B]the conclusion reached by psychologists
[C]the depressive episode youth experience
[D]the greater suffering of women than men
2.Which of the following is NOT true according to the study？
[A]Reading books helps young people to cope mentally.
[B]Overuse of electronic devices harms mental health.
[C]Girls use social media a daily average of two hours.
[D]More face-to-face communication has mental benefits.
3.A“callout culture”is one in which ________.
[A]a person shares his joys and pains with others
[B]a person stands out to speak in defense of another
[C]a culture is spoiled by overuse of social media
[D]social pressure can be relieved in harmless ways
4.Which of the following pieces of advice might be right for iGeners？
[A]Always trust your feelings.
[B]What doesn't kill you makes you weaker.
[C]Life is a battle between good and evil people.
[D]Take things as they happen naturally.
5.Young people today are brought up to ________.
[A]be more emotionally unstable
[B]be less capable of critical thinking
[C]take too many things for granted
[D]addict themselves to extremist ideas
考研必备词汇
1.amiss/ə ˈmis/a．有差错的，有毛病的
2.affirmatively/ə ˈfəːmətivli/ad．肯定地；断然地
3.figure/ ˈfiɡə/n．形象，形体；图形，人物；数字
4.attribute/ə ˈtribj uːt/vt．把……归因于
5.malaise/mæ ˈleiz/n．小病；莫名其妙的不安
6.correlation/ˈkɔri ˈleiʃən/n．相关性
7.interaction/ˈintər ˈækʃən/n．互动，交流；相互作用
8.religious/r ˈi lidʒəs/a．宗教的
9.miss out 错过，遗漏
10.take a/one's toll 遭受损失（毁坏等）
11.trigger/ ˈtriɡə/n．（枪）扳机；触发（物）
12.helicopter/ ˈhelikɔptə/v．乘直升机
13.prioritize/pra ˈiɔrətaiz/vt．优先处理；优先安排
14.conflict/ ˈkɔnflikt/n．冲突，对抗
15.stressor/ ˈstresə/n．引起紧张的事物
16.unwholesome/ˈʌn ˈhəulsəm/a．有害健康的
17.partisan/ˈpɑːti ˈzæn/a．党派的，帮派的
18.interpret/in ˈtəːprit/vt．解释，解读；口译
19.uncharitably/ʌn ˈtʃæritəbli/ad．无慈悲心地；无善意地
20.platform/ ˈplætfɔːm/n．讲台；月台；平台；纲领，政纲
21.outlet/ ˈautlet/n．出口；（情绪）发泄口；发行渠道
22.retreat/ri ˈtriːt/vt．退却，撤退
23.bubble/ ˈbʌbl/n．泡，泡沫
24.amplify/ ˈæmplifai/vt．放大，扩大
25.extremist/iks ˈtriːmist/n．极端（过激）分子
26.cyber/ ˈsaibə/a．计算机（网络）的
27.intent/in ˈtent/a．专心的，专注的
28.sow/səu/vt．播种；传播
29.discord/ ˈdiskɔːd/n．不和谐；不一致
30.socialize/ ˈsəuʃəlaiz/vt．使社会化；与……交往
31.fragile/ ˈfrædʒail/a．易碎的；脆弱的
32.snowflake/ ˈsnəufleik/n．雪花
33.prescription/pri ˈskripʃən/n．药方；规定；规范
34.well-being 健康，幸福
35.harmony/ ˈhɑːməni/n．和谐，和睦
其他词汇
1.revealingly 启发人地
2.cutoff 断开，切断
3.microaggression 微侵害
4.coddle 娇养，溺爱
5.wel-l intentioned 善意的，好意的
6.self-confirmatory 自我证明的
7.troll 网络怪客；网络喷子
8.aphorism 格言，箴言
疑难长句注解
1.Two hours a day...take their toll.（第二段）
本句的主句是第一部分，after which...their toll都是定语从句，修饰cutoff（指切断某件正在进行的事情的极点）。其中，where引导的从句也是定语从句，修饰social media。在这个定语从句中，两个fear of短语做主语；take their toll是谓语部分，意为“造成损失或毁坏”；词组miss out（on）指错过机会等，leave someone out指不让某人参与某事。
2.In search of a deeper...all else.（第三段）
在时间状语In search of...warnings中有一个很长的插入语，用破折号隔开，其中that指the cause，即造成校园问题的原因——包括安全空间的问题、微小的侵犯行为和一些触发警报的行为。也就是说，Greg Lukianoff和Jonathan Haidt在他们的书中对造成这些问题的原因也做了探讨。“helicoptering”parents指那些随时随处降落到孩子身边帮孩子排忧解难的家长。
3.Believing that conflicts...sphere.（第四段）
这个句子很长，主干结构是Believing that..., that...and that...iGeners are now taking those unwholesome attitudes into...。三个that引导的从句都是Believing的宾语，表达了作者对三种不良心理的批评。
4.Social media has channeled...explain.（第四段）
这里callout culture本来指进步人士、激进分子、社会活动家和社区组织者要求公开指出其他人的不当行为和用语的团体文化，这里显然被作者看作一种不良文化氛围。分号后面的分句实际上起到了对callout culture的定义作用。
5.New-media platforms...and division.（第四段）
本句中where引导的是定语从句，修饰bubbles。名词outlets指信息等发布的渠道；self-confirmatory是说自己不正确的情绪或看法得到确认，使自己更加相信自己遭到别人的陷害；the evils of the other side字面上指网络的另一边的人的邪恶言行；cyber trolls指在网上游荡的各种怪人，比如网络喷子；词组（be）intent on意为“意欲，蓄意（做某事）”。
译文
今天的年轻人身上缺少某些东西。根据圣地亚哥州立大学心理学家Jean Twenge的研究，在被问“你有心理紊乱症（抑郁症等）吗”时，1995年及之后出生的大学生（“网络一代”或简称iGen）给出肯定答复的比例在2012年至2016年之间有所增加。男性从2.7%增加到6.1%，女性从5.8%增加到14.5%。
Twenge把这种病态心理主要归咎于社交媒体和电子设备的广泛使用。她指出，在数字媒体的使用和心理健康问题之间存在正相关。颇有启发意味的是，她还报告说在更低的抑郁症犯病率与用更多时间做运动和锻炼、面对面社交互动、做作业、参加宗教服务以及消费书和杂志这样的纸媒之间存在负相关。每天花两个小时在电子设备上似乎是最大限度，超过了之后心理健康状况就会下降，特别是对花更多时间在社交媒体上的女孩来说，她们经常害怕会错过某些机会，担心被排除在外，这种担心是非常要命的。
在寻找这个问题（还有其他问题，包括过去几年里涉及安全空间、微侵害和触发警报等校园焦点问题）的更深层原因时，Greg Lukianoff和Jonathan Haidt在他们的书《美国人心理的溺爱》中争辩说，网络一代受到过于保护孩子的“直升机”式家长的影响，也受到更广泛的文化氛围的影响，这种文化氛围把情感安全看得至高无上。
网络一代相信：冲突将使你变得更弱；情感——而不是理性是引导他们对环境压力根源做出反应的可靠手段；当事情出错时，这是坏人的错，不是自己的错。现在，他们正在把这些不健康的态度带入工作场所和政治圈子。两位作者解释说，“社交媒体已经把一些偏执的情绪带入‘谴责文化’的创造中；如果一个人说了善意的话而被另外一个人做出恶意的解读，那么这个说话人可能被公开羞辱。新媒体平台和发布渠道使公民退缩进自我肯定的泡沫中，在那里他们对来自网络那端的邪恶言行的最大担忧可能被极端主义分子或网络怪人确认并加以放大，而这些人的本来目的就是播种不和谐和分裂。”
今天的孩子们在成长过程中被灌输了错误的想法，他们认为自己是易融化的雪花。问题怎么解决呢？Lukianoff和Haidt向家长和教育工作者建议，“让孩子做好上路的准备，而不是为他准备好路”，这是最重要的警句。这种药方听起来似乎有些简单化了，但是其效果是可以用从个人心理健康到社会和谐等各种指标来衡量的。
TEXT 39
In our new social media age, the problem of cheating has become more complex. Human beings are, by nature, risk averse. Taking too many risks means being killed in the wild. Taking too many risks inside a relationship is similar:it means destroying the chances of long-lasting happiness. But the availability of social connection via the internet reduces those risks dramatically. According to the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy,45 percent of men and 35 percent of women have admitted to an“emotional affair. ”
And online contact exacerbates real-life risks. If you're at work with someone to whom you're attracted, eventually the work day ends. But if you're on Facebook with that person, it's not difficult to exchange messages after the workday, or to text, or to direct message. Probably for many, such activity doesn't even feel wrong at the beginning—after all, a work“friend”isn't a work lover. But blurring lines between work and extracurricular activity broadens the field for microcheating.
