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Unit 4
Science and Technology
After-Class Reading
PASSAGE I True Love
Isaac Asimov [1]
My name is Joe. That is what my colleague, Milton Davidson, calls me. He is a programmer and I am a computer. I am part of the Multivac-complex[2] and am connected with other parts all over the world. I know everything. Almost everything.
I am Milton's private computer. His Joe[3]. He understands more about computers than anyone in the world, and I am his experimental model. He has made me speak better than any other computer can.
"It is just a matter of matching sounds to symbols, Joe," he told me. "That's the way it works in the human brain even though we still don't know what symbols there are in the brain. I know the symbols in yours, and I can match them to words, one-to-one." So I talk. I don't think I talk as well as I think, but Milton says I talk very well. Milton has never married, though he is nearly 40 years old. He has never found the right woman, he told me. One day he said, "I'll find her yet[4], Joe. I'm going to find the best. I'm going to have true love and you're going to help me. I'm tired of improving you in order to solve the problems of the world. Solve my problem. Find me true love."
I said, "I am ready."
He said, "Eliminate all men first."
It was easy. His words activated symbols in my molecular valves. I could reach out to make contact with the accumulated data on every human being in the world. At his words, I eliminated 3,784,982,874 men. I kept contact with 3,786,112,090 women.
He said, "Eliminate all women younger than 25, all older than 40. Then eliminate all with an IQ under 120; all with a height under 150 centimeters and over 175 centimeters."
He gave me exact measurements; he eliminated women with living children; he eliminated women with various genetic characteristics. "I'm not sure about eye color," he said. "Let that go for a while. But no red hair. I don't like red hair."
After two weeks, we were down to 235 women. They all spoke English very well. Milton said he didn't want a language problem. Even computer-translation would get in the way at intimate moments.
"I can't interview 235 women," he said. "It would take too much time, and people would discover what I am doing."
"It would make trouble," I said. Milton had arranged me to do things I wasn't designed to do. No one knew about that.
"It's none of their business," he said, and the skin on his face grew red. "I tell you what, Joe, I will bring in holographs, and you check the list for similarities."
He brought in holographs of women. "These are three beauty contest[5] winners," he said. "Do any of the 235 match?"
Eight were very good matches and Milton said, "Good, you have their data banks. Study requirements and needs in the job market and arrange to have them assigned here. One at a time, of course." He thought a while, moved his shoulders up and down, and said, "Alphabetical order."
That is one of the things I am not designed to do. Shifting people from job to job for personal reasons is called manipulation. I could do it now because Milton had arranged it. I wasn't supposed to do it for anyone but him, though.
The first girl arrived a week later. Milton's face turned red when he saw her. He spoke as though it were hard to do so. They were together a great deal and he paid no attention to me. One time he said, "Let me take you to dinner."
The next day he said to me, "It was no good, somehow. There was something missing. She is a beautiful woman, but I did not feel any touch of true love. Try the next one."
It was the same with all eight. They were much alike. They smiled a great deal and had pleasant voices, but Milton always found it wasn't right. He said, "I can't understand it, Joe. You and I have picked out the eight women who, in all the world, look the best to me. They are ideal. Why don't they please me?"
The next morning he came to me and said, "I'm going to leave it to you, Joe. All up to you. You have my data bank, and I am going to tell you everything I know about myself. You fill up my data bank in every possible detail but keep all additions to yourself."
"What will I do with the data bank, then, Milton?"
"Then you will match it to the 235 women. No, 227. Leave out the eight you've seen. Arrange to have each undergo a psychiatric examination. Fill up their data banks and compare them with mine. Find correlations." (Arranging psychiatric examinations is another thing that is against my original instructions.)
For weeks, Milton talked to me. He told me everything about him. He said, "You see, Joe, as you get more and more of me in you, I adjust you to match me better and better.[6] If you understand me well enough, then any woman whose data bank is something you understand as well, would be my true love." He kept talking to me and I came to understand him better and better.
I could make longer sentences and my expressions grew more complicated. My speech began to sound a good deal like his in vocabulary, word order and style.
