2013年英语专业四级听力真题 短文2

Once upon a time, societies were organized around religion, farming, trade or industry.

曾经，社会围绕着宗教，耕种，贸易或者工业组织而成。In many parts of the world today this is still true, but something else is becoming more important - the exchange of information and the technology that we use to do this.如今，在世界上的许多地方，这仍然存在。但是其它的一些东西正变得越来越重要——信息交流以及我们进行信息交流所用的技术。

Twenty-four-hour news, E-commerce, mobile phones, Global Positioning Systems... all these are making the world smaller and faster.24小时新闻资讯、电子商务、手机、全球定位系统……所有的这些都将世界变得愈来愈小，愈来愈快。The growth in telecommunications is giving more and more people access to the science that will help their country to develop or to acquire the medical knowledge that can fight disease.通讯的发展，让愈来愈多的人可以接触到科学，这将帮助他们的国家拓展或者获取能够对抗疾病的医学知识。

But how can everybody in the world share the recent technological advances?但是，如何才能让世界上的每一个人分享到最新的技术进步呢？

Millions of people cannot read these words because they don't have access to a computer.数以百万的人无法读到那些文字，因为他们没有机会接触电脑。

They don't understand English either.他们也不懂英语。They don't even have a telephone.他们甚至没有电话。

They are more worried about how far they will have to walk today to get clean water or if they can feed themselves and their families.更令他们担心的是，今天他们需要步行多少路程才可以获得干净的水源或者他们是否可以养活自己和家人。For most people on this planet, information is not a priority.对于世界上的大多数人来说，信息并不是他们优先考虑的事。

The United Nations is now trying to make the information society a reality for more of the developing world.联合国正努力使更多的发展中国家实现信息化社会。

Ten years from now, the plan is that everybody in the world will have a radio or television and that 50% of the world's population will have access to the Internet from schools and universities, health centers and hospitals, libraries and museums.十年之后的计划是世界上的每一个人都将拥有一台收音机或电视机，并且世界上一半的人口都能接触到学校、大学、健康中心和医院、图书馆和博物馆的因特网。

This will improve medical care and education, science and agriculture, business opportunities and employment.这将会提高医疗服务和教育、科学和农业、商机和就业。