159. What is the change that should be remembered about the twentieth century?
In the last century, the speed at which technology is developing has increased at a phenomenal rate. If someone living one hundred years ago could see the world today, they would think they were peering onto the set of a science fiction movie. Of all of the inventions created in this time period, I believe that the computer and the Internet should be remembered above all others.
The first reason why I believe that the computer and the Internet are so important to history is because they allows, for the first time ever, all of the people in the world to share their information. If I can speak Italian, I can access all of the websites from Italy. If I have a working knowledge of Japanese, the wealth of Japan's information is at my fingertips. The Internet connects people and ideas, therefore allowing everyone to increase his/her knowledge.
The computer also allows us to make complex calculations with the greatest of ease. A century ago, it would have taken an experts ten months to work out some of the more intricate problems that math and science provide us with. However, with computers, these problems are solved within seconds. Computers also speed up other aspects of our lives. Most young people living in developed nations can type faster than they can handwrite. This, of course, speeds up the education process as well as the business world.
Finally, the computer and the Internet are very important to the twentieth century because of its effect on the entertainment industry. Computers have allowed for complex video games to be created, which are the current craze in most cultures. Teenagers everywhere spend countless hours playing these games, and gain great enjoyment from them. For those not interested in video games, the computer has also allowed for great advances in the movie industry. Special effects are now commonplace in every modern movie we watch. They make movies more realistic and exciting.
In brief, I believe that when future generations look back on the twentieth century's inventions, they will be most impressed with the computer and the Internet, as it has changed the way we view the world and interact with each other.
译文
159. 20世纪中哪项转变应该被铭记?
在上一个世纪，科学技术以非常快的速度发展。如果生活在一百年前的人能够看到今天的世界，他们会以为自己在观看一部科幻电影。在这段时间的所有发明之中，我认为电脑和互联网比其他发明更应该被记住。
我认为电脑和互联网对于历史如此重要的第一个原因是，它们有史以来第一次允许全世界的人们分享他们的信息。如果我会说意大利语，我可以访问所有的意大利网站。如果我懂日语，大量关于日本的信息可被我轻易获得。互联网连接人们和各种想法，因此能让每个人增长自己的知识。
电脑还能让我们极其方便地进行最为复杂的计算。一个世纪之前，一个专家可能得花费几个月的时间，才能计算出数学和其他自然科学给我们提出的复杂难题。然而，有了电脑，这些问题可以在几秒钟之内得到解决。电脑还提高了我们生活中其他方面的速度。绝大多数生活在发达国家的年轻人打字的速度比写字要快。当然，这也像加快商业过程一样加快了教育的过程。
最后，电脑和互联网对20世纪特别重要，还因为它们对于娱乐产业的影响。电脑使设计复杂的电脑游戏成为可能，这些游戏现在在绝大多数文化中都是很盛行。世界各地的青少年都在这些游戏上面花费了无数的时间，并且从中得到了极大的乐趣。对于那些不喜欢电脑游戏的人来说，电脑也使电影工业有了极大的进步。现在我们观看的每一部现代电影中，特技效果都很常见。它们使电影更加真实，更加令人兴奋。
简而言之，我认为将来的人们在回顾20世纪的发明时，给他们留下最深刻印象的会是电脑和互联网，因为它改变了我们观察世界以及彼此相互影响的方式。
Word List
- phenomenal ［fiˈna:mənəl］ adj. 出众的；非常的
- intricate ［ˈintrikit］ adj. 复杂的；难以理解的
- peer ［piə］ v. 凝视；盯着看
- craze ［kreiz］ n. 狂热
- science fiction movie 科幻电影
- provide with 给…提供
- access ［ˈækses］ v. 访问
- realistic ［riəˈlistik］ adj. 现实的
- website ［ˈwebˌsait］ n. 网站