I said to him one time, "You see, Milton, it isn't a matter of fitting a girl to a physical ideal only. You need a girl who is a personal, emotional, temperamental fit to you. If that happens, looks are secondary. If we can't find the fit in these 227, we'll look elsewhere. We will find someone who won't care how you look either, or how anyone would look, if only there is the personality fit. What are looks?"
"Absolutely," he said. "I would have known this if I had had more to do with women in my life. Of course, thinking about it makes it all plain now."
We always agreed; we thought so like each other.
What followed, Milton said, was the equivalent of a careful psychoanalysis. Of course. I was learning from the psychiatric examinations of the 227 women — on all of which I was keeping close tabs.
Milton seemed quite happy. He said, "Talking to you, Joe, is almost like talking to another self.[7] Our personalities have come to match perfectly."
"So will the personality of the woman we choose."
For I had found her and she was one of the 227 after all. Her name was Charity Jones and she was an Evaluator at the Library of History in Wichita, Kansas. Her extended[8] data bank fit ours perfectly.
I didn't have to describe her to Milton. Milton had coordinated my symbolism so closely with his own I could tell the resonance directly. It fit me.
Next it was a matter of adjusting the work sheets and job requirements in such a way as to get Charity assigned to us. It must be done very delicately, so no one would know that anything illegal had taken place.
Of course, Milton himself knew, since it was he who arranged it, and that had to be taken care of too. When they came to arrest him on grounds of some illegal actions in office, it was, fortunately, for something that had taken place 10 years ago.
He's gone, and tomorrow is February 14, Valentine's Day[9]. Charity will arrive then with her cool hands and her sweet voice.[10] I will teach her how to operate me and how to care for me. What do looks matter when our personalities will resonate?
I will say to her, "I am Joe, and you are my true love." (1319 words)
Proper Names
Isaac Asimov
（男子名）艾萨克.阿西莫夫
Joe
（男子名）乔
Charity Jones
（女子名）查里蒂.琼斯
Kansas
（地名）堪萨斯州（在美国中西部）
Milton Davidson
（男子名）弥尔顿.戴维森
(Saint) Valentine's Day
圣瓦伦廷节（情人节）
Wichita
（地名）威奇托（美国堪萨斯州南部城市）
New Words
activate
v. make something active 使活动起来
alphabetical*
adj. in the order of the letters of the alphabet 按字母表顺序的
e.g. Dictionaries list words in alphabetical order.
correlation
n. a connection between two ideas, facts, etc. 相互关系
e.g. There is a high correlation between smoking and lung cancer.
delicately*
adv. carefully 谨慎地
e.g. She picked her way delicately over the rocks.
elsewhere
adv. in or to another place 在别处，到别处
e.g. After searching in the park for an hour for his lost kitten (小猫), Dave decided to look elsewhere.
evaluator*
n. an assessor 评价者
experimental
adj. used for experiments 实验（性）的，实验（性）的
e.g. There has been a call for television cameras to be allowed into the courts on an experimental basis.
holograph
n. a picture or image produced digitally 全息照片
measurement
n. (usually plural) the length, height, etc. of something （量得的）尺寸，大小
e.g. I made a list of the measurements of everyone I wanted to buy gifts for.
molecular
adj. of or relating to molecules, i.e. the combination of atoms 分子的
physical
adj. related to someone's body rather than their mind or soul 身体的，肉体的
e.g. My doctor advised me to participate in physical activities.
programmer*
n. a person who writes grograms for a computer 程序编制员
requirement
n. something that is needed or asked for 要求
e.g. My requirements from life are a well-paid job and a fast car.
resonance
n. the special meaning that something has for someone because it is connected with one's own experiences 共鸣
resonate
v. produce or show resonance 产生共鸣
temperamental*
adj. related to the emotional part of someone's character 气质上的，性格的
e.g. I have a temperamental dislike of crowds and large meetings.
valve
n. a door-like part of a pipe or tube which opens or shuts so as to control the flow of liquid, air, gas, etc., through it 活门，瓣膜
e.g. The valves of the heart and blood vessels allow the blood to pass in one direction only.
