elephone conversations a cause for celebration then, a small number today. other cables followed; by the early 1960s, overseas telephone calls had reached 5 million per year. Then came satellite communication in the middle 1960s, and by 1980, the telephone system carried some 200 million overseas calls per year. But as demands on the telecommunication system continued to increase, the limitations of current technology became apparent. Then, in 1988, the first transatlantic fiber-optic cable was laid, and the "information superhighway" was on its way to becoming reality Optical fibers form the backbone of the global telecommunication system today. These emarkable strands of glass-each thinner than a human hair, yet stronger, length for length, than steel were designed to carry the vast amounts of data that can be transmitted via a relatively new form of light -tightly focused laser beams. Together, lasers and optical fibers have dramatically increased the capacity of the international telephone system. a typical fiber-optic cable made up of 100 or more such fibers can carry more than 40,000 voice channels. With equally striking improvements in computing the new communication technology has fueled the exponential growth of the phenomenon known as the Internet New Words laser n 激光 fiber n 纤维 optic(al)a 光的,光学的 coma n state of long unnatural deep unconsciousness caused by poisoning,etc.昏厥(状态) SOS n an international signal calling for help, used esp. by ships in trouble 求救信号 a change in body or mind which shows disease or disorder ER bulletin n a short public usu. official notice公告,告示 Internet n 因特网;国际互联网络;网际网 physician n a doctor,esp. one who treats diseases with medicine内科医生 forward y to send; to send forward to a new address寄;转寄 colleague n a fellow worker, esp. in a profession同事 e-mall n electronic mail电子邮件 lent which is the result of di 诊断 emerge 1 to come or appear显现;出现 thallium n resemble y to look or be like像,类似 铅 插上,塞,堵 that can be carried or moved, quite small and light手提式的,便携 式的,轻便的 client n a person who pays a professional person, esp. a lawyer, for help or advice, customer委托人,客户,顾客 a person connected with another,esp. in work合伙人,同事 1. to friends or as partners in business结交,联合 2. to connect in ones mind联想telephone conversations – a cause for celebration then, a small number today. Other cables followed; by the early 1960s, overseas telephone calls had reached 5 million per year. Then came satellite communication in the middle 1960s, and by 1980, the telephone system carried some 200 million overseas calls per year. But as demands on the telecommunication system continued to increase, the limitations of current technology became apparent. Then, in 1988, the first transatlantic fiber-optic cable was laid, and the “information superhighway” was on its way to becoming reality. Optical fibers form the backbone of the global telecommunication system today. These remarkable strands of glass – each thinner than a human hair, yet stronger, length for length, than steel – were designed to carry the vast amounts of data that can be transmitted via a relatively new form of light – tightly focused laser beams. Together, lasers and optical fibers have dramatically increased the capacity of the international telephone system. A typical fiber-optic cable made up of 100 or more such fibers can carry more than 40,000 voice channels. With equally striking improvements in computing, the new communication technology has fueled the exponential growth of the phenomenon known as the Internet. New Words laser n. 激光 fiber n. 纤维 optic(al) a. 光的，光学的 coma n.. state of long unnatural deep unconsciousness caused by disease, poisoning, etc. 昏厥（状态） SOS n. an international signal calling for help, used esp. by ships in trouble 求救信号 symptom n. a change in body or mind which shows disease or disorder 症状 bulletin n. a short public usu. official notice 公告，告示 Internet n. 因特网；国际互联网络；网际网 physician n. a doctor, esp. one who treats diseases with medicine 内科医生 forward v. to send; to send forward to a new address 寄；转寄 colleague n. a fellow worker, esp. in a profession 同事 e-mail n. electronic mail 电子邮件 diagnosis n. a statement which is the result of diagnosing 诊断 emerge v. to come or appear 显现；出现 thallium n. 铊 resemble v. to look or be like 像，类似 lead n. 铅 plug v. 插上，塞，堵 portable a. that can be carried or moved; quite small and light 手提式的，便携 式的，轻便的 client n. a person who pays a professional person, esp. a lawyer, for help or advice; customer 委托人，客户，顾客 associate n. a person connected with another, esp. in work 合伙人，同事 v. 1. to join as friends or as partners in business 结交，联合 2. to connect in one’s mind 联想