人教高中英语高二下UNIT18-2

                                                                    

 ALL IN THE MIND: SCIENTIFIC METAPHORS¹
         It is certainly true that computers, cellphones and digital cameras have become part of our everyday life. Anywhere we go, we can hear the ringing of a cell phone , the tapping of a keyboard or the clicking of a mouse. We are said to be living in the "Information Age", a time of new discoveries and great changes. But is it really true that we are living in the "Information Age"? Has our life changed that much? Many of the things we do with computers, such as typing and sending mail, are things that we also did before. Has anything really changed except the tools we use?
         When we describe or talk about new inventions, we use words and ideas that we already know. For example, when we want to explain how a computer works², we use words like "memory", "store" and "cut and paste³". The words are useful, but they are not quite true. A computer's "memory" is similar to human memory in some ways, but it is also very different. A computer does keep information in its memory, but that is clearly different from other kinds of storage. We do cut and paste, but we don't use scissors or glue. Using familiar words makes it easier for us to understand and use a new tool, but it may also make it more difficult for us to use the new invention in the best way. After all, what makes a new invention such a wonderful thing is that it allows us to do something we could not do before.
        Science is not just about electronics⁴ and plastic; it is also about how we think about the world. Now that we are developing new technology at such a high pace, the true challenge is to find new ways of using it. How will we use computers in the future? How will we use the Internet? The real function will only be known once we discover new ways of thinking about the technology.

1 metaphors   

隐喻( metaphor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I can only represent it to you by metaphors. 我只能用隐喻来向你描述它。
• Thus, She's an angel and He's a lion in battle are metaphors. 因此她是天使，他是雄狮都是比喻说法。

2 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

3 paste   

n.糊，浆糊，铅制玻璃；vt.粘贴，覆盖，猛击

参考例句：

• Please paste these sheets of paper together.请将这几张纸粘在一起。
• Stick the paper with paste.用糨糊粘纸。

4 electronics   

n.电子器件，电子学，电子技术

参考例句：

• About 45000 people worked in electronics in Scotland.苏格兰约有4.5万人在电子行业工作。
• He wants to brush up his knowledge of electronics.他想温习他的电子学知识。