节目资讯
刊物:生活知识家
日期:2009-07-21
难易度:High
关键字:sparsely, justify, blisteringly, elusive, TECHNOLO
(Music).
Welcome back from the break, everyone.
Well, if there is no fast Internet connection available where you live, be
patient.
According to our author, technological advances will soon find you and help you
surf the web at a blisteringly fast speed.
Blisteringly is our next key word.
And our sentence reads:
Sam was blisteringly quick and won the race easily.
And now the last key word of the lesson.
The adjective:
elusive.
Sandra is so elusive that it’s hard to find her.
Now we can resume our reading.
Please follow along on line nine of page forty-two.
The Final Mile.
Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines
although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines.
Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables promise to bring
blisteringly fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the last mile remains elusive.
There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband
connection.
But someday that might not matter.
If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication,
it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever
you go.
Welcome back.
We’re talking again about high speed Internet access and how we’re in the last
mile.
Hopefully some people who haven’t received broadband access will have it in a
few years.
And right before the break, we were talking about some of these technological
advancements.
And Esther, how do most broadband connections today run?
This is something our author answers in our lesson.
Right.
Well, most of the broadband Internet connection today or Internet connection,
they run over existing cable TV and telephone lines.
This means that if a city or a country has cable TV lines or telephone lines,
then this is where the broadband Internet lines will run as well.
Although, we continue on, we read that these technologies aren’t available
everywhere.
So some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines.
This is very interesting because if a place or a remote area doesn’t have the
cable TV and telephone lines,
well, they probably have power lines,
which means they have some electricity,
and they can deliver the high speed Internet access through these power lines.
Now this is a... quite an achievement because they couldn’t do this in the past,
because in... developing countries, not everyone has access to cable TV or even
owns a telephone.
But if you live in a place that has a power line, well, maybe you can have
Internet access.
So advanced and cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables bring promise to
many people.
Now let’s talk about these fiber optics cables.
These are special cables that run with fiber optics,
and they are a lot faster than just the regular modem or telephone line.
Yes, they sure are.
If you’re using fiber optics, they’re very, very fast.
And so we see here that there have been many advancements in cheaper, more
efficient fiber optics cables.
And these promised to bring blisteringly fast... Internet connections to more
users.
Now let’s stop for a minute on that word.
It’s an adverb:
blisteringly.
This has several meanings.
Sometimes we use it to talk about something that’s very, very hot.
But that’s not the meaning we’re using here, is it, Esther?
What is the meaning here?
Well, here we’re talking about something that is very, very fast or rapid.
So if you have blister... blisteringly fast Internet connection,
then it means that you have extremely fast and rapid Internet connection.
OK.
And this is hopefully going to be the kind of connection that people in remote
countries or third world countries or developing countries get to use.
So let’s move on to our final paragraph now where we see our author’s
conclusion.
He says:
Still the last mile remains elusive.
Remember we’ve been talking about this last mile.
Much of the world is now connected through the Internet,
but there are still some places that haven’t received... any sort of Internet
connection.
So that last mile remains elusive.
And elusive is another one of our Word Bank words.
Esther, what does it mean if something is elusive?
If something is elusive, it means it’s mysterious.
It’s like a mystery.
You don’t completely know the answers.
It’s like... almost like a secret.
And it’s a bit difficult to describe as well.
So it’s hard to define, you know, who these people are in the last mile and...
And frankly, there will always be somewhere that doesn’t have a broadband
connection.
That’s what our author argues as well.
There will always be people somewhere or someplace that they don’t have an
affordable broadband connection.
Unfortunately, our world is so big it’s probably hard to make sure that
everybody has a computer in their hands.
But someday, you never know, that might not matter.
Right.
Because if the rapid progress or if the fast speed in which something is
improving,
the rapid progress in cellphone technology is any indication,
and maybe not too long before Internet connection simply follows you wherever
you go.
So we know that many people have cell phones and cell phones are developing so
you can go online.
And before long,
maybe everyone will have a cell phone,
and then you can get on the Internet through your cell phone no matter where you
are in the world.
I realized that cell phones have really taken off in the last few years.
I didn’t get a cell phone until I was uh, working my first job.
But now it seems like everybody has at least one cell phone.
Some... some people have two or three.
And I think cell phone technology is a way which that people in some of these
countries might be able to connect to the Internet.
Maybe they don’t have to have a laptop or a desktop computer,
but they can just use their cell phone.
So who knows?
Maybe five or ten years from now, people all over the world will be connected.
And I think it will be wonderful when everyone is connected,
because it means that the world really will become one,
and you can have um, information and language at the tip of your fingers when
you go on the Internet.
Well, we hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s TECHNOLOGY article.
And maybe if you live in a... uh, remote place and you use a dial-up modem,
well, you can write to us and tell us about it.
I know all of us had to deal with dial-up before we got high speed Internet
access, or most of us.
So we understand their frustration.
But be patient.
Before too long, an Internet connection will be available in your town as well.
Let’s watch today’s skit.
Wake up!
The video is over.
Uh, finally.
That.
Was.
Agonizing.
Skip, stutter, sputter.
I know.
Too bad I have poky dial-up.
I can’t believe broadband isn’t available here.
That’s because I’m living in the last mile.
The last mile?
Yes. It’s difficult to provide Internet service here.
This is a sparsely populated area.
A handful of subscribers could justify the expense.
Well, don’t worry.
Every year broadband reaches more and more people and it’s getting cheaper and
more efficient.
I know.
I’m waiting for the promise.
The promise?
Yes, the promise of fiber optic cables.
The promise of blisteringly fast Internet connections here in the backcountry.
Yes.
For now it remains elusive.
But one day, one day, it will be affordable, and broadband connection will come.
Hurray!
I hope it doesn’t take too long.
How long?
Nobody knows.
But meanwhile, keep your pillow handy.
I have it.
(Music).
Hi, everyone. I’m Michelle.
(Chinese).
And time went by blisteringly fast.
We have to say goodbye now.
I’ll see you soon.
Bye-bye.
Thanks again, Michelle.
Believe it or not, the technology already exists.
With the help of satellites,
people are hooking up to the Internet from remote places like dense tropical
jungles and even soaring mountain peaks.
The problem though is it’s very expensive.
Nevertheless, companies are getting closer to the goal of an affordable
broadband connection for everyone.
Friends, I hope you have a fast computer connection.
That way you could watch Studio Classroom online whenever you want.
Well, tomorrow is a very special day in the world of science.
There will occur here in Asia the longest solar eclipse in our lifetime.
So tomorrow, get ready for some unusual daylight darkness.
Until then, all of us here at Studio Classroom wish you a fantastic day.
Bye-bye, friends.
(Music).