环球英语 — 401：New Technology, New Information

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Adam Navis.
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
An Exercise Medicine Centre in London wanted to test how many steps children take each day. They gave pedometers to young children. A pedometer is a small device² that attaches³ to clothes. It measures the number of steps a person takes.
Voice 2
However, some of the results were strange. Many children were getting a lot of exercise. But they were not losing weight. It was discovered that the children had found a way to avoid exercise. They attached⁴ their pedometer to their dogs!
Voice 1
Today's Spotlight is on how new technology is telling us new things about ourselves. We will look at how two new technologies are giving us a new kind of information about the way we live our lives: Nike Plus and GeoTagging.
Voice 2
For people who study human behavior, there are many ways to gather information. One of the most popular is a survey. Researchers question many specially⁵ selected people. They ask a set of questions to learn about behavior, choices, or identity⁶.
Voice 1
Good surveys gather responses from a wide variety of people. In this way, it can represent⁷ a whole community. However, this method has some problems. It costs a lot of time, money, and energy. People can lie or make mistakes when answering questions. More importantly, some behavior is difficult to measure just by asking questions.
Voice 2
The invention of the Internet was the first step in finding⁸ a new method of measuring human behavior. The Internet connects millions of people from all over the world. And it creates a place where people can be honest about themselves. But the Internet alone was not enough to make a change.
Voice 1
People needed to find a way to use the structure⁹ of the Internet to collect information from people. At first, websites permitted¹⁰ people to enter their own information. Sparkpeople.com is a website like this. It is a free service. People can enter information about how much food they eat, water they drink, or weight they lose. It lets people record exercise information. This is a way to measure progress. It helps people meet their goal of living a better life. And by looking at the group information, researchers can see behavior patterns. However, it still takes time and effort. It only works¹¹ when people remember to use it. One step past this was an invention called Nike+.
Voice 2
Since 1972, the Nike company has made running shoes, exercise clothes, and sport watches. They even created a shoe with a computer in it. This computer can record speed and distance. But for years there was no good way to collect and use this information. In 2004 Nike engineers saw that many people were running with digital¹² music players. These engineers worked with Apple Computers to design something that combined the computer in the Nike shoe, with a digital music player. The result was the Nike+.
Voice 1
Nike+ works this way. A woman goes for a run. The computer in her shoe sends information to her music player. She listens to music, but she also hears how far she has gone, how fast she is going, and how much energy she has used. If she is feeling tired she can play a chosen song to give herself a lift. This is called her "power song."
Voice 2
When she returns home, she connects her digital music player to her computer. Her computer sends all the information to the Nike+ website. It records each run. She can see how fast she ran or how far she went. She can see when she played her "power song." She can compare each month's running. She can even create a goal for herself.
Voice 1
Millions of people use Nike+. All this information in one place has provided¹³ some interesting results. Writer Mark McClusky wrote about this for WIRED magazine
Voice 3
"Nike is learning¹⁴ things we have never known¹⁵ before. In the winter, people in the United¹⁶ States run more often than people in Europe and Africa. But for shorter distances. The average time of a run worldwide is thiry-five [35] minutes. The most popular Nike+ Power Song is "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas¹⁷. Nike has done more than create a successful product. It has changed the way more than a million people think about exercise."
Voice 2
Another way that people are gathering¹⁸ information is by using a GPS. GPS is a global¹⁹ positioning system. A small device connects to satellites²⁰. These satellites find the position of the GPS device anywhere on the world. The device then shows that information.
Voice 1
GPS devices²¹ are very helpful. GPS can direct²² you where you want to go. It can help find someone if they are lost. Many people now carry a GPS device to stay safe.
Voice 2
But another use of GPS is call GeoTagging. Several websites will connect your digital camera and your GPS information. It will create a map of the path you travelled. It will find where you took each picture and connect the two. These websites will even collect all the pictures from the same place taken by different people. In this way, people are creating a new way to see pictures from places all around the world. People can see where other people travel. They can learn how people travel and spend their time.
Voice 1
These new technologies have limits. Some of these devices cost a lot of money. Most devices require some education about how to use. And any device is only as good as the person using it. When the children put the pedometers on their dogs, they showed how this new kind of information can misrepresent real human behavior.
Voice 2
Further, these ways of gathering information only reflect the people who use them. We need to recognize the limits of this new kind of information. So for now, traditional research methods still offer better and important information about human behavior.
Voice 1
Also, no technology can tell us who we are. Technology does not tell us why we do things. However new technology does offer a fun and exciting way to understand our lives. Perhaps most importantly, it makes us wonder what else the future may bring?
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

3 attaches   

贴上，系，附上( attach的第三人称单数 )； （有时不受欢迎或未受邀请而）参加； 把…固定； 把…归因于

参考例句：

• Mother attaches a great deal of value to good manners. 妈妈很重视礼貌。
• No suspicion attaches to him. 他无可怀疑。

4 attached   

附加的

参考例句：

• The lease entitles the holder to use the buildings and any land attached thereto.本租约持有人有权使用此建筑物以及所附属的土地。

5 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

6 identity   

n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致

参考例句：

• He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
• He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。

7 represent   

vt.表现，表示；描绘，讲述；代表，象征；回忆；再赠送，再上演；vi.提出异议

参考例句：

• I'll represent to him the risk he is running.我要向他指出他所面临的险境。
• We selected her to represent us.我们选她作为我们的代表。

8 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

9 structure   

n.结构，构造，建筑物；v.构成；

参考例句：

• Doctors study the structure of the human body.医生研究人体构造。
• A flower has quite a complicated structure.一朵花的结构相当复杂。

10 permitted   

允许( permit的过去式和过去分词 )； 许可； 许用

参考例句：

• Radios are not permitted in the library. 图书馆内不许使用收音机。
• Entrance is permitted only on production of a ticket. 出示门票才可进入。

11 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。

12 digital   

n.数字，数字式；adj.数位的，数字的

参考例句：

• There's a digital watch on the table.桌子上有一块数字式手表。
• The signal will be converted into digital code.信号会被转变为数字代码。

13 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

14 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

15 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

16 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

17 peas   

豌豆

参考例句：

• My little sister picked up many green peas in the field. 小妹从田野里拾到许多豌豆。
• The twin brothers are as like as two peas. 那两个兄弟毫无二致。

18 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

19 global   

adj.全球的；球形的；世界的

参考例句：

• A global environmental meeting is going to be held here.一个全球环境会议将在这里举行。
• The report takes a global view of the company's problems.这份报告对公司的问题作了综合性的论述。

20 satellites   

n.卫星( satellite的名词复数 )；人造卫星；卫星国；附庸国

参考例句：

• Many countries have sent up man-made satellites to circle the earth. 许多国家已经发射人造卫星围绕地球运转。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

22 direct   

adj.直接的；直达的；v.指挥；知道；监督；管理

参考例句：

• This train is direct,you do not have to change.这辆火车是直达的，你不必换车。
• The army is under the king's direct command.军队由国王直接统帅。