Today the computer has taken up appliance status in more than 42 percent of households across the United States. And these computers are increasingly biting wired to the Internet. online access was up more than 50 percent in just the past year. Now more than one quarter of all U.S. households can surf in cyberspace.
Mostly, this explosive growth has occurred democratically. The online penetration and computer ownership increases extend across all the demographic levels- by race, geography, income, and education.
We view these trends as favorable without the slightest question because we clearly see computer technology as empowering. In fact, personal growth and a prosperous U.S. economy are considered to be the long-range rewards of individual and collective technological power.
Now for the not-so-good news. The government's analysis spells out so-called digital divide. That is, the digital explosion is not booming at the same pace for everyone. Yes, it is true that we are all plugged in to a much greater degree than any of us have been in the past. But some of us are more plugged in than others and are getting plugged in far more rapidly. And this gap is widening even as the pace of the information age accelerates through society.
Computer ownership and Internet access are highly classified along lines of wealth, race, education, and geography. The data indicates that computer ownership and online access are growing more rapidly among the most prosperous and well educated: essentially, wealthy white people with high school and college diplomas and who are part of stable, two-parent households. The highest income bracket households, those earning more than $ 75,000 annually, are 20 times as likely to have access to the Internet as households at the lowest income levels, under $10,000 annually. The computer-penetration rate at the high-income level is an amazing 76.56 percent, compared with 8 percent at the bottom end of the scale.
Technology access differs widely by educational level. College graduates are 16 times as likely to be Internet surfers at home as are those with only elementary-school education. If you look at the differences between these groups in rural areas, the gap widens to a twenty-six-fold advantage for the college-educated.
From the time of the last study, the information-access gap grew by 29 percent between the highest and lowest income groups, and by 25 percent between the highest and lowest education levels.
In the long run, participation in the information age may not be a zero sum game, where if some groups win, others must lose. Eventually, as the technology matures we are likely to see penetration levels approach all groups equally. This was true for telephone access and television ownership, but eventually can be cold comfort in an era when tomorrow is rapidly different from today and unrecognizable compared with yesterday.
- How many U.S. households have linked to Internet today
- More than 25 percent. B. By 29 percent.
- More than 42 percent. D. More than 50 percent.
- According to the text, the computer used by the high-income level is _______ that by the lowest income levels.
- 8 percent more than B. 76.56 percent more than
- nearly 10 times as many as D. about 20 times as many as
- According to the author, which of the following prevents people from gaining access to the Internet
- Income level. B. Poor education and low-income level.
- Participation in the information age. D. Telephone access and television ownership.
- Judging from the context, what does "digital divide" (Para. 3) probably mean
- The government's analysis.
- The divide between the poor and the rich.
- The pace of the information age.
- The gap between people's access to the computer.
核心词汇注释
explosive adj．办爆炸(性)的，爆发(性)的，暴露的 n．爆炸物，炸药
democratically adj．民主地，民主主义地
penetration n．穿透，渗透，突破
demographic adj．办人口统计学的
empower v．授权，使能够
prosperous adj．办繁荣的
plug vt．堵，塞；插上，插栓 n．塞子，插头，插销
diploma n．文凭，毕业证书，证明权力、特权、荣誉等的证书，奖状
mature adj．成熟的，充分考虑的；(票据等)到期的
vt．使成熟 vi．成熟，到期
长难句剖析
The data indicates that computer ownership and online access are growing more rapidly among the most prosperous and well educated: essentially wealthy white people with high school and college diplomas and who are part of stable, two-parent households.
[结构分析]本句中，the data是主语；indicates是谓语动词：宾语是that从句。在宾语从句中，主干是“computer ownership and on line access are growing more rapidly”，among短语作句子的地点状语，冒号后面的部分是对前面内容的进一步解释。
[参考译文]数据显示计算机的拥有和互联网的接入在最富裕的、教育良好的，即拥有高中和大学文凭的富裕白人和那些稳定的双亲家庭中增长更迅速。
The highest income bracket households, those earning more than $75,000 annually, are 20 times as likely to have access to the Internet as households at the lowest income levels, under $10,000 annually.
