01
素材原文
Founded in a dormitory at Harvard in 2004, TheFacebook.com has become a digital drug for users worldwide today.
Few companies have exerted such a strong influence on society, and Facebook has altered users in two notable ways. First, the company has fostered a virtual world, changing people’s communication habits, reuniting lost contacts, shaping their perception of world events and redefining the meaning of the word “friend”.
Second, Facebook has changed attitudes to privacy. After it was launched, for the first time people felt comfortable sharing intimate details online, including their feelings, relationship status, likes and dislikes, photos, location, phone number and more, because they felt they could control who had access to them. Users were vaguely aware that Facebook was starting to make a fortune mining this data and selling advertisers access to specific types of users.
As with all new technologies, from the printed book to the telegraph, social media can be used both for good and bad. Critics of Facebook are increasingly vocal about the harms, pointing out that Facebook is addictive, harmful to privacy protection and too powerful in making decisions about what content people see.
The relationship with Facebook continues, but the love affair is over.
02 素材学习
Founded in a dormitory at Harvard in 2004, The Facebook.com has become a digital drug for users worldwide today. 2004年成立于哈佛大学的一间宿舍，Facebook现在已经成为了其全球用户的一种数码毒品。
第一段主要介绍了Facebook的背景信息。首先根据时间先后顺序描写了Facebook成立的地点(in a dormitory at Harvard), 时间（in 2004），与后面主句中的现在（today）现状进行对比，突出Facebook在短短10多年来变化之大，对世界的影响之大。
1. a digital drug，”数码毒品“是一种比喻的说法。暗示了作者对Facebook的态度，认为它是像drug,药品/毒品一样容易让人上瘾的东西。
第二段: Facebook对人们的改变一
Few companies have exerted such a strong influence on society, and Facebook has altered users in two notable ways. First, the company has fostered a virtual world, changing people’s communication habits, reuniting lost contacts, shaping their perception of world events and redefining the meaning of the word “friend”. 很少有公司像Facebook一样对社会有如此重大的影响，它从两个方面显著的改变了使用者。第一，它创造了一个虚拟的世界，改变了人们的交流习惯，重接了中断的联系，塑造人们对世界的认知，还重新定义朋友这个词的含义。
2. exert a (strong) influence on ...对…施加(重大)影响。高频词汇。
3. foster a virtual world. 创造了一个虚拟世界
foster. v .
①本身的含义是：(act as parent to) 养育，把事物/人抚养长大。
▸ After fostering the child for seven years they finally adopted her.
在照顾这个孩子7年之后，他们终于领养了她
▸ a foster-home 寄养家庭
② foster + attitude, interest, image 等与人相关抽象名词，表示“培养态度/兴趣，提升形象”，
③ foster + a virtual word, activity, growth/development of local industries 等客观化的名词，表示"促进发展"。
都源自foster原意”抚养--->促进事/人的发展“
完整台词是：We both need to foster friendships with people our own age. 我们应该跟同龄人建立友谊。
第三段: Facebook对人们的改变二
Second, Facebook has changed attitudes to privacy. After it was launched, for the first time people felt comfortable sharing intimate details online, including their feelings, relationship status, likes and dislikes, photos, location, phone number and more, because they felt they could control who had access to them. Users were vaguely aware that Facebook was starting to make a fortune mining this data and selling advertisers access to specific types of users. 第二，Facebook 改变了人们对隐私的态度。在它发布以后，因为用户觉得他们自己能够掌控访问者权限，第一次对在网络上分享私密信息感觉到放心，这些信息包括他们自己的感受，人际关系，喜好与厌恶，照片，位置，电话号码和更多。对于 Facebook通过挖掘用户数据并给广告商提供精准广告赚钱的事情，使用者了解的并不清楚。
4. after it was launched,在它发布后..
launch. v.
