《新思维英语阅读Ⅲ》教学辅导(第9章)

《新思维英语阅读Ⅲ》教学辅导（第9章）

CHAPTER 9 MODERN TECHNOLOGY

Theme Introduction:

Technology has changed the lives of many people in the world today. Homes can be run by computers, office filing can be done by robots, and communication can be made to almost anywhere in the world by electronic message. It seems there is no end in sight when it comes to the technology revolution that is going on today. In this chapter you will read about some of the developments in modern technology and the effect they are having on society.

Reading Skill Practised: Scanning

Reading is done for different purposes. For example, you may do careful reading when you are interested in knowing everything about a topic, or want to study a particular subject in detail. This is called "close" reading. Often, however, you are asked to read quickly for specific or special purposes. You may need to quickly find specific facts and details from an article, list, or chart. You might want to look for names or dates, find a definition, or locate supporting details. Learning to read quickly for specific information is called scanning. This skill should become a natural approach to any kind of reading you do. This chapter will give you clues on how to scan so you can find information quickly.

Reading Skill: Scanning (1)

Readers can easily be overwhelmed by a long reading passage, academic essay, or dense article. You can spend too much time figuring out the structure of sentences, or trying to organize a long string of events or ideas in your mind. Of course it is sometimes important to understand such concepts; it all depends on your purpose for reading. If your purpose for reading is to extract specific information, then it is not necessary to read every word or even every sentence. It is often unnecessary to remember every point the writer makes. What you need to do is scan the reading — move your eyes quickly down the page looking only for specific information. As a student, you may be asked to scan for dates, numbers, names, vocabulary or details. Here are some clues to help you look for specific information.

? and days of the week.

? ? If you are looking for then look for punctuation — quotation marks, commas, and

hyphens. Words in italics, and underlined words are also clues to signal details.

Rending Skill: Scanning (2)

It is absolutely essential to scan, or train your eyes to move quickly down the pages when you are searching for a particular piece or pieces of information in an academic text. Scanning is also important when it comes to dealing with directories, schedules, manuals, forms, charts, and other English texts. The following clues can help when scanning vocational or general English texts.

?

words and space dividing topics.

? If you are looking for a fact, notice unusual punctuation marks, such as percentage marks (%)

and dollar signs ($), as well as parentheses ( ), italics, underlined words, and numbers.

? Move your index finger down the page as you scan. This will guide your reading and keep

your eyes moving down the page.

Reading Skill: Scanning (3)

Many of the academic English texts you read will be quite densely written — including many facts, points, details and concepts. You can easily get confused and frustrated trying to understand all the information when doing a close or careful reading. In many cases however, your purpose for reading will be to pick out specific information, not remember all the details. The following clues wilt keep you from being distracted by unnecessary information.

? Make sure you understand what you are being asked to look for. What is the teacher asking

you to identify? What information do you want to pick up from the text? If possible, read the questions before you read the passage.

? Use key words from the question to help you find the answer. For example, if the question

states, "What obstacles stand in the way of technological growth?", scan through the article until you locate the words "obstacles" or "technological growth."

? Look for subtitles, numbered or specially marked sentences, and terms and definitions when

asked to find details and support.

? Graphic aids (tables, charts and diagrams), often make the information in the reading more

visual. Read the title of a graphic aid first, then determine what the information tells you. After you understand what the graphic aid is about, look for specific information such as names, numbers, percentages, or steps in a process.

Main Idea of Reading Materials:

Reading One:

本文通过描绘未来智能家庭的情景，指出：计算机与信息时代已经到来，在这样一个时代，人们最应该担心的是自己落伍，无法适应新技术的发展需要。

Reading Two:

本文是一则高科技家用产品广告，对七大系列现代技术产品的相关信息进行逐一介绍。

Reading Three:

本文以国际互联网在中国的兴起为主题，就“发展的可能性”， “发展的障碍”， “相关的解决办法”三方面进行逐一说明，表明了中国人想充分利用现代技术的良好愿望。

Reading Four:

本文通过介绍海底光线电缆的铺设及作用，指出海底对现代通信系统起了很大的作用。