节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-12-31
难易度:High
关键字:miraculous, innovation, foreshadow, visualize, envision, weaponry
Welcome back from the break.
Consider this prediction made back in 1968.
In a few milliseconds, you will read the headlines of any newspaper you please.
The text will be automatically updated every hour, and you could spend your
lifetime doing nothing but absorbing an ever-changing flow of information.
Sound familiar?
Wow! This forecast was written by Arthur C. Clarke back in 1968.
And Arthur C. Clarke is a man we'll hear more from again in a moment.
Right now, let's look at more science fiction predictions that came true on line
9.
Science (Non)fiction.
The Internet was envisioned by Mark Twain in 1898.
Credit cards?
Predicted by Edwards Bellamy in 1888.
Satellites?
Written about by Arthur C. Clarke in 1945.
Military weaponry like submarines, tanks and atomic bombs appeared in novels by
Jules Verne (1869) and H.G. Wells (1903, 1914).
Lunar exploration was visualized by Johannes Kepler as far back as 1634.
So what does this suggest for the future?
The bizarre fantasies of today's science-fiction writers may one day be accepted
as normal devices.
Already we are seeing developments like flying cars, real-time language
translation and even thought-controlled computers.
The future is becoming "now" faster than ever before.
(Music).
All right, friends.
We are looking at how some of the technology that we use today was once only
dreamed.
That's right. We looked at cellphones.
Now let's look at the Internet.
The Internet was envisioned by Mark Twain in 1898.
Wow! Now something that is "envisioned" is thought of in your head, usually of
something that will happen in the future.
Now remember, friends, we're looking at things that come from science fiction
back in their time.
So in 1898, the Internet was a science fiction piece, something we could never
have imagined.
Yeah. It definitely did not exist for almost 100 years.
Now what about credit cards?
Well, credit cards?
They were predicted by Edward Bellamy in 1888.
Wow, so early!
All right. What about satellites, which are objects that float in space?
Well, satellites were written about by Arthur C. Clarke in 1945.
Now these are all famous authors.
And you could look at their books and find out where they come from.
We have more information on this.
So let's visit Liz with Grammar on the Go.
Hi there, friends.
My name is Liz.
And it's time for Grammar on the Go.
For today's Grammar Tip, let's take a look at the following sentences.
Credit cards? Predicted by Edward Bellamy in 1888.
Normally, a sentence should tell you who or what is doing something.
In other words, a sentence should have a subject and a verb.
But here, our first sentence has a subject with no verb.
And then the second sentence has no subject but a verb.
What's going on here?
OK. Let's beging with "Credit cards?" In this case, it is understood that the
writer is asking: What about credit cards?
The answer is in the following sentence:
Predicted by Edward Bellamy in 1888.
In other words, credit cards were predicted by Edward Bellamy in 1888.
The writer continues on with the following:
Satellites? Written about by Arthur C. Clarke in 1945.
Again, the writer's doing the same thing as he did with the previous sentences.
The sentences are like this because the writer is using a creative style and not
an academic style to communicate.
The writer mentions how current technologies that were once science fiction are
not hard to find.
And then he gives several examples.
If you had used traditional sentence patterns, his list of examples might appear
dry to the readers.
Instead he uses a style that sounds like he is talking rather than giving a
formal report.
And when the person is talking, they don't always use complete sentences.
This is the beauty of creative writing.
You can play around with the language.
The more you know the language, the more you can play with it.
And that's it for today.
This is Liz with Grammar on the Go signing off.
Bye-bye.
Thank you, Liz.
Now let's look at military weaponry like submarines, tanks and atomic bombs.
OK. Now military weaponry.
"Weaponry" refers to weapons or weapon-like instruments that you use in warfare.
OK. So submarines are vehicles that drive under the water.
Tanks are very large and strong vehicles that drive on the land.
And atomic bombs are some of the biggest and most dangerous bombs in the world.