Furthermore, we're a post-marriage society. Premarital sex is ubiquitous; age of marriage has increased dramatically. Cohabitation has become a fact of life—as of 2012, two-thirds of married couples had lived together for at least two years before tying the knot. Marriage represents an investment of skin in the game:it means drawing hard lines. Living together provides no such guarantee. It is, consciously or not, an attempt to leave a door open. Combine that slightly-opened door with the availability of apps that allow you to keep in touch with ex-lovers, and you've created a higher chance of micro-cheating.
All of which means that in an age of increased ease of micro-cheating, we'd require better self-policing to avoid the consequences. But instead, we've embraced little to no self-policing. In fact, those who self-police are called prissy and puritanical. When Mike Pence says he won't dine with a woman without his wife, he's characterized as a character from The Handmaid's Tale．Our society despises standards so much that we've somehow conflated self-limitation with desire to limit the behavior of others.
That's absurd. We all require limitations—and in a free society, we need to be the ones doing the limiting. That means unfriending high school partners on Facebook. It means setting up pornblockers on computers. It means refusing to correspond with attractive colleagues outside the work environment. It means being better human beings.
Social media comes with great challenges. But if we rise to those challenges, we could become better human beings, not worse ones.
1.The use of the internet makes an emotional affair ________.
[A]more difficult
[B]more risky
[C]more likely
[D]more disastrous
2.Contacting a person both at and after work ________.
[A]is more likely to develop into a real relationship
[B]makes yourself more liable to micro-cheating
[C]leads to an end of an otherwise possible affair
[D]is considered to be a wrong act by both persons
3.The availability of internet contact ________.
[A]enriches the lives of married couples
[B]turns cohabitation into a trend
[C]makes people marry at an earlier age
[D]poses a serious threat to married life
4.In face of challenges posed by social media, the author proposes ________.
[A]practicing greater restraint on oneself
[B]imposing more stringent social rules
[C]strengthening the online supervision
[D]enhancing the authority of the police
5.It is implied that the author's attitude to married life is ________.
[A]liberal
[B]sorrowful
[C]suspicious
[D]supportive
考研必备词汇
1.averse/ə ˈvəːs/a．厌恶的，反感的
2.via/ ˈvaiə/prep．经由；凭借
3.dramatically/drə ˈmætikli/ad．戏剧般地；引人注目地
4.association/əˈsəus ˈi eʃiən/n．联系；联想；协会
5.therapy/ ˈθerəpi/n．治疗，疗法
6.exacerbate/eks ˈæsəbeit/vt．使恶化，加剧
7.blur/bləː/vt．把……弄模糊
8.extracurricular/ˈekstrəkə ˈrikjulə/a．课（程）外的
9.premarital/ˈprːi ˈmæritl/a．婚前的
10.ubiquitous/juː ˈbikwitəs/a．无所不在的
11.as of 在（指示开始或结束的时间点）
12.represent/ˈrepri ˈzent/vt．再现，表现；代表
13.guarantee/ˈɡ ærən ˈtiː/n．保证，担保
14.keep in touch with 与……保持联系
15.puritanical/ˈpjuri ˈtænikl/a．清教徒（式）的，节欲的
16.embrace/im ˈbreis/vt．拥抱，包含；接受，接纳
17.characterize/ ˈkærəktəraiz/vt．被刻画，带有……特点
18.despise/d ˈi spaiz/vt．轻视，鄙视
19.absurd/əb ˈsəːd/a．荒唐的，荒诞的
20.porn/pɔːn/（= pornography）n．色情
21.blocker/ ˈblɔkə/n．阻挡的人（物或软件等）；拦截器
22.correspond/ˈkɔris ˈpɔnd/v．相一致，相符合；保存（通信）联系
其他词汇
1.cohabitation 同居
2.tie the knot 结婚；主持婚礼
3.skin in the game（skin game）骗局，诈骗
4.self-police 自我管束，自我监管
5.prissy 谨小慎微的，拘谨的
6.handmaid 女仆，侍女
7.conflate 将……合并；将……相混
疑难长句注解
1.But blurring lines...micro-cheating.（第二段）
本句主语部分是一个动名词词组，这里extracurricular activity指工作之外的活动——上面提到的每天下班后再用发信息或打电话等方式联系。micro-cheating是心理学家常用的词语，专指一些小的举动，但却表明一个人在情感上关注现有情侣关系之外的人。这个句子的大概意思是：如果你不分上下班时间都跟吸引你的人通过发短信或打电话联系，微欺骗的可能性一下子就增加了。
2.Cohabitation has become...the knot.（第三段）
本句中，as of意为“在”，指事情开始或结束的时间；live together指cohabitate；词组tie the knot是一个比喻，指结婚。
3.Combine that slightly-opened...micro-cheating.（第三段）
本句由and连接，前半句是一个祈使句，后半句是you作主语的陈述句，在这种句式里，前半句相当于后半句的条件，即“如果把……和……结合在一起，那么你就……”。在前半句中，apps指电脑或手机上的各种小应用，that allow...ex-lovers是定语从句修饰apps。
译文
在我们这个新的社交媒体时代，欺骗问题变得复杂起来。人类从本性上来说是厌恶冒险的。冒太多风险意味着毙命于荒郊野外。在关系内部冒太多风险也是一样：它意味着毁掉长期幸福的可能性。但是，网络社会交往的存在显著地减少了这些风险。根据美国婚姻与家庭治疗协会的数据，有45%的男人和35%的女人承认有过一次“情事”。
而且，网络交往加剧了现实生活中的冒险。如果你同吸引你的人一起工作，工作日最终会结束。但是如果你与那个人同处在Facebook上，工作日结束后，与他/她交换信息、发短信或直接联系都不难。许多人对这样的活动起初甚至不会感觉到有什么问题——毕竟一起工作的“朋友”并不是工作中的情人。但是工作和工作外活动的界线变得模糊使微欺骗的范围一下子扩大了。
而且，我们处在一个后婚姻社会中。婚前性行为随处可见；婚龄显著增大。同居成为生活事实——2012年，有三分之二的已婚夫妻至少同居两年后才结婚。婚姻意味着在游戏中下赌注：它意味着画出硬杠杠。同居就无法提供这种保证。它有意识或无意识地试着留出一扇门。如果这扇微开着的门和各种应用软件同时存在，这些应用允许你跟以前的情人保持着联系，这样，你就创造出更多微欺骗的机会。
所有这一切都意味着，在微欺骗越来越容易的时代，我们需要更好的自我管制才能避免一些后果。可相反的是，我们很少或几乎不喜好自我管制。事实上，那些实行自我管制的人被称作拘谨的和清教徒式的人。当Mike Pence说他妻子不在场他不会同任何女人吃饭时，他被刻画成《使女的故事》中的人物。我们的社会如此鄙视标准，以致我们不由自主地把自我限制等同于限制别人行为的欲望。
这是荒唐的。我们都需要限制——而且，在一个自由的社会中，我们需要成为主动设限的人。这意味着在Facebook上解除与中学时伙伴的好友关系。这意味着在计算机上设置色情过滤器。这意味着拒绝在工作环境之外与吸引你的同事有信息来往。这意味着成为更好的人。
社交媒体带来很大挑战。但是如果我们起来应对这些挑战，我们就能成为更好——而不是更坏的人类。
TEXT 40
For a brief window on Thursday evening,330 million Twitter users slid into a world without@realDonaldTrump. Twitter initially posted a statement Thursday night saying President Trump's“account was inadvertently deactivated due to human error by a Twitter employee. ”The account was down for 11 minutes, and had since been restored. But then two hours later, Twitter updated its statement saying that an investigation showed the deactivation“was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employee's last day. ”Twitter said it would be conducting a full internal review.
