An Extension of the Human Brain
Other people can help us compensate for our mental and emotional deficiencies (欠缺)，much as a wooden leg can compensate for a physical deficiency. To be exact, other people can extend our intelligence and help us understand and adjust our emotions. When another person helps us in such ways, he or she is participating in what I've called a "social prosthetic (义肢的）system." Such systems do not need to operate face-to-face, and it's clear to me that the Internet is expanding the range of my own social prosthetic systems. It's already a big bank of many minds. Even in its current state, the Internet has extended my memory and judgment.
Regarding memory: Once I look up something on the Internet, I don't need to keep all the details for future use-I know where to find that information again and can quickly and easily do so. More generally, the Internet functions as if it were my memory. This function of the Internet is particularly striking when I'm writing; I'm no longer comfortable writing if I'm not connected to the Internet. It's become natural to check facts as I write, taking a minute or two to dip into PubMed, Wikipedia, or other websites.
Regarding judgment: The Internet has made me smarter in matters small and large. For example, when I'm writing a textbook, it has become second nature to check a dozen definitions of a key term, which helps me dig into the core and understand its meaning. But more than that, I now regularly compare my views with those of many others. If I have a " new idea," I now quickly look to see whether somebody else has already thought of it, or something similar-and I then compare what I think with what others have thought. This certainly makes my own views clearer. Moreover, I can find out whether my reactions to an event are reasonable enough by reading about those of others on the Internet.
These effects of the Internet have become even more striking since I've begun using a smartphone. I now regularly pull out my phone to check a fact, watch a video, read weibo. Such activities fill the spaces that used to be dead time (such as waiting for somebody to arrive for a lunch meeting).
But that's the upside (好处).The downside is that in those dead periods I often would let my thoughts flow and sometimes would have an unexpected insight or idea. Those opportunities are now fewer and farther between.
An Extension of the Human Brain |
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A prosthetic nature |
荫 ●The (71) ▲can help make up for our mental and emotional deficiencies as a wooden leg can compensate for a bodily deficiency. • ●It (72) ▲in our daily events, extending our intelligence, comprehending our feelings, and expanding the range of social activities. |
Wonderful aspects: memory and judgment |
• ●On the Internet, we could quickly and easily locate the details, and check facts, without (73) ▲them in mind. |
• ●The Internet makes us smarter over (74) ▲kinds of things. It provides a dozen definitions of a key term for us to find the (75) ▲of the matter. • ●The Internet enables us to exchange ideas with many others to (76) ▲our claims, and to (77) ▲our actions. |
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The (78) ▲sides of smartphones |
• ●Smartphones make it easier and more (79) ▲to check reality, watch video clips, read weibo. |
• ●Smartphones (80) ▲the possibility for new and insightful minds, and steal away our dead time. |
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阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Heatherwick Studio recently built a greenhouse at the edge of the National Trust’s Woolbeding Gardens. This beautiful structure, named Glasshouse, is at the centre of a new garden that shows how the Silk Road influences English gardens even in modern times.
The latest （1） （engineer）techniques are applied to create this protective （2） （function） structure that is also beautiful. The design features ten steel “sepals（萼片）” made of glass and aluminium（铝）. These sepals open on warm days （3） （give）the inside plants sunshine and fresh air. In cold weather, the structure stays （4） （close）to protect the plants.
Further, the Silk Route Garden around the greenhouse （5） （walk） visitors through a journey influenced by the ancient Silk Road, by which silk as well as many plant species came to Britain for （6） first time. These plants included modern Western （7） （favourite）such as rosemary, lavender and fennel. The garden also contains a winding path that guides visitors through the twelve regions of the Silk Road. The path offers over 300 plant species for visitors to see, too.
The Glasshouse stands （8） a great achievement in contemporary design, to house the plants of the southwestern part of China at the end of a path retracing（追溯）the steps along the Silk Route （9） brought the plants from their native habitat in Asia to come to define much of the （10） （rich）of gardening in England.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Although parks of all sizes and types exist at any level, the national parks, in particular, tend （1） （catch） our attention because of their large size and variety. They are （2） （treasure）of American heritage（遗产）. How did the national park system come about? On a cool, starry night in mid-September 1870, four men relaxed before a campfire along the Firehole River in （3） is now northwestern Wyoming. They （4） （be） part of a 15-member exploring party that had spent almost five awesome weeks in witness of the natural beauties there.