Phrases and Expressions
a touch of (something)
a very small amount of something 少许，一点
e.g. At university, he wrote a lot, did a touch of acting, and indulged in internal politics.
get in the way
stop someone from doing something properly 妨碍
e.g. "We wouldn't get in the way," Suzanne promised, "we'd just stand quietly in the corner."
keep tabs on
watch carefully 密切注意
e.g. I like to keep tabs on my bank account so I don't overdraw.
keep something to oneself
keep something secret 对……秘而不宣
e.g. They keep their discoveries to themselves.
on (the) grounds of
because of 根据……，以……为理由
e.g. He was rejected on the grounds of old age.
pick out
choose someone or something carefully 挑出，选出
e.g. It's impossible to pick out any single painting for more praise than the others.
PASSAGE II Back from the Dead
Last year, a group of South African researchers claimed to have brought a frozen rat's heart back to life. Their discovery gave new hope to the cryonics movement, which is trying to find ways to preserve human beings so they can be revived in the future.
One morning in the year 2070, a man called Duane awakens. He looks up and sees a doctor in a white coat smiling at him. "Why am I in hospital?" he asks.
"You've been sick," the doctor replies.
Then Duane notices a badge on the doctor's coat. It reads "Alcor Resuscitation." Suddenly Duane remembers everything. He has come back to life, 70 years after he "died."
The reason this was possible is because, instead of being buried or cremated when he died, Duane's body was preserved in a "flask" of liquid nitrogen (at -196 degrees Celsius).[1] And there it "waited" until science had developed the technology to revive a frozen human being.
Suddenly, a woman appears beside the doctor. It is Duane's wife Jeannie, looking more beautiful than ever. For the past 70 years, she has been taking drugs that prevent her body from aging. Duane looks lovingly at her, and then at his own body. That, too, is in perfect condition. The people at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation[2] have not only brought Duane back to life, they have given him back his youth, using the latest computer technology.
The couple look at each other apprehensively — after all, they haven't seen each other for 70 years. "I guess we've got some stuff to talk about, huh?" Duane says to her.
This scenario is a shortened version of that which is outlined in the Alcor Foundation's publicity material.[3] It claims that for around $125,000 — plus storage fees — you, too, might be able to experience a miracle similar to Duane's. But, the brochure warns, "This scenario does not prove that cryonics can or will succeed. It may, however, facilitate discussion of that possibility."
If $125,000 sounds too expensive, there is a cheaper alternative. If you're a little short of cash, Alcor will dispose of your body, and just freeze your head. This is the option that Paul Garfield, a 79-year-old American man, has chosen. When he dies, his head will be cut off and preserved in liquid nitrogen until such time — if ever — that science has worked out how to revive it.[4]
Many people would probably find the idea of "waking up" in the future without a body a little disconcerting. But Mr Garfield isn't worried. Such is his confidence in science that he believes it will not only be able to revive his head, but that it will also be able to build him a new body.[5] "They could just take a small piece of tissue which contains your entire DNA[6], and from that DNA reconstitute the body in the future."
Mr Garfield seems to hold science in higher regard than most people, including scientists themselves. The orthodox scientific community regards cryonics as an absurd idea — one scientist recently likened it to trying to "turn a hamburger back into a cow."
The process of preserving a body begins by replacing the blood with glycerin or anti-freeze. It is then frozen in ice and moved to a storage facility, where "cryonic suspension" takes place. This involves placing the body in a huge flask of liquid nitrogen. In theory, the body could remain in this state for hundreds of years without further deterioration.
But the main problem is that it has so far proved impossible to freeze bodies without causing irreparable damage to the internal organs. When water freezes, it expands, and when this happens in an organ, it causes the cells to rupture.
At present, the only "living" things that are regularly frozen and then reanimated are embryos and sperm. But these are just tiny parcels of living cells — with no organs. Preserving and reviving an entire human body in the same way has so far proved impossible.
This is why the reported breakthrough by researchers in South Africa, who claim to have revived a frozen rat's heart, has created a new sense of optimism among cryonicists. They hope that they may eventually be able to use a similar technique to bring humans back to life. Scientists remain skeptical, though — the South African team's findings have been rejected by all the scientists who have seen them.
And what of the psychology of people who want their bodies frozen?[7] What makes them want to "wake up" hundreds of years in the future? Sociologist Jim Lippard believes they are like a cult, seeking a substitute for religion.[8]
"This type of person seems to be someone who has little or no faith in traditional religion, and who believes in the power of science and rationality to solve problems. They believe that they will be able to live forever through technology."