Trump has used the account since March 2009. He has tweeted more than 36,000 times and has 41.7 million followers. Trump has spoken publicly about his reliance on Twitter before. In an interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business Network last month, Trump credited his use of social media as among the reasons he was elected. Twitter also serves as among Trump's main tools for deflecting criticisms and attacks. Trump conceded that those close to him try to steer him away from social media. But he insists on tweeting—spelling errors included—as a weapon against“fake news. ”
Trump's account may have been“inadvertently”deactivated Thursday, but Twitter has also had to defend its decision not to take down particular presidential tweets. In a six-tweet thread in September, Trump issues what some took as a threat directed at North Korea. As The Post has reported, Twitter prohibits tweets that include violent threats, which some argued was Trump's intention. Twitter responded by saying a number of factors go into account when evaluating controversial content, including its“newsworthiness”and whether it has“public interest. ”
Those tweets confronting North Korea followed other instances where critics called for Trump's account to be more closely controlled, such as when he tweeted an edited video of himself beating somebody up, the victim's face replaced by a CNN logo. And then there are the accounts that Twitter has chosen to suspend. Last month, the actress Rose McGowan took to Twitter to challenge Ben Affleck on his claim that he knew nothing of Harvey Weinstein's decades-long history of sexual assault and violence towards women. But another tweet led to the temporarily suspension of her account. Despite initially declining to comment on the content of that specific tweet，Twitter later explained that McGowan's“account was temporarily locked because one of her Tweets included a private phone number, which violates our Terms of Service. ”
Trump was back tweeting at 8:05 p. m. , praising the day's“Great Tax Cut rollout. ”It was as if he never left.
1.The second statement differed from the first in that ________.
[A]it put sole responsibility on the employee
[B]it did not mention the deactivation as accidental
[C]it did not attribute the deactivation to a human error
[D]it confirmed the culprit had been dismissed
2.President Trump admits that ________.
[A]he has made many spelling errors in his tweets
[B]his tweets have annoyed many of his opponents
[C]his election was largely attributable to tweeter use
[D]even people close to him find his tweets offensive
3.Some people criticize Twitter for ________.
[A]daring not offend Trump as the president
[B]misinterpreting Trump's hidden intentions
[C]confusing newsworthiness with public interest
[D]failing to delete Trump's violent tweets
4.With the edited video, Trump intended to show ________.
[A]his aggressive tendency
[B]his detestation for CNN
[C]his defence of public interest
[D]his naughty innocence
5.Rose McGowan's experience with Twitter is mentioned to ________.
[A]accuse Twitter of double standard in its regulation
[B]criticize Twitter's indifference to violence against women
[C]condemn Weinstein and his likes for maltreating women
[D]defend Trump against possible suspension of his account
考研必备词汇
1.slide/slaid/vi．滑动；进入
2.initially/i ˈniʃəli/ad．最初，开头
3.statement/ ˈsteitmənt/n．陈述；声明
4.inadvertently/ˈinəd ˈvəːtəntli/ad．不经意地，疏忽地
5.restore/ris ˈtɔː/vt．恢复，修复
6.update/ʌp ˈdeit/vt．更新
7.internal/in ˈtəːnl/a．内部的
8.tweet/twiːt/vt．发推特信息 n．推特信息
9.credit/ ˈkredit/vt．将……归功于，信任
10.concede/kənˈ siːd/v．承认；让步，妥协
11.steer/stiə/vt．掌舵；引领
12.fake/feik/a．冒牌的，假的
13.thread/θred/n．线；线索；细小
14.prohibit/prə ˈhibit/vt．禁止
15.violent/ ˈvaiələnt/a．暴力的；猛烈的
16.controversial/kɔntrə ˈvəːʃəl/a．有争议的
17.confront/kən ˈfrʌnt/vt．面临，遭遇；对抗
18.logo/ ˈlɔɡəu/n．标识
19.suspend/səs ˈpend/vt．悬挂；暂停
20.assault/ə ˈsɔːlt/n．攻击；侵害
21.violence/ ˈvaiələns/n．暴力，暴行；猛烈
22.temporarily/ ˈtempərərili/ad．暂时地
23.decline/di ˈklain/v．下降；谢绝，拒绝
24.violate/ ˈvaiəleit/vt．违反；侵犯
其他词汇
1.deactivate 使不活跃，禁用
2.deflect 使转向，使偏斜
3.newsworthiness 新闻价值
4.rollout 首次公开展出
疑难长句注解
1.Twitter responded by saying... “public interest. ”（第三段）
句中go into account意为“需要考虑”, controversial content这里指推特信息中包括暴力等有争议的信息，public interest意为“公众利益，公共价值”。
2.Those tweets...CNN logo.（第四段）
本句的主干结构是Those tweets...followed other instances where...，其中where critics...controlled是定语从句，修饰instances（情况，事例）; such as...logo是对instances的举例，其中the victim's face...logo是独立结构，词组beat up指痛打一顿。
3.Last month, the actress Rose McGowan...women.（第四段）
took to Twitter这里指使用推特；Ben Affleck和Harvey Weinstein都是电影导演和制片人，最近多名女演员站出来指责Harvey Weinstein多年来一直对女演员进行性骚扰和性侵害。
译文
周四晚上在很短时间内，3.3亿推特用户进入一个没有@realDonaldTrump的世界。推特周四晚间起初发表了一个声明，说特朗普总统的“账号由于一个推特雇员的个人失误被不经意停用”。账号被关闭11分钟，然后被恢复。但是两个小时后，推特更新了其声明，说调查表明，停用“是一个推特客户服务雇员干的，这是他离职前的一天”。推特说，他们正在进行彻底的内部审查。
特朗普自2009年3月起使用该账号。他已经发了36000多条推特信息，有4170万粉丝。特朗普以前公开说过他对推特的依赖。在福克斯商业网记者Maria Bartiromo上个月对他的采访中，特朗普把社交媒体的使用看作他当选的重要原因之一。推特也是特朗普回击批评和攻击的主要工具。特朗普承认，他身边的人试图劝他放弃社交媒体。但是他坚持发推特——其中包括一些拼写错误，把它当作与“假新闻”斗争的工具。
特朗普的账号周四可能是被“不经意”停用的，但是推特仍然不得不解释自己为什么没有删除总统的某些特别的推特信息。在九月份的连续六条推特信息中，特朗普发出了在某些人看来是威胁朝鲜的信息。像《华盛顿邮报》报道的那样，推特禁止包括暴力威胁的信息，有人说威胁正是特朗普的目的。推特回应说，在评估有争议的推特内容时，有很多要考量的因素，包括其“新闻价值”以及它是否有“公共价值”。
除了这些对抗朝鲜的推特信息外，还有其他情况，对此批评者要求对特朗普账号进行更严密的管制，比如他曾经在推特上发了一个被编辑过的视频，其中他自己在打人，受害者的脸被CNN的标识所替代。但是推特曾经中止了其他人的账号。上个月，女演员Rose McGowan在推特上挑战Ben Affleck，后者声称自己对Harvey Weinstein持续数十年的性侵和对女性的暴力不知情。但是她的另一条推特信息使她的账号被暂时停用。尽管起初拒绝评论那条推特信息的内容，但是推特后来解释说McGowan的“账号被暂时锁定，是因为她的一条推特信息中包括一个私人电话号码，这违背了推特的服务条款”。
特朗普在晚间8点05分又回到推特，盛赞当天的“减税计划首秀”，好像他从来没有离开过一样。
TEXT 41
Movies and television may give us the impression that technology can do anything, but who is shown using tech on screen? A new report, released today, examined portrayals of computer science across media. The results demonstrate that while the uses of tech may seem to be unfettered，there are still limits as to who can be shown on screen using computer science.
