科技還是傳統？

四川 蔣建平

眾所周知，科技發展可以為人類和社會帶來各種便利，但新技術的使用是否會對一些歷史傳統造成沖擊？

主題語境：科技進步 篇幅：368詞 建議用時：7分鐘

1Everyone looks forward to progress, whether in one's personal life or in the general society.Progress indicates(象征)a person's ability to change the way he is living at the moment.Progress must lead to a better life and a better way of doing things.All these, however, remain true only in so far as people want to accept technology and move forward by finding new and more efficient ways of doing things.

2However,at the back of the minds of many people,especially those who miss the“good old days”,efficiency comes with a price.When communication becomes more efficient,people are able to contact one another no matter where they are and at whatever time they wish to.The click of a button allows people miles apart to talk or see each other without even leaving their homes.With the communication gadgets,such as mobile phones and tablets(平板電腦),people often do not take the effort to visit one another personally.

3With efficiency also comes mass production.Factories have improved efficiency.Unskillful tasks are left to machines and products are better made and produced with greater accuracy than any human hand could ever have done.However, with the improvements in efficiency also comes the loss of the personal touch when making these products.For example, many handicrafts are now produced in a factory.Although this means that supply is better able to increase demand, now that the supply is quick and efficient, the demand might fall because mass production lowers the quality of the handicraft and it is difficult to find unique designs on each item.

4Nevertheless, progress has allowed tradition to keep up.It is only with progress and the invention of new technology that many old products can be brought back to their old state.New technology is required for old products to stay old.

5It is people's attitude towards progress that causes the type of influence that technology has on society.Technology is flexible.There is no fixed way of making use of it.Everything depends on people's attitude.When we accept progress and adapt it to suit our needs,a new“past”is created.

Reading Check

1.How does the author explain“efficiency comes with a price”in paragraph 2?

A.By describing a process.

B.By using examples.

C.By following time order.

D.By making classification.

2.What does the underlined word“gadgets”in paragraph 2 mean?

A.Tools.B.Messages.

C.Barriers.D.Skills.

3.What can be learned about technology from paragraph 4?

A.It can destroy old traditions.

B.It can sometimes slow social progress.

C.It can be used to correct mistakes.

D.It can be used to protect old products.

4.What can be concluded from the last paragraph?

A.Progress can suit the needs of daily life.

B.People review the past with great regret.

C.People's attitude decides the use of technology.

D.Technology should be introduced in a fixed way.

Language Study

I.Useful expressions

look forward to 期待；盼望

lead to 導致；通往

move forward 前行

take the effort to do 費力去做……

now that 既然

have an influence on 對……有影響

make use of 利用

depend on 取決于

suit one's needs 滿足某人的需求

Ⅱ.熟詞生義

However, at the back of the minds of many people, especially those who miss the“good old days”,efficiency comes with aprice.然而，在許多人的心中，尤其是那些懷念“過去的美好日子”的人，效率是有代價的。

pricen.代價

e.g.Giving up his job was a small price to pay for his children's happiness.放棄工作是他為子女幸福所付出的小小代價。

主題應用·語庫構建

I.主題詞匯

Confucius 孔子

mansion 公館

philosophy 哲學

descendant 后代

individualadj.單獨的

n.個人

kingdom 王國

chief 主要的

puzzlevt.使困惑

n.謎；令人困惑的事物

nearby 附近的

belong 應在(某處)；屬于

currency 通貨；貨幣

military 軍事的

defence 防御

legal 合法的

evidence 證據

achievement 成就

location 位置

conquer 占領

battle 戰役

port 港口

fascinating 迷人的

charge 收費；指控；主管；充電

announce 通知

amount 數量

gallery 展覽館

approach 方法；接近

ensure 確保

landscape 風景

generous 慷慨的

butter 黃油

honey 蜂蜜

ancestor 祖先

position 姿態；位置

courtyard 庭院

snack 點心

eager 渴望的

poet 詩人

county 縣；郡

feast 盛宴

roll 滾動

dotvt.遍布

n.點；小圓點

cattle 牛

roar 咆哮

ocean 海洋

scent 香味

greet 問候

pub 酒館

wine 葡萄酒

beer 啤酒

stew 燉菜

custom 習俗

sensory 感官的

striking 引人注目的

transition 過渡

surround 圍繞；包圍

surrounding 周圍的

surroundings 環境

Ⅱ.主題短語

join...to 把……和……連接起來

break away from 脫離；背叛

belong to 屬于

as well as 也

keep an eye open(for)注意；留心

in defence of 為了保衛……

defend...from/against 保護……免受……

be surrounded by/with 被……圍繞

achieve success 取得成功

achieve one's goal/dream 實現某人的目標/夢想

in charge of 掌管；負責

free of charge 免費

an approach to……的方法

out of position 在不適當的位置

be eager for 渴望得到……

be eager to do sth 渴望做某事

Ⅲ.主題美句

1.The first Chinese characters date from the late Shang Dynasty, some 3,000 years ago, originally made for the purpose of divination.最早的漢字可以追溯到商朝晚期，大約3,000 年前，最初是為了占卜而創造的。

2.These oracle bones offer us a precious glimpse of life in China some three thousand years ago.這些甲骨(文)為我們提供了大約三千年前在中國生活的寶貴一瞥。

3.So, it was these diviners seeking to unlock the future that accidentally provided us with a key to the past.所以，正是這些致力于解鎖未來的占卜者，意外地為我們提供了一把通往過去的鑰匙。

4.Thanks to the Chinese characters on the oracle bones, Chinese civilization could at last be recorded and passed down to the generations.多虧了這些甲骨上的文字，中華文明最終可以被記錄下來，代代相傳。

5.Lions and tigers belong to the cat family.獅子和老虎屬于貓科動物。

6.Their duty is to defend the country from its enemies.他們的職責就是保家衛國，抵御敵人。

7.We stood at the edge of the lake,which is surrounded by trees.我們站在湖邊，湖的四周被樹木環繞。

8.In the past few years, China has made great achievements in environmental protection.在過去的幾年里，中國在環境保護方面取得了很大的成就。

9.His laziness makes it impossible for him to achieve success.他的懶惰使他不可能獲得成功。

10.I'll be in charge of the whole company when Mr Black is away.布萊克先生不在時，由我管理整個公司。

11.As you approach the town, you will see the castle on the left.快到小鎮時，你就可以看到左邊的城堡了。

12.She is eager to see her parents.她渴望見到她的父母。

Ⅳ.主題寫作

你校英文報正在舉辦主題為“World Cultural Heritage in China”的征文活動，請你寫一篇短文投稿，介紹一處中國的世界文化遺產（如長城、北京故宮、莫高窟、杭州西湖文化景觀……）。內容包括：

1.基本情況；

2.文化特色。

注意：

1.詞數80左右；

2.可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫；

3.題目自擬。

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Ⅴ.主題測評

見P63～P74 自測園地“歷史與傳統”內容。