Chips Ahoy  小小晶片 大大好用

Imagine two parents walking around a night market on a crowded Sunday night with their six-year-old daughter. One minute she is happily shooting balloons with a fake gun; the next minute she is gone. The parents look around frantically before pulling out a pocket Global Positioning System (GPS). _(1)_

The lost-child scenario frightens practically every parent on Earth. With this and other forms of security in mind, VeriChip Corporation got into the billion-dollar business of injecting grain-of-rice-sized chips into humans. For a US$200 implanting fee plus a US$10 monthly charge, VeriChip assigns each customer a personal identification number. _(2)_ Alzheimer's patients, who may wander off from home and forget where they came from, would benefit greatly from this feature. _(3)_

In the not-so-distant future, a GPS system could be inside the chip, eliminating the night market nightmare for parents as well as keeping track of the whereabouts of every single soldier in combat. _(4)_

Opponents fear that implanted chips will be the beginning of the government controlling and watching the moves of every citizen. _(5)_ Chip manufacturers recognize these fears but point out that at one time, items like credit cards and email had also aroused similar fears. Only time will tell if the benefits of this new technology will one day outweigh the concerns.
——by Marcus Maurice

(A) In addition, unconscious accident victims would be able to alert medical personnel to drug allergies or other medical information.

(B) The primary fear is that these chips will be used to monitor the population and eventually suppress personal freedoms.

(C) This unique ID number is tied to a database containing personal information such as home addresses and medical conditions.

(D) Within seconds, they've located their daughter petting the cute puppies, completely unaware of the horror she just caused.

(E) A GPS implant could allow military commanders on the other side of the globe to know the exact location of each member of their troops.

1. 第一題空格應選 (D)
理由:

a. 空格前提到一對父母的小女兒(six-year-old daughter)走丟,父母親慌張地從口袋中取出全球定位系統(GPS),由此推論,空格應說明父母親尋找小女孩的情形。

b. 選項 (D) 中提到不到幾秒鐘,他們就鎖定女兒的位置(located their daughter),整句填入後,語意前後連貫,故選之。

大補丸:
a. locate vt. 找出……位置
例: Can you help me locate Mr. Sun's office?
你能幫我找出孫先生的辦公室嗎?

b. pet vt. 輕撫

c. be aware/unaware of...  
意識/沒意識到……
例: Even though Rich is in a coma, he is aware of his surroundings.
瑞奇雖然昏迷不醒,但仍能意識到週遭的事物。

2. 第二題空格應選 (C)
理由:

a. 空格前提到 VeriChip 分配給每位用戶一組個人識別碼(a personal identification number),由此推知,空格內應說明此識別碼具有哪些功能或特性。

b. 選項 (C) 說明這組獨特的識別碼(ID number)和包含住家地址與醫療狀況等私人資料的資料庫連線,符合上述推論。且其中 ID number 與 identification number 形成關鍵字,故選 (C)。

大補丸:
a. be tied to...  
與……聯繫在一起;綁在……上
tie A to B  將 A 綁/繫在 B 上
= fasten A to B
例: The cowboy tied his horse to the tree while he went into the general store.
那名牛仔進入雜貨店時,將他的馬繫在樹幹上。

b. database n. 資料庫

3. 第三題空格應選 (A)
理由:

a. 空格前提及,識別碼因包含住家地址與醫療狀況(home addresses and medical conditions)等資訊,有利於容易走失的阿茲海默症患者。

b. 而選項 (A) 提到失去意識的車禍病患可讓醫療人員注意其相關的醫療資訊,可知這亦是包含個人醫療訊息的識別碼的功能之一,故選之。

大補丸:
a. unconscious a. 無意識的

b. alert sb to sth  警示某人某事
例: The house alarm alerted Nick to thieves trying to break in.
家中的警鈴警示尼克有竊賊企圖闖入。

c. personnel n. 人員

4. 第四題空格應選 (E)
理由:

a. 空格前提到 GPS 可以用來掌握戰場上每名士兵的行蹤(keeping track of the whereabouts of every single soldier in combat),可知空格應繼續說明此議題。

b. 選項 (E) 說明 GPS 的植入可以讓地球另一端的軍事指揮官,知道每個部隊成員的精確位置,和上一句語意連貫,且其中的 know the exact location of each member of their troops 與其前的 "keeping track of..." 相呼應,故選之。

大補丸:
a. commander n. 指揮官

b. troop n. 軍隊,部隊

5. 第五題空格應選 (B)
理由:

a. 空格前提出反面論述,說反對者認為植入晶片是政府控制與監看人民(controlling and watching the moves of every citizen)的開端。

b. 選項 (B) 中提到擔心晶片會被利用來監控人民,進而壓制人身自由,語意與上一句緊密連貫,且其中的 monitor the population 為關鍵字,故 (B) 為正選。