The study, conducted by Professor Stacy L. Smith, examined television content and movies. The result is a sweeping investigation that examines how many characters use computer science, the demographic attributes of those characters, and the nature of those depictions. The study sheds light on how media portrayals may present a skewed vision of computer science. For companies, schools, and parents, the report demonstrates how media offers audiences a window into computer science as an activity or profession that may fail to attract a diverse group of participants.
One team working to create a more vibrant media environment is Google's CS in Media team. With the goal of inspiring a new, inclusive vision of computer science, Google's CS in Media team has served as a resource to the entertainment industry by advising content creators on computer science-related storylines across ten TV series and TV movies. One aim of the study was to assess the impact of the project. The analysis found 5.9 percent of 1,039 characters depicted in the set of programs influenced by Google were engaged in computer science, compared with less than 1 percent of 883 characters in a matched sample of content. For this portion of the analysis, every episode of each series sampled was assessed. These results demonstrate how rarely computer science is shown on screen, and reinforce the importance of Google's ongoing efforts.
In addition, popular media content was analyzed to provide further context for Google's CS in Media team. Only 2.2 percent of a total of 2,138 characters used computer science across the top 20 movies of 2015,20 popular TV series with 18-49 year olds from 2015—2016, and 20 popular TV series among 2 to 12 year olds from the same time frame. Two episodes of each TV series were included in the analysis.
“Storytelling opens a window into professions or activities that might not otherwise capture our imaginations, ”said Professor Smith and the study's lead author. “Although technology powers much of our daily lives, we see few stories that reflect this in media. Given this, Google's work to highlight computer science in narratives is more important than ever, especially those showcasing women and individuals from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. ”
1.The new study examines the ________.
[A]depictions of computer science in TV and film content
[B]profession and activities TV and film characters engage in
[C]impression left on the audience by computer science
[D]statistics worked out by Google's CS in Media team
2.The study has found the media portrayals ________.
[A]enlightening
[B]mysterious
[C]misleading
[D]bizarre
3.The main object of Google's CS in Media team is to ________.
[A]study the status of the entertainment industry
[B]make computer science more appealing to people
[C]produce films or TV programs with computer
[D]integrate computer science into films and TV series
4.Has the work of Google's CS in Media team proved successful？
[A]It is highly successful.
[B]It is moderately successfu.l
[C]It is a disastrous failure.
[D]It doesn't makes much difference.
5.To the work of Google's team, the author's attitude is ________.
[A]negative
[B]reserved
[C]critical
[D]positive
考研必备词汇
1.release/ri ˈliːs/vt．释放；免除；发表
2.portrayal/pɔ ˈtreiəl/n．描绘，表现
3.unfettered/ʌn ˈfetəd/a．被除去脚镣的，自由的
4.sweeping/ ˈswːi piŋ/a．范围大的；扫过的
5.demographic/ˈdemə ˈɡ ræfik/a．人口（学）的，人口统计的
6.attribute/ ˈætribjuːt/n．属性，特征
7.depiction/di ˈpikʃən/n．描述
8.shed light on 在……获得启发，使……更易理解
9.skewed/skjuːd/a．歪的；曲解的
10.demonstrate/ ˈdemənstreit/vt．表明，说明；演示
11.diverse/dai ˈvəːs/a．多样的
12.vibrant/ ˈvaibrənt/a．震动的；充满活力的
13.inspire/in ˈspaiə/vt．鼓舞；激起，引起
14.inclusive/in ˈkluːsiv/a．包括的
15.entertainment/ˈentə ˈteinmənt/n．娱乐；款待；怀有
16.storyline/ ˈstɔːrilain/n．故事情节
17.assess/ə ˈses/vt．评估，评价
18.portion/ ˈpɔːʃən/n．部分；份
19.episode/ ˈepisəud/n．一段情节；一个事件
20.reinforce/ˈriːin ˈfɔːs/vt．加强，强化
21.context/ ˈkɔntekst/n．情景，语境；上下文
22.profession/prə ˈfeʃən/n．职业
23.capture/ ˈkæptʃə/vt．捕获，捕捉
24.highlight/ ˈhailait/vt．突出，强调
25.narrative/ ˈnærətiv/n．叙述，故事；记叙文
26.showcase/ ˈʃoukeis/vt．展示，展现
27.underrepresented/ ˈʌndəˈrepri ˈzentid/a．未被充分代表的
28.ethnic/ ˈeθnik/a．民族的
疑难长句注解
1.For companies, schools, and parents...group of participants.（第二段）
本句的大概意思是：由于电视和电影人物从事计算机科学比例小，所以不可能对观众起到榜样示范作用，不能吸引各种社会群体的观众来从事这个行业。本句中，participants指加入计算机科学活动或行业的人，diverse group指各种社会群体。
2.The analysis found...sample of content.（第三段）
本文中depicted和portray都指电影或电视剧中对人物形象的塑造。本句中programs指电视节目；influenced by Google是过去分词短语，作定语修饰programs，其中Google并非指谷歌公司，而是指本段第一句提到的那个研究小组Google's CS in Media team（CS是computer science的缩写）; matched sample of content指用来作对比的那些电视剧的内容。
3.Only 2.2 percent...the same time frame.（第四段）
本句的主干结构是Only 2.2 percent of a total of 2,138 characters used computer science...，其他部分均是across的宾语，即across the top 20 movies...,（across）20 popular TV series..., and（across）20 popular TV series...。其中from the same time frame指2015年到2016年。
4.“Storytelling opens...lead author.（第五段）
本句中Storytelling是指电影和电视剧的故事情节，opens a window into实际上是说让他们了解到一些行业和活动的状况，otherwise是说如果没有这些故事情节，capture our imaginations表面的意思是说“抓住了我们的想象力”，实际上是说引起了我们对这些活动和行业的关注。句子的大概意思是：电影和电视剧中从事计算机科学行业的人物很少，注意到媒体的这种现象促使我们去研究媒体与现实状况之间的联系，即媒体没有起到鼓励观众从事这类活动和行业的示范作用。
5.Given this, Google's work...groups. ”（第五段）
本句中，Given this意为“考虑到这一状况”; Google's work还是指Google's CS in Media team这个研究小组所做的工作；showcasing是说电影和电视剧中对人物的刻画，与depict的意思相近；underrepresented是说未被充分代表的，比如某个种族在美国总人口中占比6%，而电影和电视剧中这个种族的人物的出现率只有2%，那么这个种族就可以被称作是underrepresented racial/ethnic group。
译文
电影和电视可能给我们留下这样的印象：技术可以做任何事情，但是屏幕上显示的使用技术的是哪些人呢？今天发布的一份新报告研究了媒体上对计算机科学的刻画。结果显示，虽然技术的使用似乎没有锁定某些人，但谁能出现在屏幕上从事计算机科学，这仍然有限制。
这项研究是Stacy L. Smith教授带领完成的，分析了电视内容和电影。结果导致一项广泛的调查，分析有多少人物从事计算机科学、这些人物的人口特征、人物刻画的本质。这项研究让我们明白媒体中的刻画可能怎样呈现出一个歪曲的计算机科学景象。对公司、学校和家长来说，这个报告能说明媒体怎样为观众提供了一个认识计算机科学的窗口，看看它如何成了一个没能吸引到各种社会群体的人参与的活动或行业。
有一个小组正在致力于创造一个更有活力的媒体环境，这就是谷歌的“媒体中的计算机科学”小组。其目标是培育一个新的、更包容的计算机科学前景，该团队在10部电视连续剧和电影中涉及计算机科学的故事情节上，为内容创作者提供建议，成了娱乐行业的一个资源。这项研究的一个目标是评估这个项目的影响。分析发现，在受到谷歌小组影响的那些节目中，刻画的1039个人物有5.9%的人从事计算机科学；相比之下，在内容可比的节目样本中，883个人物中只有不到1%的人从事计算机科学。在这部分的分析中，对被抽样的每部连续剧的每一集都进行了分析。这些结果说明计算机科学在屏幕上出现得是多么少，也突显了谷歌小组目前所做工作的重要性。
而且，研究者还对大众传媒的内容进行了分析，为谷歌小组提供了更多情景。在2015年上映的20部最佳电影中，在2015年至2016年间上映的为18～49岁人所喜欢的20部电视连续剧中，还有在同一时段中最受2～12岁孩子喜欢的电视连续剧中，他们分析了共2138个人物，其中只有2.2%的人从事计算机科学。研究者从每部电视连续剧中抽取两集进行了分析。
Smith教授主持了这项研究，他说，“故事情节打开了一个窗口，让我们了解某些行业或活动的状态，如果没有这些情节，我们就不会注意到这些状态。虽然技术为我们的许多日常生活提供了动力，但是我们在媒体中却很少能看到反映这一现状的故事。考虑到这种情况，谷歌小组致力于突显计算机科学在故事中的地位，这比以往任何时候都更加重要，特别是当这些故事反映被忽视族裔的妇女和个人的生活时”。
TEXT 42
Chastened by criticism that Facebook had turned a blind eye to Russia's manipulation of the social network to interfere in the 2016 election, the company's executives now acknowledge a need to do better and have promised to be more transparent about who is paying for political ads. Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday that the company would give congressional investigators more than 3,000 Russia-linked ads and would begin disclosing the names of Facebook business accounts that place political ads on the site. A day earlier his top lieutenant, Sheryl Sandberg, pledged to change the company's systems so ad buyers couldn't target their messages to racists and anti-Semites.
Companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google have become a huge force in the political system and in society broadly. While their executives have eagerly embraced their status as disrupters and innovators, they have been reluctant to acknowledge that their creations have been used to do harm. Technology executives have been loath to accept much or any responsibility for the power they and their businesses wield. In fact, many of them have gone out of their way to avoid or evade rules that apply to the traditional businesses that they are trying to displace. For example, Facebook argued in a 2011 letter to the Federal Election Commission that it and other internet companies should not be subject to regulations on political ads that radio and TV stations have to abide by.
Some of the changes Mr. Zuckerberg announced could have a positive impact. But they apply only to his company and can be easily evaded. Disclosing the name of Facebook business accounts placing political ads, for instance, will be of little value if purchasers can disguise their real iden tity—calling themselves, say, Americans for Motherhood and Apple Pie. Further, even if Facebook succeeds in driving away foreign propaganda, the same material could pop up on Twitter or other social media sites.
More comprehensive safeguards will need intervention from Congress, which could begin by passing a law requiring online political ads—those that mention candidates seeking office or that advocate for certain political outcomes—to disclose who paid for them. Congress should also require internet companies to preserve the ads, and data about the groups the ads were targeted against, to help investigators looking into illicit activities. Of course, legislation cannot completely protect American elections from outside interference. An educational effort by government，schools, civil society groups and the media to help people distinguish facts from fakery might help. The willingness of social media to serve as a theater for obvious propaganda doesn't help advance the cause of truth.
1.Facebook made all the following promises except ________.
[A]providing evidence for Russia's manipulation
[B]revealing the names of the political ads payers
[C]being more cooperative in Congress's investigation
[D]screening and preventing discriminatory messages
2.The author accuses the technology executives of ________.
[A]expanding power into political and social life
[B]using creations to manipulate social forces
[C]neglecting their social responsibility
[D]disrupting traditional businesses
3.The letter to the Commission showed Facebook's attempt to ________.
[A]replace traditional businesses more rapidly
[B]evade responsibility traditional businesses assume
[C]exert more influence on the Commission
[D]turn its responsibility onto traditional businesses
4.The author mentions Americans for Motherhood and Apple Pie to ________.
[A]point to the ridiculous nature of political ads
[B]illustrate how Zuckerberg's promises can fail
[C]emphasize the harms done by social media
[D]indicate mothers are easily influenced by ads
5.The Congress can make laws to ________.
[A]prohibit candidates from appearing on social media
[B]protecting candidates seeking public offices
[C]requiring internet companies to monitor illicit ads
[D]require social media to cooperate in investigation
考研必备词汇
1.chasten/ ˈtʃeisn/vt．惩戒，责罚
2.manipulation/məˈnipju ˈleiʃən/n．操纵，控制
3.interfere/ˈintə ˈfiə/vi．干涉，干预
4.executive/iɡ ˈzekjutiv/n．高管；行政部门
5.acknowledge/ək ˈnɔlidʒ/vt．承认；答谢
6.transparent/træns ˈpɛərənt/a．透明的
7.congressional/kən ˈɡ reʃənəl/a．国会的
8.disclose/dis ˈkləuz/vt．透露，泄露
9.pledge/pledʒ/vt．发誓，保证
10.racist/ ˈreisist/n．种族主义者
11.embrace/im ˈbreis/vt．拥抱；接受，领会
12.loath/ləuθ/a．不情愿，勉强
13.go out of one's way 特意去，想尽办法去
14.evade/i ˈveid/vt．逃避，躲避
15.displace/dis ˈpleis/vt．代替，替换
16.regulation/ˈreɡ ju ˈleiʃən/n．管制，法规
17.abide/ə ˈbaid/vi．（by）遵守
18.announce/ə ˈnauns/vt．宣布，通知
19.disguise/dis ˈɡ aiz/vt．伪装，掩饰
20.propaganda/ˈprəpə ˈɡ ændə/n．宣传
21.pop up 出现，跳出
22.comprehensive/ˈkɔmpr ˈi hensiv/a．综合的
23.safeguard/ ˈseifɡɑːd/n．防护，防卫
24.intervention/ˈintəː ˈvenʃən/n．介入，干涉
25.candidate/ ˈkændidit/n．候选人
26.advocate/ ˈædvəkeit/v．主张，提倡；支持
27.preserve/pri ˈzəːv/vt．保护，保养
28.illicit/i ˈlisit/a．违法的，违禁的
29.legislation/ˈledʒis ˈleiʃən/n．立法
30.fakery/ ˈfeikəri/n．伪造，伪装
31.advance/əd ˈvɑːns/vt．使前进，推进
其他词汇
1.lieutenant 副官；上尉
2.anti-Semite 反犹太主义者
3.disrupter 瓦解者，破坏者
疑难长句注解
1.In fact, many of them have...displace.（第二段）
本句中，go out of one's way to do something指超出自己的责任（或身份等）去做某事；avoid or evade rules that apply to the traditional businesses，跟上一句中loath to accept much or any responsibility for the power they and their businesses wield意思差不多，都是说网络公司不愿意像传统公司那样，对自己的产品或发明创造承担法律或社会责任。
2.More comprehensive safeguards...for them.（第四段）
本句中，office指政府职务或职位；candidates seeking office指想竞选政府职位的人；political outcomes主要指政府政策或行为上的结果，因此advocate for certain political outcomes指通过政治广告来给政府施压，让政府按照自己的意愿制定政策或采取行动。
3.Congress should also...activities.（第四段）
本句中，data about the groups the ads were targeted against指有关政治广告攻击的群体的数据，词组look into意为“调查”。要求网络公司保留广告和保留数据，其目的都是配合调查违法行为。
译文
Facebook被指责对于俄罗斯操纵社交网络干预2016年大选视而不见，公司高管现在承认，有必要做得更好，并许诺在谁支付政治广告费上更加透明。马克·扎克伯格在星期四说，公司将为国会调查提供3000多个与俄罗斯有关的广告，并将开始透露在Facebook网站做政治广告的商业账户名称。一天前，其高级助理Sheryl Sandberg许诺改变公司的系统，这样，广告购买者就不能把他们的信息传达给种族主义者和反犹分子了。
像Facebook、Twitter和Google这样的公司，在政治体系和社会中已经明显成为巨大的力量。一方面，高管们急于拥抱他们作为瓦解者和创新者的地位；另一方面，他们却一直不愿意承认自己的创造已经被用来做坏事。技术高管们不愿意为他们及其公司支配的权力承担很多——或者任何责任。事实上，他们中有很多人甚至想避开或躲避他们正在设法取代的传统企业遵守的那些规则。比如，Facebook在2011年给联邦选举委员会的一封信中辩称，它和其他网络公司不应该遵守电台和电视台遵守的政治广告法规。
扎克伯格宣布的这些变化有些可能产生积极影响。但是它们只适用于他的公司，而且可以被轻易规避。比如，透露做Facebook政治广告的商业账户名称几乎没有任何价值，如果广告购买者伪装自己的真实身份——比如称自己是“美国母亲与苹果派协会”。而且，即使Facebook成功地赶走外国的宣传，同样的材料还可以出现在Twitter或其他社交媒体网站上。
