Backed by a posse of Mickey，Minnie，and Pluto，the Walt Disney Co．is looking to do what IBM never could: successfully market a computer system designed specifically for kids．The Disney Dream Desk PC（$600）and its complementary big-eared，14.1-inch monitor（$300）are aimed at kids ranging from 6 to 12 years old．But even though the system is embellished with images of Mickey and software featuring Donald Duck and Goofy，the Dream Desk is more than a toy.

Using Microsoft Windows XP，the Disney system is based on an Intel Celeron D processor and comes with a 40-gigabyte hard drive plus a combination CD burner and DVD player—serious enough hardware to manage games or homework．As an added feature，there's a stylus that sits in a cradle built into the keyboard．The stylus is a more comfortable pointing device than a mouse for little hands，and it also lets children create their own digital sketches.

Teaching tool．On the software side，Disney has included a trio of creativity programs called Disney Flix，Pix，and Mix that lets kids create their own movies，add Disney characters to digital pictures，and compose music．For parents worried about the World Wild Web，Disney has included a Content Protect program that prevents curious tykes from visiting sites you’d rather they not view．And if you suspect they are using the Net more for games than research，the program will even track your children's surfing and report back to you.

By and large，the Disney system succeeds with the Dream Desk．Design elements like the monitor's mouseketeer ears，which conceal speakers，certainly grabbed my 22-month-old daughter's attention．But while she may have enjoyed“playing with Mickey,” parents may wonder if computers for kids are a help or hindrance when it comes to learning．“The danger is that people tend to replace actual human instruction with these computers,” says Reid Lyon，chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health．According to Lyon，computers are a fine tool to help kids learn—as long as there's parental participation.

Parents looking for educational titles on the Dream Desk will have to shop elsewhere．Furthermore，the total system price is about $150 more than comparably equipped plain-Jane PCs，and some elements of the Disney PC could be improved．① Making the LCD monitor touch sensitive would be a nice addition for kids，as would a clear cover to protect the screen from sticky little fingers. In addition，some parents may bridle at the brazen commercialism of having a large orange button on the system's keyboard that takes kids directly to Disney's $9.95-a-month Toontown online game.

② On the other hand，what parent hasn’t succumbed to a son or daughter's desire for a SpongeBob toy，Spiderman lunchbox，or Dora backpack? And while this PC may have big ears，it's not just some Mickey Mouse computer.


注（1）：本文选自U.S．News & World Report；

注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象为 2004年真题Text 1（个别题目稍做调整）。



1．How can the Walt Disney Co．make a computer system popular with the kids?

A) The images of the Walt Disney Co．are deeply rooted in kids’ heart.

B) The Dream Desk is just like a super toy.

C) The computer system is designed specifically for kids.

D) Kids can use the computer system for games and doing homework.

2．Which of the following is NOT the description of the Dream Desk?

A) Learning and playing are perfectly combined in this computer system.

B) The hardware is enough for the use of a kid.

C) The software takes the kids’ needs and parents’ worry into consideration.

D) The Dream Desk decorated with the image of Mickey catches the kids’ eyes.

3．How can the parents take full advantage of the computer in the learning of their kids?

A) Not allowing the kids to visit the inappropriate websites.

B) Using the computer to arouse kids’ interest in learning.

C) Fully exploring the potential function of the computer.

D) Working together with their kids.

4．Which of the following is NOT true according to Paragraph 6?

A) The Dream Desk does not have price advantage.

B) The Dream Desk has been equipped with sensitive LCD monitor and a clear cover.

C) Some parents have offensive feelings toward the orange button indicating commercialism.

D) The computer system fails to cater for all the parents.

5．What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A) The big ears make this PC look like a big toy that many kids long for.

B) Parents always try their best to satisfy their kids’ needs.

C) Parents find it difficult to refuse to buy their kids such toys as Mickey Mouse computer.

D) Mickey Mouse computer is a computer，rather than a toy.





