新視野大學(xué)英語讀寫教程第一冊unit9-a Stop Brain Drain

Unit 9

Section A

Pre-reading Activities

First Listening
Please listen to a short passage carefully and prepare to answer some questions.

Second Listening
Listen to the tape again. Then answer the following questions with your own experiences.
1) Why do you think big countries and big companies offer jobs to people from abroad?
2) One of your friends wants to accept a job overseas. What advice would you give him/her?
3) If a company hires many people from a different country, does it have any responsibilities toward that country? Explain your answer.

Stop Brain Drain

A bill now before Congress would give preferential treatment to foreign students with advanced degrees in science and engineering who want to work in the United States.
To those of us who are immigrants, the bill seems simply to sanction a policy secretly implemented by U.S. industry for nearly four decades — namely, stealing brains from the third world.
In general, the "21st Century Technology Resources and Commercial Leadership Act", which Sen. John McCain brought to the Senate in late 1999, is designed to keep the U.S. high-tech industry on top by filling the need for skilled technology workers. One provision of the bill states that, among non-immigrant visa applicants, the state should give preference to foreign nationals with secondary degrees in math, science, engineering or technology. Such a provision would provide "temporary skilled personnel" in those fields.
During the 1960s and 1970s, politicians in my native country, India, used to wave the slogan "Stop Brain Drain" — a reference to the fact that the cream of India was leaving for the lucrative shores of England and America.
In that post-independence era, when everything foreign was considered contaminated by colonialism, we talked of cottage industries and economic imperialism. We threw Coca-Cola out and invented "Thumbs Up Cola".
But it was also the era of Sputnik, of nuclear power and the green revolution. Every year, on Independence Day, our Prime Minister Nehru spoke of the benefits of science and technology.
Our institutes of technology, built with European and American aid, offered students free room and board, even salary. Indian taxpayers footed the bill in the hope that one day the graduates would help reconstruct the nation.
I was one such student. But studying my textbooks late at night in the library of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), I would dream, not of India, but of America, the land of opportunity. Many students like me, indeed, left during those years, never to return.
So our government set up special programs to tempt foreign graduates. Our leaders saw parallels to the independence movement founded by people like Nehru and Gandhi who, after absorbing Western political thought at institutions like Eton and Oxford, returned home to serve their native land.
But few foreign graduates came home to "pay their pledge", as Nehru had put it. Our leaders had failed to see that the emphasis on symbol manipulation at IIT left little room for social thought and much scope for the greedy outcomes of capital-driven business.
Over the next two decades, IIT graduates — educated at the expense of Indian taxpayers — played a major role in founding California's Silicon Valley. The personal computer revolution and the invention of the Internet made the demand for skilled labor mushroom to such tremendous proportions that even if every American child were to study nothing but science from now on, we would be unable to keep pace with demand in the decades to come.
In other words, the legislation would benefit not immigrants, but American industry which would be crippled without it. In India in the meantime, the entire education system has shifted gears to feed the appetite of the American computer industry. As IIT cannot graduate enough students to fill these needs, every street corner now sports billboards for private academies offering certificates in computer programming.
At a book show in my hometown of Nagpur recently, large crowds of young people examined books on engineering and software.
Comments about "Brain Drain" don't hold much water when every politician has a son or daughter aiming to go abroad.
And why bother rebuilding the nation when the only goal is to abandon it? At the Nagpur book show, for example, the latest American social publications were conspicuous by their absence and India's politically conscious leadership has been replaced by a new generation, riding on the wave of the Internet, making fortunes within a span of years.
This new leadership has abandoned all talk of economic imperialism in favor of market economics. Indians now put flowers around Bill Gates' neck and offer him the kind of reception once offered only to the Queen. And Thumbs Up is a branch of Coca-Cola.
Mid-sized cities like Bangalore are now the Silicon Valleys of India — their workers generate demand for the very products that they produce. But the nation is slowly disintegrating. India's population recently hit 1 billion, but its interior framework in water, transportation and health care is fast falling apart; its citizens breathe air that is dangerously polluted.
India had gone from an agricultural society to the cyber-revolution, without passing through intermediate stages such as the welfare state and the creation of social services.
Perhaps it is time to pass legislation calling for a "Brain Trust". Funded by corporations like Microsoft and Intel which have drained India of its brains for decades, the trust could set up new institutes in India aimed at training students not in symbol manipulation, but in social thought. Such an effort is our only hope of creating the social structure needed in the next century.
Words: 840

NEW WORDS

drain
n. 1. [C] anything that continuously uses up sb.'s strength,time, money, etc. 不斷消耗（力量、時間、金錢）的事
2. [C] a pipe to carry away the unwanted water 排水管（道），下水道
v. (cause to) become dry as water or sth. similar flows off; (cause to) flow away (使)漸漸流干；（使）逐漸流出

