What might be the next alarm bell to ring?Of course，a truck bomb would intensify national nervousness by making things that are ubiquitous--trucks--seem ominous．And high explosives directed against，say，Hoover Dam would not only complicate life in the Southwest，it would underscore the unsettling message that even big things can be pulverized．①However，it is time to think about attacks using things not solid and directed against things not as solid as skyscrapers or dams．
Consider cyberterrorism，assaults that can be undertaken from anywhere on the planet against anything dependent on or directed by flows of information．Call this soft terrorism．Although it can put lives in jeopardy，it can do its silent，stealthy work without tearing flesh or pulverizing structures．It can be a weapon of mass disruption rather than mass destruction，as was explained by the President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection in its l 997 report on potential cyberattacks against the“system of systems”that is modern America．
“Life is good in America，”the report says，“because things work．When we flip the switch，the lights come on．When we turn the tap，clean water flows．”Now suppose a sudden and drastic shrinkage of life’s“taken for granted”quotient．The report notes that terrorist attacks have usually been against single targets--individuals，crowds，buildings．But today’s networked world of complexity and interconnectedness has vast new vulnerabilities with a radius larger than that of any imaginable bomb blast．Terrorists using computers might be able to disrupt information and communications systems and, by doing s0．attack banking and financial systems，energy(electricity，oil，gas)，and the systems for the physical distribution of America’s economic output．
Hijacked aircraft and powdered anthrax--such terrorist tools are crude and scarce compared with computers，which are everywhere and inexpensive．Wielded with sufficient cunnin9，they can spread the demoralizing helplessness that is terrorism’s most important intended byproduct．Computers as weapons，even more than intercontinental ballistic missiles，render irrelevant the physical geography-- the two broad oceans and two peaceful neighbors--that once was the basis of America’s sense of safety．④
A threat is a capability joined with a hostile intent．In early summer l997 the U．S．military conducted a threat-assessment exercise，code-named Eligible Receiver，to test the vulnerabilities of“borderless cyber geography"．The results confirmed that in a software-driven world，an enemy need not invade the territory，or the air over the territory，of a country in order to control or damage that country’ S resoUrces．
The attack tools are on sale everywhere：computers，modems，software，telephones．The attacks can shut down services or deliver harmful instructions to systems．And a cyberattack may not be promptly discovered．The report says，“Computer intrusions do not announce their presence the way a bomb does．[459 words]
1．This passage is mainly about______．
A．future terrorist attacks
B．fighting against terrorism
C．weapons of mass disruption
D．weapons of mass destruction
2．The underlined word“ubiquitous”in the first paragraph most probably means______．
A．common
B．real
C．solid
D．tangible
3．Soft terrorism is mainly directed against______．
A．dams
B．skyscrapers
C．unsettling messages
D．information systems