Well, these all appeared in novels by Jules Verne in 1869 and H.G. Wells in 1903
and 1914, predicted by two different authors in completely different time
periods.
Wow! OK.
Now lunar exploration, which means exploring the moon, was visualized by
Johannes Kepler as far back as 1634.
That's absolutely incredible to "visualize" something that early on.
Now to "visualize" means to form a mental picture of or to imagine it.
Now Johannes Kepler actually had this written in his work as far back as 1634.
OK, many, many hundreds of years ago.
In fact, probably about 2 or 300 years... 400 years before it actually was
possible.
That's right, long before.
Well, friends, if you look in your magazines, you can see a list of authors on
page 53 that shows you the author,
the year they predicted it and the book or literary work it showed up in.
OK. So what does all of this suggest for the future now?
Hmm. Well, the bizarre fantasies of today's... today's science-fiction writers
may one day be accepted as normal devices.
That's right.
Already we're seeing developments like flying cars, real-time language
translation and even thought-controlled computers.
Now real-time language translation means it is translated as you speak at the
exact same time.
It doesn't take a long time.
No one has to work it out.
That'll be incredible.
Yeah.
So really we're seeing here that the science-fiction future is becoming "now"
faster than ever before.
That's right.
It's coming more and more real.
Well, friends, this brings us to the end of December 31, 2012, which is the end
of our year.
So we would like to wish you a very happy New Year.
And we would like to thank you.
Next year Studio Classroom will be bringing you an entirely new show with new
teachers.
My name is Kaylah, and I've had a wonderful time the last two years learning
with you.
Thank you so much for being my friend.
And me too. I'm... I'm really looking forward to the show next year.
But friends, I'm going to miss you.
We've had a wonderful time teaching you on the show, learning new things with
you.
And we look forward to the time that we get to see you again.
That's right.
But stay with Studio Classroom new teachers and a brand new show coming your way
at the very beginning of next year.
Stay in touch with Studio Classroom via the Internet at
letters@StudioClassroom.com.
And as always, you can find us on Facebook.
Friends, thank you so much for joining us.
Have a wonderful New Year.
All right. So stick around for the skit.
And now it's time for Kaylah and I to say goodbye.
Bye, friends.
(Music).
This one here? Yes, this will be very useful.
Hello, Dr. Inventor.
Are you working on your next invention?
Yes, I am.
What will your next invention be?
I'm looking for ideas in these old science fiction books.
Ha... Ideas from science fiction?
Yes. Why not?
The creative minds behind inventions are not always scientists.
Really?
Literary masters conceive some incredible innovations way before their time.
Oh. So you're looking for new "old" inventions?
Yes, and they are not hard to find.
Look, Star Trek talks about a communication device.
Maybe I'll invent that.
Uh... that's kind of like a cellphone, isn't it?
Hmm, yes, it does.
Well, I'll keep looking.
A-ha! Mark Twain talks about connecting people from all over.
Kind of like the Internet.
Exactly, like the Internet.
Hmm. What else is there?
How about using something instead of money?
Maybe some type of plastic?
Hmm... credit cards.
Right. Well, there has to be something here.
Rays that bounce through space and around the world.
Satellites.
Underwater... underwater ships?
Submarines.
Vehicles that explore the moon?
Moon rovers.
Mr. Inventor, you're too late!
The future is already here.
(Music).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And I can visualize all of you speak English fluently one day.
I'll see you then. Bye-bye.
The creative minds of science-fiction authors have written about many modern
technologies long before they were invented, like robots, cellphones and
automatic doors.
But they didn't get everything right.
In the year 1900, one author predicted things like digital color photography and
high-speed rail systems, two things that have come to pass.
In the same article, though, he predicted other things like no more mosquitoes
and flies, and no more letters C, X or Q in the English alphabet.
Well, you can't win them all.
Friends, have a safe and happy New Year.
We'll see you next yeartomorrow. Bye-bye.