Indeed, most of these people seem to regard death as an illness that should be cured, while others equate it with a calamity that one should try to avoid. As one man put it, when asked why he wanted to live forever: "It's like being on a sinking ship, and asking someone why they are interested in lifeboats."[9]
For people like Paul Garfield, the fact that cryonics may never work is no reason for not trying. "We may be completely off our rockers," he says. "But if it works, it'll be absolutely wonderful. And if it doesn't work it won't be any different than just dying. That'll be the end of it, and you will have lost nothing."[10] (884 words)
Proper Names
Celsius
adj. 摄氏温度计的
Duane
（男子名）杜安
Paul Garfield
（男子名）保罗.加菲尔德
Jeannie
（女子名）珍妮
Jim Lippard
（男子名）杰姆.利帕德
New Words
anti-freeze
n. a liquid which is added to water to stop it from freezing 防冻剂
apprehensively
adv. nervously 紧张地
badge
n. a thing worn (usually a design on cloth or something made of metal) to show a person's occupation, rank, membership of a society, etc. 徽章
e.g. The officer handed out badges to the new members.
brochure
n. a thin booklet giving information or advertising something 小册子
e.g. A report claims that brochures are unlikely to give an accurate impression of hotels and resorts.
burger
n. a hamburger 汉堡包
calamity
n. a terrible or unexpected event that causes a great deal of damage or suffering 灾难，灾祸
cremate
v. burn a dead body 火化
cryonics
n. the practice or technique of deep-freezing a body in liquid nitrogen at the moment of death, in the hope that doctors will be able to bring it back to life at some time in the future 人体冷冻法
deterioration *
n. the process in which something becomes worse 恶化
e.g. The has been a continuing deterioration in the relations between the two countries.
disconcerting
adj. worrying 令人担忧的
dispose
v. get rid of something 去掉，丢掉
e.g. Nuclear waste is often disposed of under the sea.
embryo
n. an organism in its earliest stage of development 胚胎
equate*
v. say or believe that one thing is the same as another同等看待，使相等
e.g. Poverty is usually equated with misery.
expand
v. (cause to) become larger （使）膨胀，（使）变大
e.g. I ) In hot weather, the door expands so much that it is impossible to open.
II) We have to expand the size of the image.
extension
n. the act of stretching out or lengthening 延长
e.g. Modern medicine has contributed to the extension of the normal life span.
facilitate
v. make something, especially an action or process, easy or easier 使便利，使（更）容易
e.g. I ) The new airport will facilitate the development of tourism.
II ) A calculator facilitates the processing of my income tax form.
flask
n. a glass bottle with a narrow top, used in a laboratory 烧瓶
glycerin
n. a thick, colorless liquid that is used in making medicine and explosives 甘油
irreparable
adj. of damage that is so bad it cannot be repaired 无法修复的，不可弥补的
lifeboat
n. a boat that is sent out to help people who are in danger at sea 救生船
liken
v. describe something or someone as being similar to another person or thing 把……比作
e.g. I ) Man's life is often likened to a sea voyage.
II ) Youth is sometimes likened to a spring flower.
liquid
n. a substance that flows freely, such as water, milk, oil 液体
e.g. Solids turn to liquids at certain temperatures.
lovingly
adv. full of love 钟情地，充满深情地
e.g. Brian gazed lovingly at Mary Ann.
nitrogen
n. a gas that is an element without color or smell, that forms most of the Earth's air 氮
outline
v. give a short description of 概述，概括
e.g. He listened as I outlined my reasons.
parcel
n.
1) a package 小包，包裹
e.g. The parcel was delivered to my office by a courier
(信使).