Congress
n. the highest law-making body e.g. of the U.S. 國會（立法機(jī)關(guān)，如美國國會）

advanced
a. 1. not elementary 高級的，高深的，程度高的
2. highly developed 先進(jìn)的

immigrant
n. [C] a person who has come into a foreign country in order to live there permanently （外來）移民，僑民

namely
ad. (and) that is (to say) 即，即是

commercial
a. 1. of business practices and activities generally 商業(yè)（上）的，商務(wù)的
2. making or intended to make a profit 商業(yè)性的，贏利或以贏利為目的的

leadership
n. 1. [U] being a leader 領(lǐng)導(dǎo)
2. [U] the ability to be a leader 領(lǐng)導(dǎo)能力

senate
n. [U] 上議院，參議院

skilled
a. 1. experienced; trained 有經(jīng)驗的，訓(xùn)練有素的
2. (of work) needing skill （指工作）需要技能的

provision
n. 1. [C] a statement within an agreement or a law that a particular thing must happen or be done 規(guī)定，條款
2. (pl.) supplies of food and other necessary things 給養(yǎng)，供應(yīng)物
3. [U] giving, lending, supplying or making sth. available; providing sth. 提供，供應(yīng)，供給

▲visa
n. [C] an official mark made in a passport which allows one to enter or leave a particular country （護(hù)照上的）簽證

applicant
n. [C] a person who formally applies for or requests sth., esp. a job or a place at college or university 申請人

▲slogan
n. [C] a short easily-remembered phrase intended to bring an idea or a product to public notice 標(biāo)語，口號，廣告語

reference
n. 1. [C] a statement, etc. speaking of or mentioning sb./sth. 提到，說到，暗示
2. [U] information or instructions to look at for help 查看，查閱，參考

◆lucrative
a. bringing in plenty of money; profitable 賺錢的，可獲利的

independence
n. [U] state of not being dependent on others 獨(dú)立，自主，自立

post-independence
a. [U] 獨(dú)立后的

era
n. [C] a period of time that is marked by particular events or developments 時代，歷史時期

▲colonial
a. of, relating to or having a colony or colonies 殖民地的

colonialism
n. [U] the belief in and support for the system of one country controlling another 殖民主義

▲imperial
a. of a large powerful country or its ruler(s) 帝國的，皇帝的

imperialism
n. 1. [U] a country's efforts to have a lot of power and influence over other countries, esp. in political and economic matters 勢力擴(kuò)張
2. [U] a system in which a country rules other countries 帝國主義

thumb
n. [C] （手的）拇指
v. get a free ride by raising the thumb as a signal 站在路邊豎起拇指要求免費(fèi)搭車

prime
a. 1. most important 最重要的，主要的，根本的
2. of the best quality; excellent 最佳的，第一流的
n. [U] state or time of greatest strength, beauty, energy, etc. 青春，壯年，全盛時期

institute
n. [C] an organization which exists so that its members can do a particular job (esp. educational or social work), or the buildings which it uses 組織，機(jī)構(gòu)，學(xué)院

textbook
n. [C] a book with detailed information about a subject for people who are studying that subject 教科書，課本

parallel
n. 1. [C] sth. very similar to sth. else; (a point of) similarity 可相比擬的事物；相似處
2. [C] a line that is always at the same distance from another line 平行線
a. (of two or more straight lines) having the same distance between each other at every point 平行的

pledge
n. [C] a promise, or sth. that is given as a sign that one will keep a promise 誓言，誓約，保證
vt. give one's word as a pledge 發(fā)誓，保證

▲manipulate
vt. 1. control (sb./sth.) to one's advantage 操縱，控制
2. work with skillful use of the hands 操作，使用

manipulation
n. [C, U] act of manipulating or being manipulated 操縱，控制

scope
n. 1. [U] the chance of doing sth. 余地，機(jī)會
2. [U] the range of a subject covered by a book, program, discussion, class, etc. 范圍

outcome
n. [C] (usu. sing.) a result or effect of an action 結(jié)果，后果

■capital-driven
a. driven by the desire of getting more capital 為資本所驅(qū)動的

▲silicon
n. [U] 硅

mushroom
vi. spread or increase in number quickly 迅速蔓延，迅速增加
n. [C] 蘑菇，傘菌

legislation
n. 1. [U] the laws made 法律
2. [U] action of making laws 立法

shift
v. (cause to) move or change from one position or direction to another 移動，轉(zhuǎn)變，轉(zhuǎn)移
n. 1. [C] a change of place, nature, form, etc. 移動，改變，轉(zhuǎn)變
2. [C] a group of workers who do a job for a period of time during the day or night; the period of time itself 輪班職工；輪班