What should （5） （do）with such a beautiful place? They wondered out loud. This area, with （6） （it）unique and breathtaking natural beauty, must be well preserved （7） all people of the nation to enjoy — as a national park. They all agreed and vowed（承诺）to promote the idea at the （8） （complete）of their journey. Their promotional work paid off. Two years later, 18 years before Wyoming became a state, Yellowstone became the first national park in the United States and the world. Yellowstone was the （9） （large）United States national park — 2.2 million acres — until Wrangell-Saint Elias in southern Alaska, （10） became a national monument in 1978, took the honors as a national park in 1980 with 12.3 million acres.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
ㅤXiao long bao（soup dumplings），those amazing constructions of delicate dumpling wrappers，encasing hot，（1）＿＿＿＿（taste）soup and sweet，fresh meat，are far and away my favorite Chinese street food. The dumplings arrive steaming and dangerously hot. To eat one，you have to decide whether（2）＿＿＿＿（bite）a small hole in it first，releasing the stream and risking a spill（溢出），（3）＿＿＿＿to put the whole dumpling in your mouth，letting the hot soup explode on your tongue. Shanghai maybe the （4）＿＿＿＿（recognize）home of the soup dumplings but food historians will actually point you to the neighboring canal town of Nanxiang as Xiao long bao's birthplace. There you will find them prepared differently﹣more dumpling and less soup，and the wrappers are pressed （5）＿＿＿＿hand rather than rolled. Nanxiang aside，the best Xiao long bao have a fine skin，allowing them （6）＿＿＿＿（lift）out of the steamer basket without allowing them tearing or spilling any of （7）＿＿＿＿（they）contents. The meat should be fresh with （8）＿＿＿＿ touch of sweetness and the soup hot，clear and delicious.
ㅤNo matter where I buy them，one steamer is （9）＿＿＿＿（rare）enough，yet two seems greedy，so I am always left （10）＿＿＿＿ （want）more next time.
ㅤBeijing is a city bridging the ancient and the modern.From Buddhist temples to museums，narrow hutong（1）＿＿＿＿＿royal palaces，it is home to more than 3，000 years of glorious history even down to its layout with the city keeping its carefully（2）＿＿＿＿＿（build） system of ring roads.
ㅤBut for all its ancient buildings，Beijing is also a place（3）＿＿＿＿＿welcomes the fast﹣paced development of modern life，with 21st﹣century architectural（4）＿＿＿＿＿（wonder） standing side by side with historical buildings of the past.
ㅤIt is a distinct visual contrast（反差）that shouldn't work，（5）＿＿＿＿＿somehow these two very different worlds make a good combination.（6）＿＿＿＿＿（visit） several times over the last 10 years，I（7）＿＿＿＿＿（amaze）by the co﹣existence of old and new，and how a city was able to keep such a rich heritage（遗产）while constantly growing. As a photographer，I have spent the last two years（8）＿＿＿＿＿（record） everything I discovered.
ㅤThe（9）＿＿＿＿＿（remark） development of this city，which is consciously designed to protect the past while stepping into the modern world，（10）＿＿＿＿＿（mean） there is always something new to discover here，and I could be photographing Beijing for the next 50 years.
For thousands of years，people have told fables （寓言）（1） （teach） a lesson or to pass on wisdom.Fables were part of the oral tradition of many early cultures，and the well﹣known Aesop's fables date to the（2） （six） century B.C.Yet，the form of the fable still has values today，（3） Rachel Carson says in " A Fable for Tomorrow. "
Carson uses a simple，direct style common to fable.In fact，her style and tone （口吻） are seemingly directed at children. "There was once a town in the heart of America，（4） all life seemed to enjoy peaceful existence with its surroundings，" her fable begins，（5） （borrow） some familiar words from many age ﹣ old fables.Behind the simple style，however，is a serious message （6） （intend） for everyone.
（7） （difference） from traditional fables，Carson's story ends with an accusation instead of a moral.She warns of the environmental dangers facing society，and she teaches that people must take responsibility（8） saving their environment.
The themes of traditional fables often deal with simple truths about everyday life.However，Carson's theme is a more weighty（9） （warn） about environmental destruction.Carson proves that a simple lyric form that has been passed down through the ages can still （10） （employ） today to draw attention to important truths.