《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词4500》61 Web Feats

　　Unit 61
Web Feats¹
Here is a look at six ways the internet has made an impact on us in the past decade. There's no going back!
Everybody can get information if they learn how to look for it. Irritated at the half-remembered lyrics² of a song? Need a recipe for cassoulet? In pre-Internet days, finding the answer would have involved looking through reference books, scanning a newspaper or even making a trip to the library -- all with no guarantee of finding the information. Now, Google, the Internet search engine, can deliver even the most obscure bits of information to your desktop³ computer within a matter of seconds. Spend a little time on the help pages at google.com to hone your search skills and the vast information warehouse⁴ that is the web will soon be at your fingertips.
Cheap near-instant communication. To those who have grown up in the era of the ubiquitous @ symbol, it's easy to take electronic mail for granted, but the ability to flash messages around the globe with documents or images attached is revolutionary. Of course, with email you cannot ignore the spam problem -- the inconvenience of having an inbox flooded with offers of cheap drugs and get-rich-quick schemes.
No one is anonymous⁵ anymore. Try a search on your best friends names in Google, and chances are they will be somewhere on the Internet, especially those who are under 30. From websites to chatrooms, most Internet users leave a trail easy to pick up.
Everyone can be a publisher. Publishing used to be concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy people and organizations that could afford the expensive infrastructure⁶ to print and distribute newspapers and magazines. Now everyone can play for next to nothing through personal websites or, more likely these days, by joining the Blogging phenomenon. Try blogger.com for a taste of Blog power. How you make people read your Blog, however, is a different question.
Everyone can get breaking news. Previously⁷, the average person had to wait until the media decided⁸ what information supplied by the wire services or their own reporters they would pass on via television news, radio bulletins and the next day's newspaper. Now you have direct access to news via the web: try reuters.com or cnn.com for starters.
The world market comes to your doorstep. The Internet has turned the connected world into a huge market place. This is primarily through the online eBay, but there are many others -- Google lists hundreds of different auction⁹ sites. These sites have evolved into an incredibly efficient marketplace, with people coming together from all parts f the globe. Huge numbers of conventional retail¹⁰ outlets¹¹ are also online. Get the cheapest price for an item online -- then, armed with a printout, head to the shopping mall to do the battle. You won't make many friends among the shopkeepers, but you'll certainly save some money.

1 feats   

功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
• His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。

2 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

3 desktop   

n.桌面管理系统程序；台式

参考例句：

• My computer is a desktop computer of excellent quality.我的计算机是品质卓越的台式计算机。
• Do you know which one is better,a laptop or a desktop?你知道哪一种更好，笔记本还是台式机？

4 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

5 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

6 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

10 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

11 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》