Ananova — the World’s First Virtual Newscaster

Hello, my name is Ananova and I am the world’s first virtual newscaster. I live in cyberspace. I work in front of a very fine computer system with much information. My job is to scour the web and bring information to you. You can get this information through something like a desktop or a mobile phone.

On April 19, 2000 I read news on the Internet for the first time. My creators spent a year developing me. They studied hundreds of photos of ordinary and famous people’s faces to come up with my unique looks. My green hair makes me look different from real human. Then they worked with digital animation specialists, created my 3D head and body and made me move. The text-to-speech system creates my voice. At the same time the live animation technology matches my mouth movements to my words.

And here I am! You can see and hear me at my website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can e-mail from there as well. I love to know you.

I. 根据课文回答下列问题。

1. Who is Ananova?

2. Where does she live?

3. Where does she work?

4. When did she deliver news for the first time?

5. By what device can people see and hear her?

6. Does she look like a real human? What does she look like?

7. How did the creators create her?

8. What matches her mouth movement to the words?

9. Can people see and hear her at any time?

10. Do you think the virtual newscasters will replace human newsreaders？

1. She is the world’s first virtual newspaper.

2. She lives in cyberspace.

3. She works in front of a very fine computer system with much information.

4. She delivered news for the first time on April 19, 2000.

5. People can see and hear her through something like a desktop or a mobile phone.

6. No, she doesn’t. She looks unique with green hair.

7. They studied hundreds of photos of ordinary and famous people’s faces to come up with her unique looks. Then they worked with digital animation specialists, created her 3D head and body and made her move.

8. The live animation technology matches her mouth movement to the words.

9. Yes, they can.

10. (For reference) No, I don’t think so, because human brains are the most intelligent(聪明). / Yes, I think so because they are more convenient and efficient than us human beings.

II. 将下列短语译成英语。

1．虚拟新闻播报员

2．在网络空间

3．在网上搜索

4．制造声音

5．全天候

6．将……与……相搭配

1. virtual newscaster　　　　　　2. in cyberspace

3. scour the web　　　　　　　 4. make voice

5. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week　6. match …to …

May I Speak to Bob?

（This is a dialogue on the phone）

Operator: ABC Company. Can I help you?

Peter: This is Peter Jackson. May I speak to Bob?

Operator: Certainly. Hold on, Please.

…

Bob: Hello, Peter. Sorry to keep you waiting. How are you?

Peter: I’m fine, Thank you. Oh, Bob, I got a wonderful VCR yesterday. It’s perfect. Would you like to come to my home and have a look?

Bob: Really? Oh, that’s cool. How about 8 o’clock this evening?

Peter: OK. See you.

Bob: See you.

Computer Mouse

Douglas Engelbartinvented a number of information access systems. In 1968 he invented the computer mouse. It helps popularize the use of computers.

The mouse is an important part of a computer. It is a casing with a flat bottom. It has one or a few buttons on the top. On the bottom is a ball and it is a device to detect directions. A cable connects the mouse to a computer. First, the user holds the mouse with one hand, moves it on a surface like a desk. In this way the user controls the cursor on the screen. And then he or she presses one of its buttons and makes a “mouse click”.

Douglas Engelbart finished a lot of design work in the computer world. The mouse was only one of his inventions.

I. 根据课文辨正（T）误（F）。

1. Douglas Engelbart only invented the computer mouse.(　　)

2. The mouse is a casing with a flat bottom. (　　)

3. There is no device on the bottom of the mouse. (　　)

4. A cable connects the mouse to a computer. (　　)

5. The user can control the cursor on the screen of a computer by the use of the mouse. (　　)

1. F　2. T　3. F　4. T　5. T

II. 将下列短语译成英语。

1．鼠标

2．信息存取系统

3．必不可少的设备

4．把……与……连接

5．按键；按按钮

6．屏幕光标

7．在设计……（的过程）中

8．做出色的工作

1. mouse　　　　　　　2. information access system

3. necessary equipment　 4. connect ．．．to ．．．

5. press the button　　　 6. cursor on the screen

7. in the design of　　　　8. do a wonderful job

I. 句子的分类

句子按结构可分为简单句、并列句和复合句。其具体类别及用法如下表所示：

II. 状语从句

英语中带状语从句的复合句很多。状语从句有的表示时间，有的表示原因、条件等，因此也可以分为时间状语从句、条件状语从句、原因状语从句等。本书所介绍的状语从句如下表所示：

状语从句通常由从属连词（如 when，because，so，after 等）引起。由这类词引起的主谓结构不能成为独立的句子，只能作状语从句。在使用状语从句时应注意：

1. 状语从句本身结构必须完整，不能没有主语。例如：

He was in Shanghai before he came here.（他来这里以前在上海。）

Come here when you have time.（有空请过来。）

2. 状语从句如在主句前，一般用逗号将它与主句隔开；如在主句的后面，可不必用逗号。例如：

When we got there, it was 9 o’clock. 或 It was 9 o’clock when we got there. (我们到那里时已经9点了。)