4．America’s sense of safety may be threatened to the greatest extent when______are used as terrorist weapons．
A．computers
B．hijacked aircraft
C．powered anthrax
D．intercontinental ballistic missiles
5．The threat—assessment exercise once conducted in U．S．______．
A．obscured its cyber geography
B．confirmed the potential threat of cyberattacks
C．rendered irrelevant its physical geography
D．enhanced America’s sense of safety considerably
超纲词汇
Anthrax n．炭疽热
Ballistic 弹道的
Cyber (前缀)计算机的
Cyberterrorism 计算机恐怖活动
flip v．／n．轻弹，抽打
Hoover Dam n．胡佛水坝
Infrastructure 下部结构，基础下部组织，基础
Intrusion n．闯入，侵扰
jeopardy n．危险
Modem n．调制解调器
ominous 恶兆的
Pulverize研磨成粉
quotient n．份额
Shrinkage n．收缩
Ubiquitous adj．到处存在的
underscore vt．／n．强调
Wield vt．支配，掌握 [NextPage]
参考答案：1．C 2．A 3．D 4．A 5．B
难句透析
①And high explosives[directed against，say，Hoover Dam]would not only complicate life in the Southwest，it would underscore the unsettling message [that even big things can be pulverized]．
【结构】本句是由两个分句组成的并列句。第一个方括号所标示的过去分词短语用做后置定语，修饰“high explosives”；第二个方括号所标示的是“message”的同位语从句。
【释义】例如，把胡佛水坝当做爆炸目标的烈性炸药不仅会破坏西南部地区人民的生活，而且会传达一个严重令人不安的信息，即使庞然大物也可能粉身碎骨。
②However，it is timF to think about attacks[using things(not solid)]and。[directed against things(not aS solid as skyscrapers or dams)]．
【结构】第一个方括号所标示的现在分词短语和第二个方括号所标示的过去分词短语并列，用做后置定语，修饰“attacks”。两个圆括号所标示的都是后置形容词短语，分别修饰括号前的“things”。
【释义】不过，现在应该想到。可以采用不是那么实在的东西来发动袭击，袭击的对象可能不是像摩天大厦和水坝那样实在的目标。
③Terrorists[using eoraputers]might be ableto disrupt information and communications systems and_，by doing s0．(attack banking and financial systems，energy(electricity，oil，gas)，and the systems for the physical distribution of America’S economic output．
【结构】方括号所标示的现在分词短语用做后置定语，修饰“terrorists”；“tO disrupt”和“attack”是两个并列的动词不定式。
【释义】使用计算机进行恐怖活动的恐怖主义分子可能有能力摧毁信息和通讯系统。他们可以采取这种手段来破坏银行和金融系统，破坏能源(电、石油、天然气)供应，破坏美国经济产品的实际分配系统。
④Computers as weapons，even more than intercontinental ballistic missiles，render irrelevant the physical geography the two broad oceans and two peaceful neighbors--[that once was the basis of America’S sense of safety]．
【结构】其中，“the physical geography”是谓语动词“render”的宾语，“irrelevant”是宾语补语；方括号所标示的是“the physical geography”的后置定语从句。
【释义】把计算机当做武器，其威力甚至胜过洲际弹道导弹。能使一度认为构成美国安全感基础的自然地理范围(两大洋以及两大友好邻邦)失去意义。
⑤Computer intrusions do not announce their presence[the way(a bomb does)]．
【结构】方括号所标示的是句子的状语；圆括号所标示的是后置定语从句，修饰“the way”；其中“does”替代的是“announces”。
【释义】把计算机当做武器搞破坏，并不像炸弹那样，炸弹一响，大家就都知道了。
全文翻译
下一次敲响的将会是什么警钟?当然，一辆货车炸弹使得随处可见的东西——也就是货车一一看上去是个不祥之物，也由此加重了全国的紧张气氛。例如，把胡佛水坝当做爆炸目标的烈性炸药不仅会破坏西南部地区人民的生活，而且会传达一个严重令人不安的信息，即使庞然大物也可能粉身碎骨。不过，现在应该想到，可以采用不是那么实在的东西来发动袭击，袭击的对象可能不是像摩天大厦和水坝那样实在的目标。
考虑一下计算机恐怖袭击的可能性，这种攻击可能来自这个星球上的任何地方，可能对任何依赖或靠信息的流通指挥的事务进行破坏。称它为软恐怖主义吧。虽然它可能置人们的生命于危机之中，但是它可以做得不露声色，不杀人放火也不摧毁建筑。它不是～种大规模杀伤性武器，但却是一种大规模破坏型手段，这在1997年总统委派的关键基础设施保护评估报告中解释得很清楚，潜在的计算机攻击将可能攻击“系统的系统”，也就是现代美国。
“美国现在的生活很好，”报告称，“因为一切都运作有序。当我们打开电源开关，电灯就亮起来。当我们打开水龙头，清水就自动流出来。”现在来设想一下生活当中这些似乎“理所应当”的份额突然缩减。报告强调说恐怖分子攻击的目标通常都是单一的——个人、人群、建筑。但是如今互相联网的世界由于其复杂性和内部的互相联结使其潜在的受伤害性比任何可以预见的炸弹袭击都要大。使用计算机进行恐怖活动的恐怖主义分子可能有能力摧毁信息和通讯系统。他们可以采取这种手段来破坏银行和金融系统，破坏能源(电、石油、天然气)供应。破坏美国经济产品的实际分配系统。
被劫持的飞机和粉末状的炭疽病毒——这些恐怖袭击的工具和电脑相比都显得原始而稀少，电脑则是无处不在并且价格低廉。如果被相当奸猾的人操控，它们将可能在人们中间散播无助和绝望，而这正好是恐怖分子们所期望获得的最重要的副产品。把计算机当做武器，其威力甚至胜过洲际弹道导弹，能使一度认为构成美国安全感基础的自然地理范围(两大洋以及两大友好邻邦)失去意义。
威胁通常是和敌意相伴的一种破坏能力。在1997年夏初，美国军方就曾进行过一次威胁评估测试，代号合格接收者，以测试“无边界的网络地理世界”的易受伤害性。结果显示，在一个由软件驱动的世界中，敌人并不需要入侵一个国家的本土，或领土之上的领空，就能够对一个国家施以控制或破坏该国的资源。
实施攻击的工具到处都有售卖：计算机、调制解调器、软件、电话。攻击可能关闭某些服务或者向系统发送有害指令。一次网络进攻并不会马上被发现。报告称，“把计算机当做武器搞破坏，并不像炸弹那样，炸弹一响，大家就都知道了。”
