On a more mundane level，third-generation mobile telephones，despite all the delays and the billions squandered on 3G licences by telecoms firms，are still expected to offer consumers high-speed，always—on mobile internet access，complete with vide0，in the next few years．①Rapidly proliferatin9“wi—fi” networks already offer wireless access on a local basis．Tiny tracking chips called radio-frequency identification devices are being used as pet passports．Soon they will be small，powerful and cheap enough to be implanted into everything from humans to milk cartons，recording and transmitting real-time medical data or serving as a form of inventory contr01．Sensors of every kind，including video cameras， should also become much smaller and cheaper．Forrester Research，a technology consultancy，predicts that l4 billion such devices will be connected to the internet bv 2010．
How rapidly such new technology is introduced will depend on a number of factors——the state of the economy，the supply of investment capital and the appetite of consumers for new products or services．
Fortunes will be made and lost many times over． But whatever happens,the power of computing and communications looks set to continue to grow，and its price to fall，at a steady rate for the next few decades．That will make it possible，at least in rich countries，to record most human interactions’ wherever and whenever they take place，and to store and analyse this ocean of data at low cost．
For the sake of argument，this survey will assume that we are heading towards a networked society of ubiquitous，mobile communications capable of constant monitorin9．o Whether this arrives in 20，30 0r40 vears does not really matter．The point is that the destination seems not merely possible， but Drobable，so it is not too soon to ask：what do we want this technology to do?
The internet has already thrown up fl host of legal and political conundrums，but these are only a small foretaste of the dilemmas--about privacy，security，intellectual property and the nature of government itself—that will have to be faced over the coming decades．The debate has already begun． This survey will outline some of main issues，and speculate on the way they are likely to go．
1．Radio-frequency identification devices______．
A．are being used to offer wireless access
B．are usually used to offer high-speed，mobile internet access
C．are already cheap enough to be used as passports
D．are expected to be used as a means to control inventory
2．The first paragraph is mainly about______．
A．the prospect of third-generation mobile telephones
B．the electronic devices which can be connected to the internet
C．the bright future of new technology application
D．the prediction given by Forrester Research，fl technology consultancy
3．The author is most concerned with the possibility that after a few decades，______．examda.
A．the supply of investment capital is likely to decrease considerably
B．consumers，appetite for new products or services will lessen tremendously
C．fortunes will be made and lost many times over
D．most human interactions can be easily monitored
4．According to this passage，______may not be what people are trying to pull off．
A．a networked society capable of constant monitoring
B．the widespread application of internet and related technologies
C．the invention of more devices which can be connected to the internet
D．mobile communications capable of internet access
5．The dilemmas created by the use of internet may be about all of the following aspects，EXCEPT______．
A．copyrights
B．inventory control
C．constant monitoring
D．intellectual property[NextPage]
难句透析
①On a more mundane level，third—generation mobile telephones，[despite all the delays and the billions(squan dered on 3G licences by telecoms firms)]，are still expected to offer consumers high-speed，always-on mobile inter net access，complete with vide0，in the next few years．
【结构】方括号所标示的介词短语用做状语，其中圆括号所标示的过去分词短语用做后置定语，修饰“the billions”。
【释义】在更一般的层面上，尽管一推再推，尽管电信公司为了3G许可证浪费了数十亿美元，人们依然期待，在末来几年内，第三代移动电话能为消费者提供高速的、不间断的、全视频的移动互联网接入。
②But whatever happens，the power of computing and communications looks set to continue to grow，and its pricl to fall，at a steady rate for the next few decades．
【结构】本句中的“set”是形容词，意思是“准备好的”，用做动词“looks”的表语。
【释义】但是，无论发生什么事，在今后几十年，运算和通信能力看来会继续稳步增长、价格会继续稳步下降。
③For the sake of argument，this survey will assume[that we are heading towards a networked society of ubiqui mobile communications(capable of constant monitoring)]．
【结构】方括号所标示的部分是“assume”的宾语从句。圆括号所标示的形容词短语用做后置定语，修饰“commu- nications”。
【释义】为便于说明情况，这样综观形势，我们正走向一个由到处存在的、有持续监视能力的移动通信构成的网络社会。
The internet has already thrown up a host of legal and political conundrums，but”these are only a small fore- taste of the dilemmas--about privacy，security，intellectual property and the nature of government itself--[that wil have to be faced over the coming decades]．
【结构】本句是由“but”连接的两个分句构成的并列句。第二个分句的主语“these”指的是“a host of legal and political conundrums”。方括号所标示的部分用做后置定语从句，修饰“dilemmas”。
【释义】国际互联网已经提出了一批法律和政治难题；但是，这些难题只不过是初尝今后几十年必须面对的关于隐私、安全、知识产权和政府的本质等方面大批两难问题的一小部分丽已。
全文翻译
在更一般的层面上，尽管一推再推，尽管电信公司为了3G许可证浪费了数十亿美元，人们依然期待，在未来几年内，第三代移动电话能为消费者提供高速的、不间断的、全视频的移动互联网接入。迅速增殖的“wi-fi”网络已经在本地基础上为人们提供了无线上网服务。被称为电波频率身份认证装置的精细的跟踪芯片现在也正被用做宠物的通行证。很快，这些仪器就会变得更小巧、强大并价格低廉，使得它们可以被植入到从人体到牛奶盒等诸多物品上，它们可以记录并实时传输医疗数据或被用做管理库存的一种方式。各种感应器，包括摄像机在内，都将会变得越来越小、越来越便宜。作为科技咨询公司的福勒斯特研究所预测到2010年将会有140亿这样的装置和因特网相连。
新的科技将会以多快的速度发展取决于一系列因素——包括经济水平、资金投入的力度以及人们对耨产品及新服务的需求程度等等。财富总是失而复得、得而复失的循环着。但是，无论发生什么事，在今后几十年，运算和通信能力看来会继续稳步增长、价格会继续稳步下降。这样的发展将会使得至少在富裕国家，不论何时何地发生人际交往，其过程就能被纪录和储存下来并可以以很低的成本对这些浩如烟海的数据加以分析。
为便于说明情况，这样综观形势，我们正走向一个由到处存在的、有持续监视能力的．移动通信构成的网络社会。它是在20，30或40年之后到来并不重要。关键在于这个目标的实现不仅仅是有可能，而是极为可能，所以我们现在来问这个问题也不嫌早了：我们到底要利用这种科技来干什么?
国际互联网已经提出了一批法律和政治难题；但是，这些难题只不过是初尝今后几十年必须面对的关于隐私、安全、知识产权和政府的本质等方面大批两难问题的一小部分而已。争论已经开始。本调查将粗略勾勒出几个重要的问题，并对其走向做出预测。
超纲词汇
Conundrum n．(答案有双关意义的)难题
Foretaste n．预示
Mundane adj．世界的，世俗的，平凡的
squander v．浪费
参考答案：1．D 2．C 3．D 4．A 5．B
