Unit Four: The Virtual World

Unit Four: The Virtual World The Virtual World

Virtual • M1: very nearly a particular thing 实质上的 -- If the manager is absent, deputy manager will be the virtual head of the business. • M2: made, done, seen, etc. on the Internet or on a computer, rather than in the real world 虚拟的 -- The website allows you to take a virtual tour of the scenery in China. • Listen to the following passage about Virtual Reality: -- In the future, surgeons may use VR to plan and practice an operation on a virtual patient rather than a real person. Architects could take clients on a virtual tour of a new house before it is built. VR could be used to train the operators of aircraft and other complicated machinery. Network VR stimulations could enable people in many different locations to participate together in teleconferences, virtual surgical operations, or simulated military training exercises.

Read the following news about Google: • -- Google's decision to stop self-censoring the search results of Google China – essentially pulling out of the world's biggest market – has created changes for users on the mainland. The key difference today is that a search attempted on Google.cn is redirected to Google.com.hk, the company's affiliate in Hong Kong, where China does not demand Internet censorship. Therefore, the virtual Google service is being provided by HK. • How do you think about Google’s decision? Is it a loss for the Chinese or not?

(Paraphrase: par.1) • My boyfriend’s Liverpool accent suddenly becomes impossible to interpret after his easily understood words on screen; a sectary’s clipped tone seems more rejecting than I’d imagined it would be. • My boyfriend’s Liverpool accent suddenly becomes impossible to understand after getting used to those words on the screen which could be easily understood. A secretary’s quick and clear tone is even harder to accept than I had expected.

Read the joke about Accent (L2) for fun: The Italian Man Who Went to Malta (马耳他） One day I went to Malta to stay in a big hotel. In the morning I got down to have breakfast. I told a waitress: “I wanna two pieces of toast.” She bought me only one piece. I told her: “I wanna two piece.” She said: “Go to the toilet.” I said: “You don’t understand? I wanna two piece in my plate.” She said: “You better no piss in a plate, you son of …!” I didn’t even know this lady and she called me son of … So I went back to my room in the hotel and there was no sheet on the bed. I called the manager, tell him: “I wanna sheet.” He told me: “Go to the toilet.” I said: “You don’t understand? I wanna sheet on a bed.” He says: “You better not shit on my bed, you son of …!” I went to check out and the man at the desk said: “Peace on you!” I said: “Piss on you too, you son of …” And I went back to Italy.

Communicate (2), Communicative • Writing: Fill in the blanks with appropriate words One of the few things we think about when we hear the word communication is language. there are thousands of languages spoken around the world today. In fact, linguists say that there may be as many as 10, 000. Speaking with others is an important means of communication, but we can also communicate without using words, that is, by nonverbal communication. It includes voice quality, eye movements, facial expression and body movements such as gesture and change in body position.

Translation 决定哪一种沟通方式比较好，是面对面沟通还是其他的沟通方式，如电子邮件、打电话等，要看个人对“比较好”的定义的理解。面对面沟通是最有效的沟通方式，因为发生误会的机会最小。另一方面，信件、电子邮件和电话则是较有效率的沟通方式。依我之见，后面这些沟通方式比较好，因为效率在职场上已变得越来越重要了。 When deciding between face-to-face communication and other types, such as e-mail and telephone calls, the kind of communication that one thinks is better depends on the definition of “better.” Face-to-face communication is usually the most effective form because there is the least chance for a misunderstanding to occur. On the other hand, letter, e-mail, and telephone calls are more efficient means of communication. In my opinion, the latter type of communication is better because efficiency is becoming increasingly important in the workplace.

Paraphrase (4) • 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. • I begin to feel as if I’ve become one part of my machines. I receive some data and send them out as if I were another link in the Internet.

Feel an Aversion to (4): strongly dislike, reject • Americans feel an aversion to eating dogs or some other bizarre foods. • Some Chinese feel an aversion to a stranger’s hug. • What do you feel an aversion to?

Crawl (5) • Enjoy “Crawling,” the theme song of “Prison Break”, and Crawling in my skin These wounds they will not heal Fear is how I fall Confusing what is real oh … There’s something inside me That pulls beneath the surface Consuming, confusing This lack of self-control I fear Is never ending Controlling, I can’t seem To find myself again My walls are closing in I’ve felt this way before So insecure 潜伏在我体内的伤口无法愈合恐惧使我坠入深渊什么是真，什么是假，我感到迷惑我体内的怪兽急欲破茧而出吞噬者我困惑着我这种失控让我战栗而它从未消失控制着我我似乎无法再次找回自己犹如困兽般被越避越紧这种感觉似曾相识令我如此不安

Suck (L34) • M1: take something into your mouth -- He’s eight years old, but he still sucks his thumb. -- Don’t try to teach your grandmother to suck eggs. (不要班门弄斧。） • M2: (spoken not polite) 糟糕透了 -- If you ask me, the whole thing sucks. • M3: flatter 奉承 -- He sucks up to his boss by agreeing with everything he says. • M4: be involved in -- Some teenagers don’t want to get involved with gangs, but they find themselves getting sucked in.

Paraphrase (8) • I don’t realize that I’m projecting until after I’ve been embarrassed by someone who politely points out that I have attacked her for agreeing with me. • I feel embarrassed when someone tells me politely that I have criticized her although she agrees with me. And since then, I realize that I am thinking on my own position instead of others’. (以己度人）

Cue (9): a hint or suggestion One fascinated feature of remembering is how a cue from the internet world can cause us to suddenly remember something from years ago. For example, returning to where you once lived in or go to school may bring back memories of events experienced long ago. Sights, sounds, and smells can trigger recall of long active events. A retrieval cue is any stimuli that helps us recall information in long-term memory. The fact retrieval can provoke powerful recollections has led some researchers guess that perhaps all memories are permanent. This is, perhaps nearly all experiences are recorded in memory for a lifetime, and all forgetting is due not to the actual loss of memories but to our ability to retrieve them. fascinating external in going Inactive stimulus That to inability

Paraphrase (10) • 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. • I began to understand why being out of work for a long time can be so destructive, why life which has no support from outside by daily plan can result in higher rate of drug abuse, crime, and suicide.

Review of Phrases I am a computer geek. I keep buying computer newspapers and magazines to keep up with the up-to-the-minute development by taking/sucking in the information in them. I like chatting very much. When I’m on line, I will talk to all the acquaintances in sight in my MSN contact. However, I’m not addicted to computer. I also set apart some time for some outdoor activities.

HOMEWORK • Free admission to museums越来越多的博物馆免费开放的目的是什么？也会带来一些问题你的看法

Unit Four: The Virtual World