更全面的保护措施需要国会的介入，它可以着手通过一项法律，要求在线政治广告透露购买人——这些广告包括提及想竞选政府职务的候选人或主张某些政治结果的广告。国会还应该要求网络公司保存广告和广告旨在攻击群体的数据，以便有助于调查者调查违法活动。当然，立法不能完全保护美国的选举免受外来干扰。政府、学校、民间社会组织和媒体都应该做出教育努力，这有助于人民分清事实和造假。如果社交媒体自愿成为明显的政治宣传的场所，那么这无助于推进真理事业的发展。
TEXT 43
As we use online services, they learn more and more about us.To protect individual privacy rights, we've developed the idea of“information fiduciaries.”In the law, a fiduciary is a person or business with an obligation to act in a trustworthy manner in the interest of another.Examples are professionals and managers who handle our money or our estates.An information fiduciary is a person or business that deals not in money but in information.Doctors, lawyers, and accountants are examples.Because doctors, lawyers, and accountants know so much about us, and because we have to depend on them, the law requires them to act in good faith—on pain of loss of their license to practice, and a lawsuit by their clients.
The information age has created new kinds of entities that have many of the trappings of fiduciaries.Like older fiduciaries, these businesses have become virtually indispensable.Like older fiduciaries, these companies collect a lot of personal information that could be used to our detriment.And like older fiduciaries, these businesses enjoy a much greater ability to monitor our activities than we have to monitor theirs.As a result, many people who need these services often shrug their shoulders and decide to trust them.But the important question is whether these businesses, like older fiduciaries, have legal obligations to be trustworthy.The answer is that they should.
To deal with the new problems that digital businesses create, we need to adapt old legal ideas to create a new kind of law—one that clearly states the kinds of duties that online firms owe their end users and customers.The most basic obligation is a duty to look out for the interests of the people whose data businesses regularly harvest and profit from.At the very least, digital businesses may not act like conmen—inducing trust in end users and then actively working against their interests.If Mark Zuckerberg supports the Democrat in a particular election, Facebook shouldn't be able to use its data analysis to remind its Democratic users that it's election day—while neglecting to remind people who it thinks will vote for Republicans.
The project of encouraging some accountability requires fairness in both directions—fairness to end users, and fairness to businesses, who shouldn't have new and unpredictable obligations dropped on them by surprise.The task also requires determining the proper scope of fiduciary duties and the remedies for their violation.Finally, we have to persuade companies that these duties make sense, and give them reasons to accept that they are a new kind of fiduciary in the digital age.
1.A fiduciary is a person or business that ________.
[A]supervises the act of professionals
[B]guarantees the good faith of businesses
[C]ensures that information is not misused
[D]is entrusted by someone to act for him
2.The word“trappings”（Para.2）probably means ________.
[A]characteristics
[B]wrongdoings
[C]obligations
[D]entitlements
3.Like traditional fiduciary, information fiduciary ________.
[A]has to dispense with their own interest
[B]trades off information of their clients
[C]has to prove himself to be in good faith
[D]has the obligation to be monitored
4.If Facebook acts favorably toward the Democrat candidate, it ________.
[A]violates its end users' interests
[B]annoys voters for Republicans
[C]profits from the users' information
[D]gets involved in political disputes
5.The text is mainly about ________.
[A]how information fiduciaries differ from older ones
[B]what is to be written into the duties of online firms
[C]what online companies have done to harm its users
[D]why online users keep revealing their information
考研必备词汇
1.obligation/ˈɔbli ˈɡ eiʃən/n．义务
2.trustworthy/ ˈtrʌstˈwəːði/a．值得信赖的
3.handle/ ˈhændl/vt．处理，对待；操作
4.estate/i ˈsteit/n．财产
5.accountant/ə ˈkauntənt/n．会计
6.license/ ˈlaisns/n．许可证，执照
7.practice/ ˈpræktis/n．练习，实践；执行，（律师、医生等）开业
8.lawsuit/ ˈlɔːsuːt/n．诉讼（案）
9.client/ ˈklaiənt/n．客户，委托人
10.entity/ ˈentiti/n．实体，机构
11.virtually/ ˈvəːtʃuəli/ad．几乎，差不多
12.indispensable/ˈindis ˈpensəbl/a．不可缺少的
13.detriment/ ˈdetrimənt/n．伤害，损害
14.owe/əu/vt．欠；感激
15.harvest/ ˈhaːvist/vt．收割，获得
16.induce/in ˈdj uːs/vt．引诱，诱导
17.Democrat/ ˈdeməkræt/n．（美国）民主党人
18.neglect/ni ˈɡ lekt/vt．忽视，忽略
19.Republican/ri ˈpʌblikən/n．（美国）共和党人
20.encourage/in ˈkʌridʒ/vt．鼓励，怂恿
21.accountability/əˈkauntə ˈbiliti/n．有责任
22.remedy/ ˈremidi/n．补救（办法），纠正
23.violation/ˈvaiə ˈleiʃən/n．违背；侵害，侵犯
24.make sense 有道理
其他词汇
1.fiduciary 受委托人
2.in good faith 诚心诚意地
3.trapping 特征，象征
4.conman 骗子
译文
随着我们使用网络服务公司，它们越来越了解我们。为了保护个人隐私权，我们形成了“信息受托人”这个概念。在法律上，受托人指一个人或公司，有义务代表另一个人的利益以可信的方式去做事。比如各类专业人士、经理人，他们处理我们的钱或财产。信息受托人指的是一个人或公司，但并不处理钱，而是处理信息。医生、律师和会计是最好的例子。因为医生、律师和会计对我们了如指掌，因为我们不得不依靠他们，法律要求他们按照良好的信誉办事，否则就会招致失去开业执照的痛苦，或者遭到客户起诉。
信息时代创立了新的实体，它们有受托人的很多标志性特征。像传统受托人一样，这些公司实际上已经变得不可或缺。像传统受托人一样，这些公司收集很多个人信息，可以用来害我们。像传统受托人一样，较之于我们监视它们，这些公司监视我们的活动的能力大得多。结果，许多需要这些服务公司的人经常耸耸肩，决定相信它们。但是，重要的问题是：这些公司是否像传统受托人一样也有法律上的义务使自己值得信赖。答案是它们应该这样。
为了解决数字公司创造的新问题，我们需要采用一些传统法律观念来创造一种新的法律。该法律清楚地说明在线公司对终端用户和顾客的各种义务。其中最基本的义务是留意公司常收集和从中获利的数据，以便保护数据相关人的利益。至少，数字公司不能像骗子一样做事——它们不能通过诱惑手段赢得终端用户的信任，然后主动侵犯他们的利益。如果扎克伯格在某个选举中支持民主党候选人，Facebook不应该使用其数据分析能力来提醒民主党用户选举日的到来，而没有提醒它认为投共和党票的人。
鼓励承担义务的做法需要保障双向公平——一方面对终端用户公平，一方面对公司公平，公司不应该被强加一些新的、不期而至的义务。这些做法也需要我们确定受托人义务的合理范围以及违犯义务时的补救措施。最后，我们需要说服网络公司，这些义务是有道理的，并给出理由，让它们认识到自己是数字时代的新型受托人。
TEXT 44
In the 1990s, the term“digital divide”emerged to describe technology's haves and have-nots. It inspired many efforts to get the latest computing tools into the hands of all Americans, particularly low-income families.Those efforts have indeed shrunk the divide.But they have created an unintended side effect, one that is surprising and troubling to researchers and policy makers and that the government now wants to fix.