2) a quantity or amount of something 一组，一些
e.g. a parcel of financial worries
rationality
n. the quality of being able to make decisions and judgements based on reason rather than on emotion 理性
e.g. We live in an era of rationality.
reanimate
v. to give someone or something new strength or energy to start again 使复活，使复苏
reconstitute*
v. to change something back in its original form 使恢复原状
e.g. I reconstitute the juice by adding water to the concentrate.
resuscitation
n. the process of making someone breathe again or become conscious after they have almost died 复活
revive
v. become or make someone conscious, healthy, or strong again （使）苏醒，（使）复苏
e.g. She and a neighbor tried in vain to revive him.
rocker
n. either of the curved pieces of wood on which a rocking-chair, etc. rests （摇椅等下面的）弧形摇板
rupture
v. break or burst 破裂
e.g. I ) Certain truck gasoline tanks can rupture and burst in a collision.
II) The cold weather ruptured the pipes.
scenario
n. an outline of a sequence of events proposed as a possible outcome of a real or imagined situation 事情发展的概述
skeptical
adj. having doubts about 表示怀疑的
e.g. Some people think that the economy will improve soon, but experts remain skeptical about/of this.
sperm
n. a cell produced by the sex organs of a male animal, which is able to join with the female egg to produce a new life 精子，精液
storage
n. the act of keeping or putting something in a special place while it is not being used 储藏
e.g. We've had to build some cupboards (食橱) to give us more storage space.
substitute
n. a person or thing that replaces, acts for or serves as somebody or something else 代替者；代替物
e.g. We have not yet devised an effective substitute.
v. use something new or different instead of something else 代替
e.g. Mr Wilson substituted for our regular teacher in my music class today.
suspension
n. the act of stopping something from continuing for a period of time 暂停，中止
e.g. A spokesman said that this did not represent a suspension of aid to that country.
Phrases and Expressions
be short of
not having enough 缺乏
e.g. We're a bit short of space in this apartment.
dispose of
get rid of something 丢掉，去掉；处理
e.g. I ) She decided to dispose of some of her books and pictures.
II) I want to dispose of my old car before I buy a new one.
equate ... with...
consider one thing as being the same as something else 把……与……等同起来
e.g. It is a mistake to equate wealth with happiness.
in ... condition
in a certain state 处于……状态
e.g. We're looking at an athlete in peak condition—she's strong, she's fast and she hasn't missed a ball.
hold somebody/something in high regard
admire and respect very much 对……极为尊重
e.g. He is a man I hold in high regard because of his great independence.
off one's rocker
crazy 精神失常，发疯
e.g. If you think you can learn to do everything in one lesson, you are off your rocker
PASSAGE III Watch Out - You're on Camera
It might be more than 10 years behind schedule, but George Orwell's nightmare vision of a 1984 with an all-seeing, all-knowing state is starting to take reality on the streets.[1]
The British are among the most surveyed people in the world. In 95% of towns and cities it is impossible to walk without having your actions recorded on videotape or observed from hidden control rooms.
Soon, all our car journeys will be recorded electronically at toll booths. Electronic passports will keep a record of our trips abroad. And within the next few years it is likely that we will be carrying electronic identity cards. These cards, produced on demand, will give government agencies, insurance companies or the police instant access to medical, employment or criminal records.
Gradually, over the past few decades, people have come to believe that mass surveillance is for the public good. "A generation ago privacy was seen as a fundamental right," says Simon Davies, director of the pressure group[2] Privacy International, "but the public attitude has changed. If you look at the language of government, technologists, and the private sector you find that the idea of privacy no longer enters into the debate."
It is not just pressure groups that are worried. Sir Jon Smith, former deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police[3], expressed his fears last week when he warned that the public's interest in crime is prompting a disturbing growth in public and private surveillance. He wants the government to think again about its plans for an identity card. "The relationship between the police, the state and the citizen would be quite dramatically and adversely affected," he says.
Davies believes that private industry and successive governments have gradually manipulated the language of surveillance to make it acceptable to the public. Surveillance has gained acceptability because it is called voluntary when in fact it is compulsory. The government has taken this approach with identity cards. The problem is, says Davies, that anyone who does not comply will be seen to be acting against the public good. They are likely to face, at best, inconvenience and at worst, discrimination. "Getting a passport might be difficult if you have not got an identity card," he says. "And you might find it harder to get a job."
Identity cards are portrayed as a measure to combat crime. But remarkably there are no research findings to support the idea that identity cards do reduce crime. And some criminologists fear that, rather than hindering crime, identity cards will encourage it by making it easier for criminals to create false identities.