大補丸:
a. monitor vt. 監視,監控
例: The hidden cameras helped the boss monitor his employees.
隱藏式攝影機幫助老闆監視員工。

b. suppress vt. 鎮壓,壓制
例: In some countries, the government suppresses political freedom.
在某些國家,政府打壓政治自由。

  想像一下:一對父母帶著六歲小女兒在週日晚上逛著擁擠的夜市。一分鐘前她還在開心地用玩具槍射汽球,下一分鐘她就不見了。她的父母心急如焚地尋找,然後從口袋中掏出全球定位系統。不到幾秒鐘,他們就鎖定她的位置,而她正在輕撫可愛的小狗,完全沒意識到自己造成的恐慌。

  孩子走失這一類的情節幾乎會嚇壞所有父母親。有鑒於諸如此類的安全考量,VeriChip 公司投注數十億資金在植入米粒大小的晶片於人體中。二百元美金的植入費,加上每個月十元美金的月費,VeriChip 公司會分配給每位顧客一組個人識別碼。這組獨一無二的識別碼會和資料庫連線,資料庫裡包含住家地址與醫療狀況等私人資料。可能從家裡走失且忘記回家路怎麼走的阿茲海默症患者,將從這種功能中獲益良多。除此之外,失去意識的車禍患者也可以讓醫療人員注意到其藥物過敏與其他就醫紀錄等資訊。

  在不久的將來,全球定位系統會裝設在晶片中,可以除去父母親的『夜市恐懼症』,也可以用來掌握戰場上每名士兵的行蹤。全球定位系統的植入可以讓遠在地球另一端的軍事指揮官知道每個部隊成員的精確位置。

  反對者擔心植入晶片將是政府控制與監看國民一舉一動的開端。主要的恐慌在於晶片將被用來監控人民,最後進而打壓人身自由。晶片製造商承認會有這些疑慮,但也指出像是信用卡和電子郵件等也曾引起相同的恐懼。只有時間才能證明這項新科技是否利多於弊了。

標準答案: 1. (D) 2. (C) 3. (A) 4. (E) 5. (B)

1. chip n. 晶片

2. ahoy int. 呼叫聲

* 本文標題乃源自於 "Ship ahoy!" 之用法,表『喂!那條船啊!』是水手呼喊其他船隻的聲音。

3. fake a. 假的,冒牌的

4. frantically adv. 發狂地

5. Global Positioning System (GPS)
  
全球定位系統

position vt. 定位

6. scenario n. 劇情,情節

7. grain-of-rice-sized  a.
如米粒般大小的

grain n. 榖粒

8. identification n. 身分證明;識別(= ID)

9. Alzheimer's n. 阿茲海默症

10. feature n. 特徵,特色

11. eliminate vt. 消除

12. whereabouts n. 下落

13. opponent n. 反對者

14. manufacturer n. 製造業者
15. arouse vt. 激起

1. pull out...  掏出……

2. wander off from + 地方  從某處走失

3. point out + that 子句  指出……

1. with...in mind  有鑒於/考慮到……
例: With his weekend plans in mind, he decided not to work overtime on Friday.
考慮到週末計劃,他決定星期五不要加班。

2. inject A into B  將 A 注入 B
例: The woman injected insulin into her stomach to treat her diabetes.
那女人將胰島素打進胃裡以治療糖尿病。

3. implant vt. 植入 & n. 植入物
例: Are you going to get the chip implanted into your arm in case of an emergency?
你想將晶片植入你的手臂中,以防萬一嗎?

4. benefit from...  從……獲益
例: The farmers benefited from the tax on imported vegetables.
農人從蔬菜的進口關稅中獲益。

5. in the not-so-distant future  不遠的將來
= in the near future
例: In the not-so-distant future, consumers will be able to buy a notebook computer for US$100.
在不久的將來,消費者就可以用一百美元的價格買到筆記型電腦。

6. keep/lose track of...  掌握/失去……蹤跡
例: My girlfriend uses my cell phone to keep track of me.
我女友利用我的手機來掌握我的行蹤。

7. in combat  戰鬥中
例: Fifty-three soldiers died in combat this week alone.
光是這週就有五十三名士兵在戰鬥中壯烈成仁。

8. outweigh vt. 超越,超過
例: The benefits and the salary outweigh the dangers of the job.
這份工作的福利與薪資超過其危險性。

from 常春藤解析英語雜誌

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