英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0202 - 精华版科技篇

 Topic1 Smartphone Replacement¹ DemandWhen is your last time buying a new smart phone?

Chinese people seem to love having the latest phone, with figures showing that China is just behind the US in terms of how often people replace their phone. Obviously this is great for Chinese manufacturers as 60% of all smartphones bought in China are from domestic brands.  However, this could place iteration pressure on the manufacturers as well as pressure on the environment as only 1% of old phones are recycled in China.

Would you say its accurate to say that Chinese people replace their phones for the latest offering often? Why do think replacement demand is so high?

Topic2 3D PrintingThe Economist² says 3D Printing will cause a third industrial revolution. However Taiwan tycoon³ Terry Guo, founder⁴ and chairman of Foxconn, totally disagrees. He says if 3D Printing can cause a third industrial revolution, he will spell his surname Guo backwards⁵, a common way Chinese swear that something would never happen.

Is 3D printing a revolutionary technology?

Topic3 Online Open CoursesFudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University this week joined Coursera, one of the three major technology companies offering massive open online courses (MOOCs).

What is MOOCs? Is it the same with some other online teaching resources, like Harvard lectures or TED⁶ speeches?

Topic4 SurrogacyRecently, the Ministry⁷ of Health, or MOH, has collected experts' opinions on surrogacy. One expert said it would take at least 5 to 10 years for surrogacy to be legalized in China. Then some media misinterpreted the issue into surrogacy would be legalized in China in 5 to 10 years. So the ministry reiterated⁸ that surrogate motherhood remains⁹ banned in China and it would step up its control over Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Is the policy unchanged?

Topic5 4G Licenses¹⁰ GrantedChina issued long-awaited 4G licenses to three telecommunications carriers Wednesday, which would offer mobile Internet access 20 to 50 times faster than the current 3G network and create a new trillion-yuan market for devices and services.

What does it mean?

Topic6 Moving to Other PlanetsLast June, a Mars migration¹¹ initiative named Mars One began to recruit volunteers. So far at least 78,000 people worldwide, including about 10,000 from China, had submitted applications as of May 7. Recently media reports the project’s headquarter is in a rented house in the Netherlands, with just one employee. Many people question the project is just a scam.

According to the project brochure, applicants¹² pay an administration fee based on their country's per-capita gross domestic product. Chinese applicants pay US$11. Media says Mars One has already generated more than US$1 million (S$1.25 million) in non-refundable application fees.

1 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

2 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

3 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

4 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

5 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

6 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

11 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

12 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。