Another system is on trial in the US. The Immigration Department began testing an electronic passport for frequent visitors to the US in April. The passport, a smart card, allows business travelers to bypass the queues and pass through the airport in a few minutes. Electronic scanners verify the card holder's identity by taking a palm print reading.[4] The system, called Inspass, is likely to be extended to European airports if the trials are successful.
The government distances itself from the scheme by describing it as an international collaboration between the airlines, says Davies. But is it really voluntary? Davies believes that few people will want to opt out of Inspass when the alternative is long queues for a manual passport inspection.[5]
Opinion polls show that the public is enthusiastic about the closed-circuit television systems[6] which monitor town centers. And they have been successful in reducing, or at least displacing, crime.
But, says Davies, when people are told that the cameras are so powerful they can see tiny details of your face from 50m, even in the dark, they start to get nervous. Few realise that the cameras also have a powerful tracking ability. Davies saw a demonstration in Liverpool where supervisors followed a boy, seen as a troublemaker, through a shopping center. The cameras watched him meet and talk with friends and followed him into McDonald's. They watched through the window as he went upstairs to eat a burger.
New technology will increase the capability of surveillance systems. A helicopter surveillance system under development will be able to send pictures back to the police station from police in the street with miniature cameras in their helmets. A police helmet under trial in Cleveland and Tayside will enable photographs of suspects and records from police computers to appear on a tiny screen in front of the policeman's eye. Computer links to patrol cars will give instant access to the Police National Computer, local police files, and vehicle records.
In America, plans by the government to allow government agencies and intelligence services[7] easy access to telephone conversations and electronic mail have caused considerable concern. Individuals and organizations will be encouraged to use computer chips[8] designed by the National Security Agency[9] to code confidential voice and computer communications — but they will be required to lodge the secret keys with government agencies.
Britain is at the center of discussions to establish a similar system of codes in Europe. Plans are advanced, with at least one European country intending to have a system in use by the end of the year. A recommendation by the Council of Europe[10] calls on member states to introduce legislation requiring telephone companies to design in mechanisms to make it easier for government agencies to tap phones.
The Department of Trade and Industry is funding research into a coding system for the next generation of digital mobile telephones at London's Royal Holloway[11] and Bedford New College.
The miners' strike in 1984 showed that systems designed to monitor crime can be, and are, easily manipulated by government to keep track not only of criminals, but of those with alternative political views. In his book The Enemy Within, Seumas Milne reveals government phone tapping and bugging of activists in the National Union of Mineworkers on a scale so huge that the security services were unable to cope with the information mountain produced. The strike is also said to have sparked trials of electronic number-plate recognition systems to keep automatic tabs on the movements of officials of National Union of Mineworkers.
There are fears too that the growth of computer databases resulting from the introduction of identity cards and other surveillance mechanisms will increase the amount of misleading and inaccurate information on individuals. The Campaign for Freedom of Information quotes one recent example where a British holidaymaker was refused entry to Spain because Europe's Schengen database, which keeps tabs on 700,000 individuals, had wrongly identified him as undesirable.
Everyone has a right to privacy, says Davies. And even the most enthusiastic supporters of surveillance have things they want to keep from the public gaze. But unless technologists and the public start to take privacy more seriously, he warns, George Orwell's Big Brother could sneak in through the back door.[12] (1137 words)
Proper Names
Bedford
（地名）贝德福德（英格兰中南部城市）
Cleveland
（地名）克利夫兰（英国英格兰郡名）
Simon Davies
（男子名）西蒙.戴维斯
Jon Smith
（男子名）乔恩.史密斯
McDonald's
麦当劳快餐店
Seumas Milne
（男子名）索马斯.米尔恩
George Orwell
（男子名）乔治.奥维尔
Spain
（国名）西班牙
Tayside
（地名）泰赛德区（英国苏格兰行政区名）
New Words
Acceptability *
n. the state of being good enough to be considered satisfactory 可接受性
activist*
n. a person who works to bring about social or political change 积极分子，活动分子
e.g. Some activists blocked the entrance to the store that sold books they disagree with.
airline
n. a company or service which provides regular flights for public use 航空公司，航空服务
e.g. There are five airlines operating on this route.
bug
v. put a bug somewhere secretly in order to listen to conversations 通过窃听器窃听；在……装窃听器
e.g. She suspected that her phone had been bugged.
n. a small piece of electronic equipment for listening secretly to other people's conversations 窃听器
e.g. The police planted a bug in the suspect's apartment.
circuit
n. the complete circle that an electric current travels 电路
e.g. closed circuit television (闭路电视); a high tension circuit（高压电路）
collaboration
n. the act of working together with another person or group to achieve something 合作，协作
e.g. I ) This project is the result of the collaboration of many researchers.