As access to devices has spread, children in poorer families are spending considerably more time than children from more well-off families using their television and gadgets to watch shows and videos, play games and connect on social networking sites, studies show.This growing timewasting gap, policy makers and researchers say, is more a reflection of the ability of parents to monitor and limit how children use technology than of access to it.“I'm not anti-technology at home, but it's not a savior, ”said Laura Robell, the principal at a public middle school.
The new divide is such a cause of concern for the Federal Communications Commission that it is considering a proposal to spend $200 million to create a digital literacy corps.This group of hundreds, even thousands, of trainers would fan out to schools and libraries to teach productive uses of computers for parents, students and job seekers.These efforts complement a handful of private and state projects aimed at paying for digital trainers to teach everything from basic keyboard use and word processing to how to apply for jobs online or use filters to block children from seeing online pornography.But“access is not a panacea, ”said Danah Boyd, a senior researcher at Microsoft.“Not only does it not solve problems, it mirrors and magnifies existing problems we've been ignoring.”
Children of more educated parents, generally understood as a proxy for higher socioeconomic status, also largely use their devices for entertainment.Policy makers and researchers say the challenges are heightened for parents and children with fewer resources—the very people who were supposed to be helped by closing the digital divide.
Despite the educational potential of computers, the reality is that their use for education or meaningful content creation is insignificant compared to their use for pure entertainment.Instead of closing the achievement gap, they're widening the time-wasting gap.“Digital literacy is so important, ”said Julius Genachowski, chairman of the commission, adding that bridging the digital divide now also means“giving parents and students the tools and know-how to use technology for education and job-skills training.”
1.Bridging the“digital divide”has the side effect of ________.
[A]letting poor children waste more time on electronic distractions
[B]burdening the government with the trouble of overseeing children
[C]forcing low-income families to buy the latest electronic gadgets
[D]imposing on parents the burden of teaching children computer skills
2.Laura Robell seems to ________.
[A]be confused about how to oversee the use of computer
[B]consider efforts to fill the“digital divide”to be of little help
[C]doubt the parents' ability to monitor their children
[D]have found a solution to address the new divide
3.The main objective of the Commission's proposal is to ________.
[A]investigate the result of the digital gap narrowing efforts
[B]putting more digital devices in schools and libraries
[C]teach parents what private projects have failed to teach
[D]promote the productive use of digital technologies
4.Regarding efforts to narrow the digital gap, Danah Boyd ________.
[A]holds a similar point of view to Laura Robell
[B]disapproves the Commission's approach to it
[C]believes such efforts were doomed from the beginning
[D]insists that such efforts create rather than solve problems
5.Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the text？
[A]The educational potential of computers is under-tapped.
[B]Efforts to narrow the digital gap have proved to be a failure.
[C]Wasting time is becoming a new divide in the digital era.
[D]Digital literary is declining despite the increase in computer use.
考研必备词汇
1.emerge/i ˈməːdʒ/vi．浮现，出现
2.inspire/in ˈspaiə/vt．鼓舞，激发；导致
3.side effect 副作用
4.considerably/kən ˈsidərəbli/a．相当大地
5.gadget/ ˈɡ ædʒit/n．小器具，小配件
6.networking/ ˈnetwəːkɪŋ/n．用网络联系
7.gap/ɡ æp/n．缺口；裂口；隔阂
8.reflection/ri ˈflekʃən/n．反映，反射；反思，回忆
9.monitor/ ˈmɔnitə/vt．监视n．班长；监视器
10.savior/ ˈseiviə/n．救世主，救星
11.principal/ ˈprinsəpəl/n．校长；主犯a．主要的
12.communication/kəˈmjuːni ˈkeiʃn/n．通信，电信；沟通
13.proposal/prə ˈpəuzəl/n．提议，建议；求婚
14.literacy/ ˈlitərəsi/n．有文化；有教养
15.fan out 呈扇形散开
16.seeker/ˈ siːkə/n．搜索者，探求者
17.complement/ ˈkɔmplimənt/vt．补充，补足
18.filter/ ˈfiltə/n．过滤器vt．过滤，渗透
19.block/blɔk/vt．堵塞，阻碍
20.pornography/pɔː ˈnɔɡ rəfi/n．色情
21.mirror/ ˈmirə/vt．反映n．镜子
22.magnify/ ˈmæɡ nifai/vt．放大，扩大
23.entertainment/ˈentə ˈteinmənt/n．娱乐；款待；怀有
24.heighten/ ˈhaitn/vt．提高，增强
25.potential/pə ˈtenʃəl/n．潜力a．潜在的，可能的
26.insignificant/ˈinsiɡ ˈnifikənt/a．没意义的，微不足道的
27.know-how/ ˈnəu hau/n．技术，巧妙，技能
其他词汇
1.corps 团体
2.panacea 万能药
3.proxy 代理人，取代物
疑难长句注解
1.As access to devices...studies show.（第二段）
本句很长，其中的主干结构是children...are spending...time...using..., “孩子们花时间做某事”，而watch, play和connect三个动词并列作目的状语，即use...to watch..., to play...and to connect“用某个东西来看……，玩……，联络……”。本句中，access to devices指计算机等设备的使用，well-off families指生活宽裕的家庭，gadget指电子设备，social networking sites指网络上的社交网站。
2.This growing time-wasting gap...access to it.（第二段）
本句是一个比较级句子，其中more...than..．比较两个名词短语，than之后省略了a reflection（of access to it），可以译成“与其……不如……”。
译文
在20世纪90年代，“数字鸿沟”一词出现，用来描述拥有技术的人和不拥有技术的人。它激励人们做出很多努力，试图把最新的计算工具送到所有美国人手中，尤其是低收入家庭。诚然，这种努力确实缩小了数字鸿沟，但同时也产生了意料之外的副作用，这一副作用令研究者与政策制定者吃惊和不安，政府现在希望解决它。
各项研究表明，随着获取电子设备渠道的扩展，贫穷家庭的孩子与家庭条件更好的孩子相比，把大量更多的时间浪费在用电视或电子产品上，用来看表演、视频，玩游戏和浏览社交网站。政策制定者和研究者称，这个越来越大的浪费时间的鸿沟，更多地反映出家长监督和约束孩子如何利用科技的能力，而不是他们获取科技产品的能力。“我不反对在家中使用科技产品，但它们不是我们的救星。”一所公立中学的校长Laura Robell这么说道。
新的鸿沟令美国联邦通信委员会感到忧心忡忡，以至于他们正考虑起草一份提案，建议投入2亿美元设立一个数字技术教育团队。该团队的成百上千名培训师将奔向各地的学校和图书馆，向家长、学生以及求职者传授富有成效地使用电脑的方法。这些努力是对一些私人项目和州项目的补充，后者旨在让数字培训师有偿传授各种东西，从基本的键盘使用和文字处理，到如何在线申请工作，或使用过滤手段阻碍孩子观看网络色情内容。但是“获取电脑并不是万灵药，”微软公司高级研究员Danah Boyd说，“它不仅解决不了问题，反而反映并放大了我们一直忽视的现存问题。”
受过良好教育的家长通常被认为是具有较高社会经济地位人群的代表，他们的孩子也在很大程度上将电子产品用于娱乐。政策制定者和研究者说，这些挑战对拥有更少资源的家长和孩子而言更严峻，而他们正是我们缩小数字鸿沟所希望帮助的人群。
尽管电脑具有教育潜力，现实是，与用于纯娱乐相比，它们在教育或有其他有意义的内容的创造上贡献甚微。它们没有缩小成就鸿沟，而是扩大了浪费时间上的鸿沟。“数字知识非常重要，”美国联邦通信委员会主席Julius Genachowski说，并补充道，弥合数字鸿沟如今还意味着“给家长和学生以工具和使用方法，使他们利用科技获得教育和工作技能培训”。
TEXT 45
People who use Facebook and Twitter are less likely than others to share their opinions on hot-button issues, even when they are offline, according to a surprising new survey by the Pew Research Center.The study, done in conjunction with Rutgers University in New Jersey, challenges the view of social media as a vehicle for debate by suggesting that sites like Facebook and Twitter might actually encourage self-censorship.Researchers said they detect what they call the“spiral of silence”phenomenon:Unless people know their audience agrees, they are likely to shy away from discussing anything controversial.