[结构分析]本句主干是The highest income bracket households…are 20 times as likely to have access to the Internet as households at the lowest income levels。those earning more than$ 75,000 annually作主语的同位语成分。句中还出现了as…as结构，在这个结构前面有倍数20 times。
[参考译文]最高收入阶层的家庭，即年收入高于75,000美元的家庭访问互联网的可能性是那些低收入阶层，即年收入低于10,000美元的家庭的20倍。
[文章难句l In the long run，participation in the information age may not be a zero sum game，where if some groups win，others must lose．
[结构分析]本句主干是participation in the information age may not be a zero sum game。宾语a zero sum game后面是由where引导的非限定性定语从句，其中还有一个if引导的条件状语。
[参考译文]从长远看，加入信息时代可能不是一个平局游戏，在这里一些团体赢了，另一些一定会输。
全文参考译文
如今在全美42％以上的家庭里，计算机已经占据了家电的地位。而且这些计算机还在越来越多地接入互联网。仅仅在过去一年中在线访问量就提高了50％。现在，超过1／4的美国家庭可以上网。
在多数情况下，这种爆炸式增长很民主地出现。不论什么样的人种、地理位置、收入及受教育程度，网络渗透和计算机保有量的增长扩展到人口的各个层面。
我们认为这种趋势无疑是使人高兴的，因为我们明确地认为计算机技术造成了这种趋势。实际上，个人的发展和繁荣的美国经济被认为是个人和集体技术力量的长期发展的结果。
现在还有一些不太好的消息。政府的分析清楚地说明了所谓的数字分水岭。即对于每个人来说，数字化发展的速度并不相同。的确，现在我们所有人都比过去更频繁地接触网络。但是，与其他人相比，我们其中的一些人同网络的接触更频繁，速度也更快。即使当信息时代在全社会加速前进的时候，这种差距也还在加大。
根据财富、种族、教育、地域的不同，计算机的拥有程度和互联网的接入规模有很大差别。数据表明，计算机的拥有程度和互联网的接入规模在最富裕的、教育良好的，即拥有高中和大学文凭的富裕的白人和那些稳定的双亲家庭中增长更迅速。最高收入阶层的家庭，即年收入高于75,000美元的家庭访问互联网的可能性是那些低收入阶层，即年收入低于10,000美元的家庭的20倍。高收入家庭使用计算机的比例高达76．56％，但与之相比，低收入家庭只有8％。
根据教育水平的不同，互联网的访问情况也有很大不同。大学毕业生在家里上网的可能性是那些只有小学教育水平的人的16倍。如果在乡村观察这些群体的不同，受教育者的优势差别扩大到26倍。
最高收入和最低收入人群之间的信息访问差距自上一次研究开始已经增大了29％，在最 高教育水平和最低教育水平之间差距增长了25％。
从长远来看，加入信息时代也许不是一个平局游戏，在这里一些团体赢了，另一些一定会输。最后随着技术的成熟，我们也许将会看到每个团体都能达到同一水平。电话的使用和电视机的拥有就是如此。但是在这个日新月异的时代，计算机最终会自然而然的被普及。
题目答案与解析
1． 如今有多少美国家庭已接入互联网 [答案]A
A．多于25％。 B．29％。 C．多于42％。 D．多于50％。
[解析]本题的依据是文章第1段的最后一句话Now more than one quarter of all U．S． households can surf in cyberspace。据此可知A项为正确答案。
2． 按照本篇文章，高收入阶层对计算机的使用是低收入阶层的________。 [答案]C
A．多于8％ B．多于76．56％ C．将近10倍 D．将近20倍
[解析]本题可参照第5段的The computer-penetration rate at the high-income level is an amazing 76．56 percent，compared with 8 percent at the bottom end of the scale。从中可知，在高收入阶层中，计算机渗透率是惊人的76．56％，而在这个比例的最底端仅有8％。拿前者的76.56％与后者的8％相比，前者正好是后者的将近10倍，因此C项是正确答案。
3． 按照作者的观点，下面哪种因素使人们无法接入互联网 [答案]B
A．收入水平。 B．受教育太少和低收入水平。
C．参与信息时代。 D．电话的使用和电视的拥有。
[解析]本题的依据是文章第5段的第1句话Computer ownership and Internet access are highly classified along lines of wealth，race，education，and geography。在接下来的几段里，作者分别从教育和收入的角度对这种差别进行了比较分析，因此B项是正确答案。
4． 联系上下文能够判断，“digital divide”可能指的是什么 [答案]D
A．政府的分析。 B．贫富的分界。
C．信息时代的前进步伐。 D．人们在计算机使用上的差距。
[解析]本题可参照文章第4段。从第1句话中可知，政府的分析清楚的说明了所谓的数字分水岭。即数字爆炸发展的速度对于每个人是不同的。而这里的数字爆炸明显是指计算机的使用，因为在文章第2段的第1句话里就说到了这种爆炸式的增长，如果和第1段联系起来，爆炸式的增长指的就是计算机的使用。因此正确答案为D项。