篇章剖析


本文详细介绍了由华特迪斯尼公司推出的专为孩子设计的米老鼠电脑。第一段指出IBM电脑没有在孩子和家长中流行起来；第二段指出华特迪斯尼公司正期望做IBM永远不可能做的事：成功地销售专门为孩子设计的计算机系统“迪斯尼梦想台式个人电脑”；第三段指出这款电脑的配置；第四段指出这款电脑的教学功能；第五段指出电脑如何较好地履行其学习工具功能；第六段指出“梦想电脑”的一些不足之处；最后一段指出父母很难拒绝为他们的孩子购买这一看似大玩具的电脑。





词汇注释


deride /dɪˈraɪd/ vt. 嘲笑，愚弄，以轻蔑的态度说话或对待

awkward /ˈɔːkwəd/ adj. （手脚）不灵巧的;不熟练的；（动作或表情）笨拙的

underpowered /ˌʌndəˈpaʊəd/ adj. 动力不足的，由动力不足的发动机驱动的

catch on抓牢；理解；〈口〉投合人心；流行

posse /ˈpɒsi/ n. 武装队；一队（警察）；（临时组织起来的）一群人

look to 期望；看似将要；许诺做

embellish /ɪmˈbelɪʃ/ vt. 美化；装饰；加细节；润色

Goofy高飞（迪斯尼卡通中既笨拙、多言、好奇又善良的角色，以宫廷骑士长官的身份出现在影片中）

trio /ˈtriːəʊ/ n. 三个（或人）一组，三件套

tyke（也作tike） /taik/ n. 小孩子，尤指小男孩

by and large大体上，基本上

succeed with在…上获得成功

hindrance /ˈhɪndrəns/ n. 妨害，障碍，障碍物

comparably /ˈkɒmpərəbli/ adv. 可比较地，同等地

bridle /ˈbraɪdl/ v. 轻视，瞧不起

brazen /ˈbreɪz(ə)n/ adj. 声音响而刺耳的；厚颜无耻的

succumb /səˈkʌm/ vi. （常与to连用）（向强大力量或向强烈欲望）屈服，屈从





难句突破


① Making the LCD monitor touch sensitive would be a nice addition for kids，as would a clear cover to protect the screen from sticky little fingers.

主体句式：Making...would be a nice addition for kids.

结构分析：现在分词结构“making the LCD monitor touch sensitive”作本句的主语；连词“as”的意思是“如同，正如”；动词短语“protect..．from”的意思是“保护…，使不遭受”。本句使用的是虚拟语气，“would be”暗示与现在事实相反。

句子译文：对孩子而言，正如使用屏保可以保护屏幕不被小孩子黏糊糊的小手弄脏一样，把液晶显示器做成触摸式或许是个很好的附加功能。

② On the other hand，what parent hasn't succumbed to a son or daughter's desire for a SpongeBob toy，Spiderman lunchbox，or Dora backpack?

主体句式：What parent hasn't succumbed to..．desire...?

结构分析：“what”的意思是“what kind of ”，“succumb to”的意思是“（向强大力量或向强烈欲望）屈服，屈从”。本句的意思是“All parents succumb to a son or daughter's desire for a SpongeBob toy，Spiderman lunchbox，or Dora backpack”。

句子译文：什么样的父母会不满足子女想得到一件“海绵宝宝”玩具、一个蜘蛛侠餐盒或朵拉背包的愿望呢？





题目分析


1．C 细节题。从文章中我们知道这款电脑是专为孩子量身打造的，独特的米老鼠外形、设置的功能等都是专为孩子考虑的，因此也深受孩子的喜爱。

2．A 细节题。句子“But while she may have enjoyed“playing with Mickey,” parents may wonder if computers for kids are a help or hindrance when it comes to learning.”表达了家长为孩子在使用电脑玩与学方面的担忧，暗示了电脑在玩与学方面并不是一个完美的结合。

3．D 细节题。原文对应信息在倒数第三段末“According to Lyon，computers are a fine tool to help kids learn—as long as there's parental participation.”。

4．B 细节题。做对本题的关键是对句子“Making the LCD monitor touch sensitive would be a nice addition for kids，as would a clear cover to protect the screen from sticky little fingers.”的正确理解。这个句子使用的是虚拟语气，表示的是与现在事实相反的状况（参见“难句突破”①）。这个句子是对前一句“some elements of the Disney PC could be improved”的补充说明。选项A在文中对应的信息是“the total system price is about $150 more than comparably equipped plain-Jane PCs”；选项C对应的信息是“some parents may bridle at the brazen commercialism..．online game”，“bridle at”的意思是“轻视，瞧不起”；正因为有的父母瞧不起这种厚颜无耻的重商主义，选项D也是正确的。

