Passage 4 Futurologists have not been very precise about how and how much digital media will change our lives. Most of comments have focused on the expectation that consumers will soon be able to use their TV or PC to shop, bank and order movies from their armchairs. Commentators envisage more dramatic change to everyday life. Nucholas Negroponte, director of MIT’s Media Lab, believes that a key development over the next five years will be the "personalization" of the computer, with wearable devices such as a wrist-mounted TV, computer and telephone. Peter Cochrane, head of research at British Telecom, looks further ahead, asking us to "imagine a virtual reality interface, with your visual context flooded by information from spectacle-mounted or contact lenses augmented by directional audio input, tactile gloves and prosthetic arms and fingers that will give you the sensation of touch, resistance and weight". Historically, enthusiasts for new technologies have usually been over-optimistic about the speed of change. Most new technologies take longer to be adopted by the general public than these enthusiast experts, although there have been exceptions: once they had reached critical mass, VCRs and mobile phones took off faster than most experts predicted. Arguably, everyday life in the advanced economies changed more between the 1880s and the 1930s than in the last fifty years or, possibly, the next. Nevertheless, it is valid to talk about a digital "revolution", since the extent of change is dramatic by many standards and digital technology is its biggest single driving force. Even if the enthusiasts overstate how quickly things will change, they may turn out to be right about the scale of that change. At this stage, no one knows how the digital revolution will develop. Although the technology itself is now becoming somewhat more predictable, exactly how, and how fast things will change will depend not Only on technological developments but also on the policies of key commercial and political players, especially in the US, Less predictable is how enthusiastically consumers will take to this technology on an everyday, mass market scale. Least predictable are the sociocultural and geopolitical responses: Will the digital revolution lead to greater international understanding or bitter rivalry Will it encourage materialism and erode religious belief, or lead to religious backlash Will it make people happier In terms of the scale of the change, what does the author consider the present change
As a revolution.
B. As being superficial.
C. As being inestimable.
D. As one of the old changes.
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Since the early nineties, the trend in most businesses has been toward on-demand, always-available products and services that suit the customer’s ______ rather than the company’s.
A. benefit
B. availability
C. suitability
D. convenience
Part ADirections: For Questions 1~5, you will hear a short talk about the Nobel Prize. While you listen, .fill out the table with the information you have heard. Some of the information has been given to you in the table. Write only I word in each numbered box. You will hear the recording twice. You now have 25 seconds to read the table below. The first part of the prize is a gold ______.
Passage 4 Futurologists have not been very precise about how and how much digital media will change our lives. Most of comments have focused on the expectation that consumers will soon be able to use their TV or PC to shop, bank and order movies from their armchairs. Commentators envisage more dramatic change to everyday life. Nucholas Negroponte, director of MIT’s Media Lab, believes that a key development over the next five years will be the "personalization" of the computer, with wearable devices such as a wrist-mounted TV, computer and telephone. Peter Cochrane, head of research at British Telecom, looks further ahead, asking us to "imagine a virtual reality interface, with your visual context flooded by information from spectacle-mounted or contact lenses augmented by directional audio input, tactile gloves and prosthetic arms and fingers that will give you the sensation of touch, resistance and weight". Historically, enthusiasts for new technologies have usually been over-optimistic about the speed of change. Most new technologies take longer to be adopted by the general public than these enthusiast experts, although there have been exceptions: once they had reached critical mass, VCRs and mobile phones took off faster than most experts predicted. Arguably, everyday life in the advanced economies changed more between the 1880s and the 1930s than in the last fifty years or, possibly, the next. Nevertheless, it is valid to talk about a digital "revolution", since the extent of change is dramatic by many standards and digital technology is its biggest single driving force. Even if the enthusiasts overstate how quickly things will change, they may turn out to be right about the scale of that change. At this stage, no one knows how the digital revolution will develop. Although the technology itself is now becoming somewhat more predictable, exactly how, and how fast things will change will depend not Only on technological developments but also on the policies of key commercial and political players, especially in the US, Less predictable is how enthusiastically consumers will take to this technology on an everyday, mass market scale. Least predictable are the sociocultural and geopolitical responses: Will the digital revolution lead to greater international understanding or bitter rivalry Will it encourage materialism and erode religious belief, or lead to religious backlash Will it make people happier What is the passage mainly about
A. The likely impact of digital technology on everyday life.
B. The improvements made in the world of mass communication.
C. The applications of digital media in businesses and our lives.
D. The overoptimistic feelings people hold about the new technologies.
Questions 18~20 are based on a talk introducing American adult education programs. You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 18~20. Which of the following is true according to the talk
Adult education classes meet in school, public libraries, religious centers and nature science
B. Adults can take the classes by mail or on their computers providing by the University of Arizona Extended University.
C. Some adults explore new interests through learning job skills and learning to speak a foreign language.
D. An agency in the Federal Department of Education offers classes in many subjects for adults.