核心词汇 (Target Vocabulary)

学习 1A 摄影与视觉文化核心词汇，点击语音按钮可听纯正美音发音，掌握核心释义与真题例句。

controversial [ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃl] adj.
Causing a lot of disagreement, debate, or discussion.
有争议的；引起争议的
"Photojournalists disagree about whether altering photographs with editing apps is controversial."
dramatic [drəˈmætɪk] adj.
Very sudden, striking, or exciting.
戏剧性的；激动人心的；引人注目的
"Images of war or disasters can have a dramatic impact on the public and policy makers."
embrace [ɪmˈbreɪs] v.
To accept something enthusiastically and willingly.
欣然接受；拥抱
"Millions of people have embraced digital smartphone photography in their daily lives."
instantly [ˈɪnstəntli] adv.
Immediately; without any delay.
立即；马上
"With social media, amateur photographs can be shared instantly across the globe."
obsessed [əbˈsest] adj.
Unable to stop thinking about something; excessively interested.
着迷的；过分热衷的
"Modern culture seems obsessed with taking selfies and documenting every mundane moment."
profound [prəˈfaʊnd] adj.
Felt or experienced very strongly or in an extreme way.
深刻的；深远的
"The democratization of image making has had a profound effect on global communication."
quality [ˈkwɒləti] n.
How good or bad something is; a characteristic.
质量；品质
"The sheer quantity of digital images often overshadows their artistic quality."
represent [ˌreprɪˈzent] v.
To speak, act, or stand for someone or something.
代表；象征；表现
"Does a digital photograph truly represent objective reality, or merely an illusion?"
tremendous [trəˈmendəs] adj.
Very large, great, or strong.
巨大的；极大的
"The explosion of citizen journalism has exerted tremendous power over public opinion."
weigh [weɪ] v.
To carefully consider and compare different things before making a choice.
权衡；斟酌
"Editors must weigh the artistic value of an edited photo against journalistic integrity."
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The Visual Village

视觉村庄：智能手机时代的人人摄影与全球视觉文化大变革

Paragraph A
Before the age of the smartphone, aspiring photographers had to learn how to use high-tech cameras and photographic techniques. Not everyone had cameras, and it took skill and a good eye to capture and create a great photograph. Today, with the huge range of camera apps on our smartphones, we are all amateur photographers and pretty good ones too. The quality of smartphone images now nearly equals that of digital cameras.
Paragraph B
The new ease of photography has given us a tremendous appetite for capturing the magical and the ordinary. We are obsessed with documenting everyday moments, whether it's a shot of our breakfast, our cat, or our cat's breakfast. And rather than collect pictures and scrapbooks, we share, like, and comment on them with friends and strangers around the globe. Even photojournalists are experimenting with cell phones, because their near-invisibility makes it easier to capture unguarded moments.
Paragraph C
The internet also allows photojournalists to avoid traditional media. They can now act as their own publishers, reaching huge audiences via social media sites, such as Instagram. A photograph taken in New York can get a response from someone in Legos within a second of being uploaded. In the past, magazines published unforgettable photos of important people and global events that captured our imaginations. These photos had the power to change public opinion, even the course of history.
Paragraph D
But if there are fewer memorable images today, it's not because there are fewer good images, it's because there are so many. No one image gets to be special for long. Cameras are everywhere. A situation that is transforming the way we experience dramatic events. When there are major political events or natural disasters, it is ordinary citizens with cell phones, not photojournalists, who often provide the first news images. Quality still matters, but it's less important than what's instantly shared. As people everywhere embrace photography and the media make use of citizen journalists, professional standards appear to be shifting. In the past, most people trusted photojournalists to accurately represent reality. Today, however, digital images can be altered in ways the naked eye might never notice. Any image can be altered to create an improved picture of reality.
Paragraph E
The average viewer is left with no way to assess the accuracy of an image, except through trust in a news organization or photographer. The question of the accuracy of images gets even trickier when photojournalists start experimenting with camera apps, like flicker or Instagram, which encourage the use of filters. Images can be colored, brightened, faded and scratched to make photographs more artistic, or to give them an antique look. Photojournalists using camera apps to cover wars and conflicts have created powerful images, but also controversy.
Paragraph F
Critics worry that antique looking photographs romanticize war, while distancing us from those fighting them. Yet photography has always been more subjective than we assume. Each picture is a result of a series of decisions, where to stand, what lens to use, and what to leave in or out of the frame. Does altering photographs with camera app filters make them less true? There's something powerful and exciting about the experiment that the digital age is forced upon us. These new tools make it easier to tell our own stories, and they give others the power to do the same. Many members of the media get stuck on the same stories, focusing on elections, governments, wars, and disasters. In the process, they mess out on the less dramatic images of daily life that can be just as revealing and relevant. The increase in the number of photographs and photographers might even be good for democracy itself. Hundreds of millions of potential citizen journalists make the world smaller and help keep leaders honest. People can now show what they are up against, making it increasingly difficult for governments to hide their actions. If everyone has a camera, big brother isn't the only one watching. Who knows? Our obsession with documentation and constantly being connected could lead to a radical change in our way of being. Perhaps we are witnessing the development of a universal visual language. It's one that could change the way we relate to each other and the world. Of course, as with any language, there will be those who produce poetry and those who make shopping lists. It's not clear whether this flowering of image-making will lead to a public that better appreciates and understands images, or will it simply numb us to the profound effects a well-made image can have. Regardless, the change is irreversible. Let's hope the millions of new photographs made today help us see what we all have in common, rather than what sets a part.

课文配套练习 (Reading Exercises)

严格对应教材 Page 8–13 官方练习：Before You Read、Reading Comprehension 及 Fact vs Opinion 技能辨析。

1.
Definitions (p.8) to record the details of an event
2.
Definitions (p.8) someone who does an activity for pleasure, not as a job
3.
Definitions (p.8) a person who takes photographs for news publications
4.
Predicting (p.8) Before reading, predict what the reading passage is mainly about:
5.
Gist (Para D, p.12) What is the reading mainly about?
6.
Detail (Para E, p.12) Why is everyone a photographer in today's visual village?
7.
Detail (p.12) What is a major benefit of citizen photojournalism?
8.
Inference (p.12) Why does the author mention digital photo manipulation?
9.
Main Idea (p.12) What conclusion does the author draw in the final paragraph?
10.
Chronology (p.12) Event Matching: The first photograph was taken in:
11.
Chronology (p.12) Event Matching: George Eastman created the first easy-to-use Kodak camera in:
12.
Chronology (p.12) Event Matching: The first commercial digital cameras arrived around:
13.
Chronology (p.12) Event Matching: Camera phones and smartphones transformed photography in:
14.
Fact vs Opinion (p.13) In: 'Before the smartphone, taking photos required skill and patience.' — This sentence states:
15.
Fact vs Opinion (p.13) In: 'Smartphone cameras are the best invention in human history.' — This sentence states:
16.
Fact vs Opinion (p.13) In: 'Over 1 trillion digital photos are taken worldwide each year.' — This sentence states:

Critical Thinking · Evaluating Reality
Photojournalists often disagree about whether digital filters and alterations should be permitted in news photography.
Pros: Filters can show a more dramatic image to evoke a stronger public reaction.
Cons: Filters can show a false reality and erode journalistic trust.
What is your opinion?