5．C 推理题。本题的关键是要理解句子“what parent hasn't succumbed to a son or daughter's desire for a SpongeBob toy，Spiderman lunchbox，or Dora backpack?”的含义。这句话的意思是“什么样的父母会不满足子女想得到一件‘海绵宝宝’玩具、一个蜘蛛侠餐盒或朵拉背包的愿望呢？”，言外之意是父母都会满足孩子想要玩具的心愿。因为这种电脑配有“大耳朵”，所以它也是一个大玩具，而不只是一台米老鼠计算机。这样，做父母的也就很难拒绝孩子想要一个大玩具计算机的愿望了。





参考译文



20多年前，IBM公司推出了初级个人电脑。这种电脑被人们嘲讽为笨拙而且动力不足，从未在小孩或父母中间流行起来。但IBM当时并没有在机子上配上“米老鼠”。

在米老鼠、米妮和普路托等一批卡通形象的支持下，华特迪斯尼公司正期望完成IBM不可能完成的任务：成功地销售专门为孩子设计的计算机系统。“迪斯尼梦想台式个人电脑”（售价600美元），专门配备了长着大耳朵的14.1英寸显示器（售价300美元），瞄准的目标是6到12岁的孩子。但是，即使该系统的外形用米老鼠形象加以装饰，并配有唐老鸭和高飞的软件，“梦想台式电脑”也不可能只是一件纯粹的玩具。

迪斯尼公司的这个系统是以英特尔赛扬处理器为基础的，使用的是微软XP视窗，配有一个40GB硬盘驱动器、组合式CD刻录机和DVD播放器——这种硬件配置足以用于玩游戏或做家庭作业。新增加的设备有：装在键盘内的内置支架上的指示笔。对孩子的小手来说，指示笔是一个比鼠标更舒适的指向设备，它还可以使孩子们创作出他们自己的数字素描画。

教学工具：至于软件部分，迪斯尼公司安装了三合一创造性程序，称为“迪斯尼Flix、Pix和Mix”。这个程序可让小孩创作他们自己的电影、把迪斯尼人物添加到数字式图片中以及作曲。由于父母对全球互联网（也有人称“万维网”）表示担忧，所以迪斯尼公司配置了“网络内容保护”程序。该程序可以防止好奇心强的孩子浏览你不想让他们看的网站。而且如果你怀疑孩子上网是为了玩游戏而不是为了学习，该程序甚至可以跟踪孩子的上网情况，并向你报告他们的上网记录。

迪斯尼公司的“梦想电脑”总体上来说获得了成功。显示器上可以隐蔽扬声器的“滑鼠”（mouseketeer）耳朵，这样的设计元件肯定会吸引我22 个月大的女儿的注意力。但当她沉迷于“玩米老鼠”时，做父母的也许会问：电脑对孩子的学习到底是一种帮助还是一种阻碍？设在全国健康研究院的儿童健康和人类发展研究所儿童发展和行为研究分所所长里德·利昂说：“存在的一个危险是人们倾向于用电脑代替真人指导。”据利昂说，只要父母亲自参与孩子的电脑活动，电脑就可以成为帮助孩子学习的一种绝好工具。

在“梦想电脑”上寻找教育项目的父母得另觅他处。再者，该系统的总价比有类似配置的普通Jane个人电脑大约贵150美元，而且迪斯尼个人电脑的有些元件还不完善。对孩子而言，正如使用屏保可以保护屏幕不被小孩子黏糊糊的小手弄脏一样，把液晶显示器做成触摸式或许是个很好的附加功能。还有，在系统键盘上装一个橙色大按钮的做法对有些父母来说感觉真是厚颜无耻的重商主义（这个按钮可以使孩子们直接登录到每月要花费9.95美元的“Toontown”网络游戏），这正是他们所瞧不起的。

另一方面，什么样的父母会不满足子女想得到一件“海绵宝宝”玩具、一个蜘蛛侠餐盒或朵拉背包的愿望呢？既然这种个人电脑可能配有“大耳朵”，那么它就不只是一台米老鼠计算机了。





Unit 45


Life is looking up for managers at the 4,300 stores of Tesco，one of the world's biggest supermarket chains．A program from CA，a big software firm，will make a tedious job much easier: gathering data about each store's energy consumption，be it from lights，air conditioning or refrigeration．The streamlined data collection is part of Tesco's ambitious plan to halve emissions of greenhouse gases from existing stores and distribution centres by 2020.