“People do not tend to be using social media for this type of important political discussion. And if anything, it may actually be removing conversation from the public sphere, ”said Keith Hampton, a communications professor at Rutgers University who helped conduct the study.The survey was conducted shortly after Edward Snowden acknowledged leaking classified intelligence that exposed widespread government surveillance of Americans' phone and email records.Hampton said the Snowden case provided researchers with a concrete example of a major national issue that divided Americans and dominated news coverage.
Of the 1,801 adults surveyed,86 percent said they would be willing to discuss their views about government surveillance if it came up at various in-person scenarios, such as at a public meeting, at work or at a restaurant with friends.But just 42 percent of Facebook or Twitter users said they would be willing to post online about it.Someone who goes on Twitter a few times per day was one-quarter as likely to share opinions in the workplace compared with those who never use Twitter.Only when a person felt that their Facebook network agreed with their opinion were they twice as likely to join a site discussion on the issue.
Another finding was that social media didn't make it easier for people to share opinions they wouldn't otherwise share.Of the 14 percent of Americans unwilling to discuss the Snowden case with others in person, fewer than one-half of 1 percent were willing to discuss it on social media. Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center Internet Project, said, “Because they use social media, they may know more about the depth of disagreement over the issue in their wide circle of contacts.This might make them hesitant to speak up either online or offline for fear of starting an argument, offending or even losing a friend.”
While many people might say keeping political debate off Facebook is a matter of tact, Hampton said there is a concern that a person's fear of offending someone on social media stifles debate.
1.The researchers have found that social media users ________.
[A]mainly use these media as a vehicle for self-censorship
[B]avoid making comments on socially sensitive issues
[C]support censorship on hot-button socio-political issues
[D]disregard whether their audience agree with them or not
2.According to Keith Hampton, enthusiasm for online political discussion ________.
[A]has risen due to easier access to social media
[B]declines as a result of government surveillance
[C]is further stimulated by Edward Snowden
[D]has actually receded from social media
3.Twitter users are more likely to share opinions when ________.
[A]the issue discussed is controversial
[B]the issue dominates news coverage
[C]most of their audience agree with them
[D]they are not engaged in face-to-face encounter
4.What Lee Rainie says means that ________.
[A]social media actually sensitize people to different opinions
[B]more Americans prefer to discuss an issue on social media
[C]people share opinions on social media they usually withhold
[D]people don't like their friends to express their opinions for them
5.The writer concludes the text by expressing the ________.
[A]fear that social media may encourage self-censorship
[B]hope that more and more people join in online debate
[C]wish to drive political discussion off social media
[D]disagreement with Hampton's fear about online debate
考研必备词汇
1.offline/ ˈɔflain/ad．离线
2.conjunction/kən ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/n．联合；连词
3.vehicle/ ˈviːikl/n．车辆，运载工具；手段
4.censorship/ ˈsensəʃip/n．检查制度，审查
5.detect/di ˈtekt/vt．发现，查出；侦查
6.spiral/ ˈspaiərəl/n．螺旋上升，逐渐增加
7.shy away from 躲避
8.controversial/ˈkɔntrə ˈvəːʃəl/a．有争议的，引起争议的
9.sphere/sfiə/n．球，球体；范围，领域
10.conduct/kən ˈdʌkt/vt．进行，实施；引导
11.acknowledge/ək ˈnɔlidʒ/vt．承认；感谢
12.leak/liːk/vt．漏出
13.classified/ ˈklæsifaid/a．保密的，机密的；分类的
14.intelligence/in ˈtelidʒəns/n．情报；智商
15.surveillance/səː ˈveiləns/n．监视，监管
16.concrete/ ˈkɔnkriːt/a．具体的
17.coverage/ ˈkʌvəridʒ/n．覆盖范围；新闻报道
18.come up 出现，被提及
19.scenario/si ˈnɑːriəu/n．情景，情况
20.online/ ˈɔnlain/ad．在线
21.site/sait/n．网站，场所
22.hesitant/ ˈhezitənt/a．犹豫的
23.speak up 大声说出
24.offend/ə ˈfend/vt．冒犯，得罪，攻击
25.tact/tækt/n．机敏，机智
26.stifle/ ˈstaifl/vt．使窒息
其他词汇
hot-button 热点的，热门的
译文
皮尤研究中心一项令人惊奇的新调查发现，使用Facebook和Twitter的人比其他人更不可能分享他们对热点问题的见解，即使他们下线之后也是如此。这项研究是同位于新泽西州的罗格斯大学合作完成的，研究表明，像Facebook和Twitter这样的社交网站实际上可能鼓励自我审查，这对把社交媒体看作辩论渠道的观点提出了挑战。研究者说，他们观察到一种他们称作“沉默的螺旋”的现象：除非人们知道听众会赞同，否则他们可能回避讨论任何有争议的事情。
罗格斯大学传播学教授帮助完成了这项研究，他说：“人们倾向于不使用社交媒体来讨论这类重要政治问题。如果有什么变化的话，社交媒体可能实际上正在使网络交谈退出公共领域。”这项研究是在Edward Snowden承认泄露机密情报之后不久做的，他揭露了政府对美国人电话和邮件记录的广泛监视。Hampton说，Snowden的案例为研究者提供了一个具体事例，展示了美国人在一个主宰着新闻报道的重大国内问题上的分歧。
在被调查的1801个成年人中，有86%的人说，如果在各种面对面的场合提及政府监督的问题，比如在公开的会议上、在工作中或在饭馆与朋友用餐时，他们愿意与人讨论自己的观点。但是，只有42%的Facebook和Twitter使用者说，他们愿意把自己的观点发表在网上。那些每天上好几次Twitter的人，在工作中分享自己见解的可能性，是从来不用Twitter的人的1/4。只有当一个人感觉他们的Facebook网络赞同自己的见解，他们加入网站讨论的可能性会增加一倍。
另外一个发现是，社交媒体并没有让人们更容易地发表在其他场合下不愿意分享的见解。14%的美国人表示不愿意与其他人面对面讨论Snowden事件，其中只有不到0.5%表示愿意在社会媒体上讨论他。主管皮尤研究中心互联网项目的Lee Rainie说：“因为这些人使用社交媒体，他们联系圈子大，对某个问题的分歧程度可能了解得更多。这可能使他们在线上和线下说话时产生犹豫，因为他们害怕引起争论、得罪甚至失去朋友。”
虽然许多人可能说，不加入Facebook上的政治争论是一个策略问题，但Hampton却认为，我们有理由担心，人们害怕在社交网络上得罪人，这种心态容易窒息争论。