练习材料
L51-2: Predicting the future
It can properly be described as the first 'home computer' and it pointed the way to the future. This was followed, at the end of the 1970s, by a machine called an Apple.
In the early 1980s, the computer giant, IBM produced the world's first Personal Computer. This ran on an 'operating system' called DOS, produced by a then small company named Microsoft. The IBM Personal Computer was widely copied. From those humble beginnings, we have seen the development of the user-friendly home computers and multimedia machines which are in common use today. Considering how recent these developments are, it is even more remarkable that as long ago as the 1960s, an Englishman, Leon Bagrit, was able to predict some of the uses of computers which we know today.Bagrit dismissed the idea that computers would learn to 'think' for themselves and would 'rule the world', which people liked to believe in those days.
/ɛl/51-2: /prɪˈdɪktɪŋ/ /ðə/ /ˈfjuʧər/
/ɪt/ /kæn/ /ˈprɑpərli/ /bi/ /dɪˈskraɪbd/ /æz/ /ðə/ /fɜrst/ /hoʊm/ /kəmˈpjutər/ /ænd/ /ɪt/ /ˈpɔɪntəd/ /ðə/ /weɪ/ /tu/ /ðə/ /ˈfjuʧər/. /ðɪs/ /wʌz/ /ˈfɑloʊd/, /æt/ /ði/ /ɛnd/ /ʌv/ /ði/ 1970/ɛs/, /baɪ/ /ə/ /məˈʃin/ /kɔld/ /ən/ /ˈæpəl/.
/ɪn/ /ði/ /ˈɜrli/ 1980/ɛs/, /ðə/ /kəmˈpjutər/ /ˈʤaɪənt/, /aɪ-bi-ɛm/ /prəˈdust/ /ðə/ /wɜrldz/ /fɜrst/ /ˈpɜrsɪnɪl/ /kəmˈpjutər/. /ðɪs/ /ræn/ /ɑn/ /ən/ /ˈɑpəˌreɪtɪŋ/ /ˈsɪstəm/ /kɔld/ /dɔs/, /prəˈdust/ /baɪ/ /ə/ /ðɛn/ /smɔl/ /ˈkʌmpəni/ /neɪmd/ /ˈmaɪˌkroʊˈsɔft/. /ði/ /aɪ-bi-ɛm/ /ˈpɜrsɪnɪl/ /kəmˈpjutər/ /wʌz/ /ˈwaɪdli/ /ˈkɑpid/. /frʌm/ /ðoʊz/ /ˈhʌmbəl/ /bɪˈgɪnɪŋz/, /wi/ /hæv/ /sin/ /ðə/ /dɪˈvɛləpmənt/ /ʌv/ /ðə/ /ˈjuzər/-/ˈfrɛndli/ /hoʊm/ /kəmˈpjutərz/ /ænd/ /ˌmʌltiˈmidiə/ /məˈʃinz/ /wɪʧ/ /ɑr/ /ɪn/ /ˈkɑmən/ /juz/ /təˈdeɪ/. /kənˈsɪdərɪŋ/ /haʊ/ /ˈrisənt/ /ðiz/ /dɪˈvɛləpmənts/ /ɑr/, /ɪt/ /ɪz/ /ˈivɪn/ /mɔr/ /rɪˈmɑrkəbəl/ /ðæt/ /æz/ /lɔŋ/ /əˈgoʊ/ /æz/ /ði/ 1960/ɛs/, /ən/ /ˈɪŋglɪʃmən/, /ˈliɑn/ Bagrit, /wʌz/ /ˈeɪbəl/ /tu/ /prɪˈdɪkt/ /sʌm/ /ʌv/ /ðə/ /ˈjusəz/ /ʌv/ /kəmˈpjutərz/ /wɪʧ/ /wi/ /noʊ/ /təˈdeɪ/.Bagrit /dɪˈsmɪst/ /ði/ /aɪˈdiə/ /ðæt/ /kəmˈpjutərz/ /wʊd/ /lɜrn/ /tu/ /θɪŋk/ /fɔr/ /ðɛmˈsɛlvz/ /ænd/ /wʊd/ /rul/ /ðə/ /wɜrld/, /wɪʧ/ /ˈpipəl/ /laɪkt/ /tu/ /bɪˈliv/ /ɪn/ /ðoʊz/ /deɪz/.