Tesco and CA may be pioneers，but they are not alone．While governments argue over emissions cuts，many firms have already started cleaning up their act，or at least preparing to do so—prompting more and more software firms to offer tools to help. If optimists are right，the market for“carbon-management software” could one day become at least as big as those for other important business applications such as customer-relationship-management（CRM）programs，which brought in revenues of more than $9 billion last year.

Many firms have tracked energy consumption for some time in an effort to save money．Others have monitored emissions of different kinds in order to comply with regulations on pollution．More recently，public pressure has prompted more companies to tally emissions and disclose the results in their annual reports or to outfits like the Carbon Disclosure Project．But most have used simple tools such as spreadsheets and databases.

This is changing，despite the recession，says David Metcalfe，boss of Verdantix，a consultancy．Higher energy costs，green branding and new regulation are all pushing more firms to keep track of their emissions and do so with specialised software，he argues．In Britain，for example，the Carbon Reduction Commitment will come into effect next year．Among other things，it requires firms that use more than 6,000 megawatt-hours of electricity a year to measure and report the energy they use.

Anticipating a surge in demand，software-makers have rushed into the market，mostly with web-based services．In a recent survey AMR Research，another consultancy，identified no fewer than 157 providers．Some focus on reporting，others on compliance and yet others on optimising business processes．There are firms that have been around for years，such as Enviance and IHS．Many start-ups，notably Carbonetworks and Hara，have appeared．Even big software firms have moved into the market: CA，IBM，Oracle，SAP and SAS.

At least for now，the needs of most firms are simple: making sure that data are collected regularly and can be audited．But in the years to come，this too will change，predicts Stephen Stokes of AMR．Firms will need software that collects data automatically，helps them find the best ways to cut emissions and also lets them manage other resources，such as water and waste．Messrs Metcalfe and Stokes both expect that Oracle and SAP，which already dominate most forms of business software，will become pre-eminent in this area，too，because it fits so naturally with their other offerings．These titans also have the cash to buy the best technology．In May SAP bought Clear Standards，a start-up．Oracle is expected to make a similar acquisition soon．But they face determined rivals．IHS has been quietly buying firms selling environmental software．Some expect great things from C3，a start-up founded by Tom Siebel，who pioneered CRM software.


注（1）：本文选自Economist；

注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象：2004年真题Text 1。（其中个别题目顺序做了部分调整。）



1．How does the author introduce the topic?

A) By posing a contrast.

B) By justifying an assumption.

C) By illustrating an example.

D) By explaining a phenomenon.

2．Why do more and more software firms develop carbon-management software?

A) Because enterprises are increasingly aware of the importance of environmental protection.

B) Because the global environment is deteriorating.

C) Because the government is paying more attention to environmental protection.

D) Because it would generate considerable revenue.

3．Which of the following is NOT an objective in adopting environmental software?

A) To save money from energy consumption．

B) To cater to public demand.

C) To fulfill legal obligations．

D) To follow the government.

4．The word“offerings”（Line 6，Paragraph 6）most probably means ______.

A) branch companies

B) products

C) specialized software for environment

D) CRM software

5．Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A) The current carbon-management software market is dominated by a few big companies.

B) Companies are now demanding sophisticated software for the tracking of energy consumption and emission.

C) An intense competition in environmental software market is approaching.

D) The software for environmental protection will become as important as that of financial accounting.





篇章剖析


本文介绍了环保软件市场的发展情况。文章第一段以Tesco公司为例，引出使用软件实现减排计划这个主题；第二段介绍了业界环保的总体情况；第三、四两段介绍了相关的背景、现状及将来的发展趋势等；第五、六段具体讲述了各软件公司进军这一市场及各种不同类型公司的竞争优势和策略。





词汇注释


tedious /ˈtiːdɪəs/ adj. 乏味的，单调的

streamline /ˈstriːmlaɪn/ v. 使有效率，使简化

halve /hæv，hɑːv/ v. 将…减半

prompt /prɒmpt/ v. 引起，激起

tally /ˈtæli/ v. 记录；计算

disclose /dɪsˈkləʊz/ v. 揭发，透露，公开

consultancy /kənˈsʌltənsi/ n. 咨询公司

megawatt /ˈmegəwɒt/ n. 百万瓦

surge /sɜːdʒ/ n. 急剧上升，激增

compliance /kəmˈplaɪəns/ n. 遵从

audit /ˈɔːdɪt/ v. 审计，查账

automatically /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkəli/ adv. 自动地

acquisition /ˌækwɪˈzɪʃən/ n. 收购，购置





难句突破