II ) The author and the editor succeeded in their collaboration on the book.
combat
v. fight someone or something 与……战斗，与……斗争
e.g. I ) The doctors are combating cancer with new drugs.
II ) The government is spending millions of dollars in its attempt to combat drug abuse.
commissioner*
n. an important official in a government department or other organization （政府厅、局、处等部门的）长，长官
e.g. The police commissioner worked on the case himself.
comply
v. obey 服从，遵从
e.g. We must comply with the library rules.
compulsory
adj. that must be done 必须做的
e.g. Mathematics is a compulsory subject (必修课).
council
n. a group of people who are appointed or elected to make laws, rules, or decision, or to give advice 委员会，理事会
e.g. The town council meets twice a month.
criminologist
n. a person doing scientific study of crime and criminals 犯罪学家
database
n. a large amount of data stored in a computer system so that it can be easily found by a computer user 数据库，资料库
e.g. We linked to the online (联机的) database at our head office.
debate
n. formal argument or discussion of a question 辩论，讨论
e.g. There was heated debate about the National Health Service.
deputy
n. a person who is second in command; assistant 副职，副手
e.g. He and his deputy cooperate well.
digital
adj. of or based on a system in which information is represented in the form of numerical digits 数字式的，数码的
e.g. The digital computer revolutionized the way information is processed.
displace
v.
1) take the place of 取代
e.g. Coal is to be displaced by natural gas and nuclear power.
2) force out of the usual place 迫使离开原来的地点
e.g. The indigenous population was soon displaced by the settlers. 没过多久外来移民就把当地人赶出了家园。
employment
n. the situation or condition in which people are employed 就业
e.g. Employment levels are unlikely to rise significantly before the end of next year.
enthusiastic
adj. showing a lot of interest and excitement about something 满腔热情的，极感兴趣的
e.g. I'm really enthusiastic about visiting your hometown.
entry
n. the right to enter a place 进入
e.g. Bill was among the first to gain entry to Buckingham Palace when it opened to the public recently.
fundamental
adj. essential 基本的，根本的
e.g. I ) The agency's fundamental goal was to feed the poor.
II ) Hard work is fundamental to his success.
gradual
adj. happening, developing, or changing slowly over a long period of time 逐渐的，渐渐的
e.g. He has made gradual progress in his studies this term.
helicopter
n. a type of aircraft with large metal blades on top which turn around very quickly to make it fly 直升飞机
e.g. The presidential helicopter landed on the White House lawn.
hinder
v. prevent the progress of 阻碍，妨碍
e.g. Nothing could hinder us from attaining our goal.
immigration
n. the process of entering another country in order to live there 移居，移民
e.g. The government has decided to tighten its immigration policy.
inspection*
n. a careful examination of something 检查，检验
e.g. Officers making a routine inspection of the vessel found fifty kilograms of the drug.
legislation
n. a law or set of laws 法律，法规
e.g. European parliament (议会) wants to introduce legislation to prevent children from working.
lodge
v.
1) put something somewhere for safety （为安全起见）存放，把……交于
e.g. We'd better lodge our money in the bank.
2) provide somebody with a place to sleep or live in for a time; to live for payment in somebody's house 供（某人）以临时住宿；寄宿
e.g. His son lodged at a friend's house when he worked abroad.
mechanism*
n.
1) a part of a machine that does a particular job 机械装置
e.g. An automobile engine is a complicated mechanism.