gear
n. 1. [C] (usu. pl.) （汽車的）排擋
2. [U] equipment, clothes, etc. that you use to do a particular activity 裝備，用具，衣著
vt. organize, make ready or prepare a person or place for a particular event or type of activity 使準(zhǔn)備好，使適應(yīng)

appetite
n. [C] a desire or need for sth. esp. food 胃口，欲望

■billboard
n. a high fence or board on which large advertisements are stuck 廣告的招貼牌

academy
n. 1. [C] a school for special training ?？茖W(xué)校
2. [C] an organization intended to advance art, science, language, etc. 學(xué)會；研究院

software
n. [U] the instructions which control what a computer does; computer programs （計算機(jī)）軟件，程序

abandon
vt. leave (a place, thing or person) forever; stop doing sth. before you have finished it 拋棄，遺棄；放棄

reception
n. 1. [U] (usu. sing.) a particular kind of welcome 接待，招待，歡迎
2. [U] way in which sb./sth. is received 反應(yīng)

integrate
v. combine sth. in such a way that it becomes fully a part of sth. else 連接（各部）使成一整體，（使）結(jié)合，（使）完全，（使）并入

disintegrate
vi. (cause to) break into small parts or pieces （使）分裂，（使）分解

billion
n. [C] 10億

framework
n. [C] a supporting structure around which sth. can be built 框架，構(gòu)架，結(jié)構(gòu)

transportation
n. [U] a means or system of carrying passengers or goods from one place to another 運(yùn)輸（系統(tǒng)），交通（系統(tǒng)）

■cyber-revolution
n. 網(wǎng)絡(luò)革命

intermediate
a. 1. placed or coming between two people, things, etc. in time, space, degree, etc. （在時間、空間、程度方面）中間的，居中的
2. between elementary and advanced 中級的

PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

in general
mainly; mostly; usually 主要地；大部分；通常

on top
in a better or higher position 處于領(lǐng)先地位

talk of
talk about; mention 談?wù)摚惶峒?br />
throw sth. out
throw sth. useless or unwanted away 扔掉，處理掉某物

thumbs up
an indication that sth. is seen as good or has official recognition 伸出大拇指表示接受或贊成的手勢

speak of
talk about; mention 談及，提到，講到

foot the bill
be responsible for paying the cost of sth.付賬

in the hope that
because of the wish that 懷著……希望

keep pace with
move forward, develop or increase at the same rate (as sb./sth.) （與……）同速前進(jìn)，（與……）并駕齊驅(qū)

in other words
expressed in a different way; that is to say 換句話說，也就是說

in the meantime
meanwhile （與此）同時

hold water
(of an argument, an excuse, a theory, etc.) be able to stand up to examination or testing; be valid （指辯論、辯解、理論等）經(jīng)得起檢驗，站得住腳

in favor of
in support of; approving of 支持；贊同

call for
require, demand or need sth. 需求，要求

drain sb./sth. of sth.
make sb./sth. weaker, poorer, etc. by gradually using up his/its strength, money, etc. 使逐漸耗盡（力量、金錢等）

PROPER NAMES

John McCain
約翰·麥卡蓋因

Coca-Cola
可口可樂（一種飲料，商標(biāo)名）

Thumbs Up Cola
頂呱呱可樂（一種類似可口可樂的飲料, 商標(biāo)名）

Sputnik
（蘇聯(lián)）人造地球衛(wèi)星

Nehru
尼赫魯（1899-1964，印度獨(dú)立后首任總理［1947-1964］、國大黨主席［1929-1964］，萬隆會議和不結(jié)盟運(yùn)動倡導(dǎo)人之一）

Gandhi
甘地（1869-1948，印度民族解放運(yùn)動領(lǐng)袖，有"圣雄"之稱，印度國大黨主席［1925-1934］，首倡"非暴力抵抗"，多次發(fā)動反英"不合作運(yùn)動"，領(lǐng)導(dǎo)爭取印度獨(dú)立的斗爭，印度獨(dú)立［1947］后，被印度教極右分子暗殺）

Eton
伊頓（英國英格蘭南部城鎮(zhèn)，在倫敦之西，是著名的伊頓公學(xué)的所在地）

Oxford
牛津（英國英格蘭中南部城市，牛津郡首府和牛津大學(xué)所在地）

Silicon Valley
硅谷（舊金山東南圣克拉拉谷的別稱，美國主要微電子公司集中于此）

Nagpur
那格浦爾（印度中部城市）

Bangalore
班加羅爾（印度南部城市）

Microsoft
微軟公司

Intel
英特爾公司