VOA慢速英语:2 Billion People Expected Online by End of 2010

1.Well, the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency, released its latest ICT Facts and Figures report last week.

late, later, latter, latest, lately的区别及用法。

1)late adj. & adv. 迟，迟的，晚的，晚期，在晚期。如：

He is never late for school. 他上学从不迟到。

The train was 10 minutes late. 火车晚点十分钟。

It's never too late to mend. 改过不为晚。

(It's)Better late than never. 迟做总比不做好。

The workers in the south often go to work early and leave off late.

南下打工仔经常是早上工，晚下班。

请记住以下几种搭配：

in the late afternoon 傍晚，在下午较晚的时候

in the late 1990's / 1990s 在二十世纪九十年代末

work late / far / deep into the night 工作至深夜

late in autumn 深秋

另外， late 用作形容词还可用来表示“已故的，去世不久的；前任的，不久前卸任的”。如：

the late Chairman Liu Shaoqi 前国家主席刘少奇

the late government 前任（上一届）政府

2)later adj. & adv. 为late比较级，意指较迟，较晚一些。如：

two hours later, the ship sank. 两小时后，轮船沉没了。

See you later! 再见！

要记住以下几个固定搭配：

sooner or later 迟早（early or late）

no later than不迟于

later on以后，后来。如：

The problem will be solved sooner or later. 这个问题迟早会得到解决。

Let's discuss the question later on. 让我们以后再讨论这个问题吧。

He is to arrive at no later than 10 p.m. 他最迟不过晚上十点赶到。

另外，later 还可用作状语，表示“后来”之意。如：

Later he became a general. 后来他当上了将军。

3)latter adj. 意思是指（两者中）后者的，后者，反义词是former，（两者中）前者。注意，不要把latter与late的比较级later混淆。如：

Of the two the latter is far better than the former.

两者中后者远比前者好。

Of pigs and cows, the latter (=the cows) are more valuable.

猪牛两种动物中，后者较有价值。

Did he walk or swim? The latter seems unlikely.

他走路还是游泳？后者好像不太可能。

4)latest adj. & adv. 为late的最高级。意思是最新、最近或最迟。如：

The radio is broadcasting the latest news about the man-made satellite.

电台正在播送有关人造卫星的最新消息。

A British car company was about to sell its latest type of car in Germany.

一家英国汽车公司正要在德国出售其最新型的汽车。

5)lately adv. (=recently) 最近，近来，通常用于现在完成时态，如：

The old palace has lately been rebuilt. 古老的宫殿最近得以重建。

Have you seen him lately? 你最近见到过他吗？

2.Still, only twenty-one percent of the population of the developing world is online -- compared to seventy-one percent in developed countries.

still作为连词时含有“尽管如此，可还是要”、“然而”、“不过”之意。例句：

     (1) Although we are very tired, still we shall work. 虽然我们很累，但我们还将工作。

     (2) She was thirsty, still she wouldn't drink. 她虽然渴了，但仍不喝东西。

     (3) I like cats; still I don't care to own one. 我虽然喜欢猫，但不愿意养猫。

     (4) This is a very unpleasant affair. Still, we can't change it. 这是件很不愉快的事，但是我们无法改变它。     此外，still可以与more连用，相当于much more，常译“至于……更不必说”。例句：

     She can speak English, still more Japanese. 她连英语都会说，日语更不在话下。

3.There are still very huge divides when it comes to accessing the Internet, especially high-speed Internet.

when it comes to当提到……；当谈到……

例句：He's no slouch when it comes to writing books.
      要说到写书他可是行家里手。