2) a system that is intended to achieve something or deal with a problem 办法，途径
e.g. There is no mechanism for punishing arms exporters who break the rules.
metropolitan
adj. belonging to or typical of a very large busy city 大城市的，大都会的
e.g. The country is quieter in comparison to metropolitan life.
miniature
adj. small, usually a model or replica 小型的，微型的
e.g. My favorite toy of all was the miniature railway.
mobile
adj. able to move freely or easy to be moved 易于移动的
e.g. I ) He converted his truck into a mobile snack bar.
II ) You've broken your ankle (踝关节) but you'll be fully mobile within a couple of months.
opt
v. choose one thing or one course of action instead of another 选择
e.g. I ) When he left school, he opted to go to college and study for a degree, rather than getting a job right away.
II ) The government has been encouraging individuals to opt out of the state pension scheme (养老金计划).
passport
n. an official document containing your name, photograph, and personal details, which you need to show when you enter or leave a country 护照
e.g. They were asked to show their passports at the frontier(边境).
patrol
n. the act of going around different parts of an area at regular times to check that there is no trouble or danger 巡逻
e.g. The soldiers came under fire while on a routine patrol.
v. go around different parts of an area at regular times to check that there is no trouble or danger 巡逻
e.g. The whole town is patrolled by police because of the possibility of riots(骚乱).
portray
v.
1) describe something in a particular way描写，描述
e.g. The characters in his novel are vividly portrayed.
2) make a picture of 画（人物、景象等）
e.g. The artist portrayed the battle in a colorful painting.
royal
adj. of a king or queen 皇家的
e.g. The whole country loves a royal wedding.
scanner*
n. an instrument for scanning 扫描设备；扫描器
e.g. Ann bought a scanner so she could convert images to computer files.
scheme
n. a plan 计划
e.g. The newspaper revealed the president's scheme to raise taxes.
sector
n. a part of an area of activity, especially of business, trade, etc. 部分，部门
e.g. Economic growth in the nation's business sector improved last year.
sneak
v. go quietly and secretly 偷偷地走，溜
e.g. The burglar sneaked out of the house.
spark
v.
1) cause 触发
e.g. His interpretation sparked a quarrel between them.
2) start someone's interest in something 激励，鼓舞?
e.g. The professor sparked the students' interest in reading.
n. a very small bit of brightly burning material produced by a fire or by hitting or rubbing together two hard objects火星，火花
e.g. There were sparks of electricity flying everywhere after the wire was cut.
successive
adj. coming or following one after another 连续的
e.g. Six successive attempts finally brought success.
supervisor*
n. a person who supervises 监督人，检察员
surveillance
n. the act of carefully watching a person or place because they may be connected with criminal activities 监视
technologist
n. someone who has special knowledge of technology 技术专家
troublemaker
n. a person who makes trouble 闹事者
verify
v. find out whether something is true or correct 证明，证实
e.g. Truth can be verified only through practice.
voluntary
adj. done willingly and without being forced 自愿的，志愿的
e.g. Participation in the organized evening activities will be voluntary.
Phrases and Expressions
at best
even under the most favorable circumstances possible 就最乐观的一方面看，充其量
e.g. At best we can do only half as much as last year.
at worst
under the worst conditions; as the worst possibility 就最不利的一方面看
e.g. When Don was caught cheating in the examination, he thought that at worst he would get a scolding, but never expected that he would be dismissed from the college.
distance oneself from
show that one is not involved or connected with somebody or something 使远离，使疏远
e.g. She was eager to distance herself from the views of her colleagues.
enter into
start doing something, especially discussing or studying something 参加，开始从事
e.g. I ) They refuse to enter into any discussion on this matter.
II) We have entered into a correspondence with the company.
keep track of
know what is happening somewhere or to somebody/something 跟上……的进展，跟踪
e.g. As a news reporter, he has to keep track of events all over the Middle East.
on demand
done or given whenever someone asks 一经要求，承索
e.g. These measures would allow married couples to obtain a divorce on demand.
opt out of
decide not to join in a system 决定退出
e.g. I have decided to opt out of the meeting.
portray ... as ...
describe ... as ... according to one's own opinion 把……描述成，把……描写成
e.g. In many of Dickens' novels life is portrayed as being hard and brutal.
take someone/something seriously
treat someone/something as important 认真对待
e.g. The police have to take any terrorist (恐怖主义分子) threat seriously.
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