2016-02-29 Is a game just a game 游戏只是游戏吗？

电脑游戏可能很有意思，不过玩电脑游戏对你有好处吗？有些人担心过度玩电脑游戏可能会影响健康。不过也有一些调查数据显示，适量的玩电脑游戏也有一定益处。《随身英语》探讨玩电脑游戏正、反两种对立的观点，并且建议适度玩一玩不失为一种健康的娱乐活动！

课文内容

词汇: gaming 游戏

Are you addicted to computer games? Do you stay up all night playing them? There’s no doubt that the excitement and sophistication of games these days makes them hard to put down. But should we worry about their effects on our health?

We are spoilt for choice when it comes to gaming: You can role play – creating your own fantasy characters and stories, giving you a chance to step out of everyday life into an imaginary world. And there are shooting games where you can let out your anger and frustration in violent situations where you kill people with guns.

Can these kinds of games really be fun and can being absorbed in virtual reality be good for us? Popular games like Grand Theft Auto have been blamed for everything from falling results at school to provoking acts of extreme violence. Internet safety advisor, Alan MacKenzie, thinks “many people understandably will just think that a game is just a game and not realising the explicit content that’s in there”.  He gives an example of the violence and sexualisation of women which he says is “wholly inappropriate for anybody, never mind children.”

Others will argue that gaming is a harmless form of entertainment. There is evidence that playing video games could actually be good for us. Some games are educational and using games consoles can help children learn good dexterity. Studies have also shown that the skills used in playing games can cause growth in certain areas of the brain, the ability to think in 3D and even improve our eyesight.

Video gamers are also no longer just solitary creatures. For some, gaming is having a positive effect on their social lives with games like Halo and World of Warcraft often being played in groups. When your group works together to win the game, your sense of achievement is higher than when winning by yourself. So it seems today, gaming isn’t just for geeks and if used in moderation we can all take part. What video games do you play and how do they make you feel?

词汇表

addicted  上瘾的
sophistication  精密复杂
spoilt for choice  多不胜选
role play  角色扮演、角色游戏
fantasy  幻想
imaginary world  想象的世界
violent  暴力的
virtual reality  虚拟的现实
provoking  挑衅，激怒
explicit  明晰的，清楚的
sexualisation  性别化
harmless  无害的
consoles  （游戏机）操纵器
dexterity  灵巧，机敏
solitary  孤独的
sense of achievement  成就感
geeks  对电脑痴迷的发烧友 

测验与练习 

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What game, named in the article, did some people blame for making people violent?

2. True or false? The sexualisation of women is only inappropriate for children.

3. What word used in the article means ‘facts or information that help to show something is true’.

4. Name one positive effect using video games can have on you.

5. Can games like Halo usually be played on your own?

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. Mary has put on a lot of weight because of her ________ to chocolate.

addition     addiction     addixion     addicted

2. The government’s plan to get everyone to recycle all their rubbish is complete ________, it will never happen!

fantasy     imaginary     explicit     harmless

3. ________ technology has helped us to see how the village looked in Roman times.

real virtuality     virtually real     virtual reality     really virtuous

4. Children who grow up using mobile phones and gaming consoles are changing the shape and ________ of their fingers and thumbs.

solitary     dexterity     reality     addiction

5. Passing my first piano exam has given me a real sense of ________.

effort     humour     sophistication     achievement

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What game, named in the article, did some people blame for making people violent?
Grand Theft Auto.

2. True or false? The sexualisation of women is only inappropriate for children.
False. Alan MacKenzie said sexualisation of women is wholly inappropriate for anybody, never mind children.

3. What word used in the article means ‘facts or information that help to show something is true’.
Evidence.

4. Name one positive effect using video games can have on you.
The ability to think in 3D, improving your eyesight, improving your social life. 

5. Can games like Halo usually be played on your own?
No, it is often played in groups.

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. Mary has put on a lot of weight because of her addiction to chocolate.  

2. The government’s plan to get everyone to recycle all their rubbish is complete fantasy, it will never happen!

3. Virtual reality technology has helped us to see how the village looked in Roman times.

4. Children who grow up using mobile phones and gaming consoles are changing the shape and dexterity of their fingers and thumbs.

5. Passing my first piano exam has given me a real sense of achievement.