① 本意是，使某物运动，发射，送上轨道。比如，launch a missile/a satellite 发射导弹/卫星. 我们经常在 天文话题的阅读文章中看到这个词。就在7.23日 搭载我国首次火星探测任务“天问一号”探测器的长征5号火箭在海南文昌发射场点火被发射升空。 《中国日报双语新闻》的相关报道就运用了launch这个词。
Tianwen 1 was launched on its Mars mission carried by a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on Thursday.
② launch 也逐渐延伸出：发起；实施；使...上市；发行(release), 等含义，都来自其本意“使行动/开始”。 写作常用搭配：
▸~ products 使产品上市；~ a new model 推出新型号;
▸~ a scheme 实施一项计划; ~a campaign 发起一场战役 ;
▸ She is well and truly launched on her new career.
她的新事业已经成功开展起来了
③ launch out 开始创业
▸ he left the company and launched out on his own
他离开公司，自己创业
▸ the company launched out into the overseas market
公司开始涉足海外市场
5. ".....because they felt they could control who had access to them."
have access to sth.(使用某物/接近某人的)机会或权利
▸ Students must have access to a good library.
学生要有使用好图书馆的便利条件.
6. mine. v. 开采;n. 矿
在托福阅读/听力中经常会出现 a coal-mine煤矿；mine the earth for iron ore开采铁矿石。
在实际生活中，更多和data 连用。因为网络上的各种大数据本身没有价值，想要产生价值，对它的处理就非常重要。其中大数据分析，和大数据挖掘（mine data 挖掘数据, data mining 大数据挖掘）就是最重要的2部分。
第四段: Facebook对人们的坏影响
As with all new technologies, from the printed book to the telegraph, social media can be used both for good and bad. Critics of Facebook are increasingly vocal about the harms, pointing out that Facebook is addictive, harmful to privacy protection and too powerful in making decisions about what content people see.
就像所有新的科技一样，从印刷书籍到电报，社交媒体的使用也有两面性。批评者越来越多的对Facebook的危害发声，指出它让使用者上瘾，对隐私保护有害，强势的决定了人们能看到的内容。
第四段第一句通过对比其他科技，作者对上文提到的2个影响做了简单的回应，所有科技都有好坏2个面。所以这并不是什么“新鲜事”。但是紧接着话锋一转，提到了批评者越来越在意Facebook的坏处。难怪作者一开头也是将facebook定义为一种让人上瘾的数码毒品a digital drug。
7 xxx can be used both for good and bad. xx具有两面性。
8. “ Critics of Facebook are increasingly vocal about the harms,”
vocal.adj. 坦率的，直言的.
▸vocal criticism, support 坦率的批评、支持
be vocal about.. 对..直言不讳的.
▸We were very vocal about our rights.
我们直言不讳表达了我们应有的权利.
9. “…., pointing out that+宾语从句" . 现在分词doing 短语引导的宾语从句来做前面主句Critics of Facebook are vocal about the harms 的方式状语. 批评者通过指出Facebook的问题（的方式）来表明他们对Facebook危害的担忧。
10. ” Facebook is addictive, harmful to … and too powerful in … “ 3个并列形容词词组做谓语，具体说明Facebook 的危害是什么。
这种 3个结构形式一致的并列短语可以形成排比句型，不仅显得句式工整，而且信息量充足，写作中很常见。比如，奥巴马在乔布斯去世时所写的悼文：
Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.
乔布斯是美国最伟大的创新者之一，他勇于与众不同地思考，敢于相信自己能够改变世界，并用自己的才华付诸实施。
第五段: 总结
The relationship with Facebook continues, but the love affair is over.
Facebook的使用还会继续，但是对它的爱已经结束。
作为整篇文章的结尾段，只有一句。但这句话写得精炼，且文艺。我们人类跟Facebook的关系就好像和人的关系一样，虽然关系还会继续，但是越来越受到Facebook危害的人们对它已经不再是充满爱意，而是越来越谨慎了。
03 划重点
foster
launch
have access to sth
be vocal about..
exert a (strong) influence on ..
xxx can be used both for good and bad.
