英语听力—环球英语 1176 Computer Games: Playing Too Much

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Robin² Basselin.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“In November of 2000, my life was going well. I had a lovely girlfriend. I had a working car. And I had a job.  My job paid more than enough for me to survive. It also supported my increasingly³ expensive video game playing.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　These are the words of Michael Fahey. Fahey is a writer.  He writes for the video game news website Kotaku. In November of 2000, his life was good.  However, Fahey’s life was about to change. In four short months, Fahey would lose his girlfriend, his car and his job. He lost all of these things because of an addiction⁴. He could not stop playing computer games.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Most people recognize the common problem of drug or alcohol⁵ addiction. Addicts⁶ often depend physically⁷ or mentally on substances or particular acts.  They believe that they need them to survive. But have you ever heard of a person who is addicted⁸ to computer or video games?  Research shows this is a growing problem all over the world.  Today’s Spotlight is on gaming addiction.

 

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　　Computer games are popular all around the world. Many people play these games on the Internet. Using the Internet lets people in China play games against people in the United States. And people in India can play games against people in South America.

 

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　　Games look more and more real as computer technology improves. Many people describe playing computer games as entering into a new world. Some games let people create their own cities. Some games take people on journeys. Other games let people “chat” or talk over the Internet.

 

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　　People playing these kinds of games create their own Internet communities. Many people like having these kinds of social relations. They feel less pressure to act or look a particular way. That is because the people they are talking to cannot see them.

 

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　　Gaming can have many positive effects.  It can help people make friends.  It can help people learn to solve problems and make decisions.  It can even help improve eye and hand movement.  However, gaming can become a problem. Some people even begin to spend more time playing games in their Internet world than living in the “real world.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　This is what happened to Michael Fahey.  For Fahey, his addiction was connected to a particular game - a game called EverQuest.  He began playing EverQuest in December of 2000.

 

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　　“Within a week, the game became my life. If I was not sleeping or at work, I was playing EverQuest. Then, working became rare. I would go into work, and I would still hear the sounds of EverQuest in my head. All I had to do was close my eyes and I was in my EverQuest world.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Fahey’s gaming addiction cost him a lot.  However, there have been far worse cases of gaming addiction.  In two 2005, the BBC reported that a South Korean man died while playing an Internet computer game. The 28 year-old man died in an Internet cafe. He had been playing the same game for 50 hours with few breaks. The man had not slept well. And he ate very little food while he played. Police officials believe the man died from heart failure caused by extreme tiredness. Newspapers have reported similar cases of gaming deaths around the world in places like Taiwan, China, and the United States.

 

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　　Many experts have begun to study gaming addiction.  There have been many studies done recently - particularly looking at gaming and young adults.  Dr. Douglas Gentile is an expert on gaming addiction.  He told the website Science Daily,

 

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　　“We are starting to see a number of studies from different cultures -- in Europe, the United States and Asia.  All the studies are showing that around 7-11% of game players seem to have a real problem.  They are considered gaming addicts.”

 

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　　Like all addictions⁹, gaming addiction does have warning signs.  The National Academic Advising Association¹⁰ lists a few warning signs on its website.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　One warning sign is intense¹¹ pleasure AND guilt¹² about playing.  People addicted to computer games will feel the happiest when they are playing games. But they will also feel guilty about the amount of time they spend playing.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Another warning sign is obsessing¹³. Gaming addicts will find themselves thinking about playing all the time.  And this can lead to neglect¹⁴. People with a gaming addiction often neglect or forget about their studies, work, sleep, relationships, food, and family.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Gaming addicts may also struggle with lying, anger and depression.  People with a gaming addiction are often unable to control the amount of time they play.  And uncontrolled playing can lead to other problems like debt.  Many gaming addicts spend all their money on gaming.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　China was one of the first countries to address gaming addiction. With almost 300,000,000 Internet users¹⁵, China has the largest number of internet users in the world. In 2007, the Chinese government decided¹⁶ to act.  They began setting¹⁷ time limits on game players.  This ban concentrated particularly on those under the age of 18.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Doctors in China also began to address the problem.  In 2004, Dr. Tao Ran started one of the first health clinics for people addicted to gaming. Recently he told the Christian¹⁸ Science Monitor:

 

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　　“The problem is getting worse. Internet addicts often have a difficult time in school and society.  So, they try to escape their difficulties and avoid problems. They lack self-confidence. Often they do not have the courage to continue their real lives."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Dr. Tao uses different methods to help people. Sometimes he uses therapy¹⁹. He will talk and listen to the patients. Together they will create a healthy lifestyle plan.  This requires a balance between work, school, and play. Dr. Tao also encourages people to be involved in activities other than playing computer games.  In severe cases he will use medicine or other medical treatments.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Today, many more governments and doctors are addressing the issue of gaming addiction.  More people are learning²⁰ about the problem.  More people are getting help. And more people are changing their lives.  Some people might blame the game makers²¹ for creating the problem of gaming addiction.  However Michael Fahey does not.  Instead, he wrote,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“It would be easy for me to blame the game EverQuest…But I know that was not the problem.  I hid.  I ran from my problems.  I hid in an Internet world instead of directly working to address my problems.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writers of this program were Rebekah Schipper and Robin Basselin.  The producer was Mark Drenth. The voices you heard were from the United States. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net.  This program is called “Computer Games: Playing Too Much.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.

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 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 increasingly   

adv.逐渐地，日益地，逐渐增加地

参考例句：

• Rivers are being increasingly made use of by man. 河流正在日益为人类所利用。
• I find it increasingly difficult to live within my income.我发现靠收入过日子越来越难了。

4 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

5 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

6 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

9 addictions   

瘾( addiction的名词复数 )； 吸毒成瘾； 沉溺； 癖好

参考例句：

• He has removed the stigma of drug addictions. 他已经洗去吸毒的污点了。
• Intelligent people are good at using reason to control excessive addictions. 智慧的人善于用理性来控制过度的嗜欲。

10 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

11 intense   

adj.认真的，专注的；强烈的；紧张的；热情的

参考例句：

• Susan was an intense young lady.苏珊是一个热情的年轻姑娘。
• The quarrel caused her intense unhappiness.争吵令她极其不快。

12 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

13 obsessing   

v.时刻困扰( obsess的现在分词 )；缠住；使痴迷；使迷恋

参考例句：

• Why is everyone obsessing over system specs right now? 为啥现在人人都对系统配置情有独钟？ 来自互联网
• A nitpicker, obsessing over dimes, is too stiff to place orders. 一个连一毛钱都舍不得亏的人，因太过拘谨而不能下单。 来自互联网

14 neglect   

vt.忽视，忽略；疏忽，玩忽；n.疏忽，玩忽

参考例句：

• Don't neglect to lock the door when you leave.你离开时别忘了锁门。
• Today's housing problems are the product of years of neglect.今天的住房困难是多年来忽视的结果。

15 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

16 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

17 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

18 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

19 therapy   

n.治疗；疗法

参考例句：

• The doctor said she should be given a physical therapy.医生说她应该进行理疗。
• She will need to have the therapy repeated every few months.她将需要每隔几个月就进行一次治疗。

20 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。

21 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》