核心词汇 (Target Vocabulary)

学习 6B 加密数字货币与区块链核心生词，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。

asset [ˈæset] n.
A useful or valuable quality, skill, or person; something valuable that is owned.
资产；财产；有价值的人或物
"Investors increasingly treat digital cryptocurrency as a speculative financial asset."
drawback [ˈdrɔːbæk] n.
A disadvantage or the negative part of a situation.
缺点；缺陷；不利因素
"A major drawback of Bitcoin is its extreme price volatility and vulnerability to market bubbles."
drug [drʌɡ] n.
Any natural or artificially made chemical used as medicine or taken illegally.
药物；毒品
"Early underground dark web marketplaces used anonymous virtual tokens to trade illegal drugs."
fraud [frɔːd] n.
The crime of getting money by deceiving or tricking people.
欺诈；骗局
"Cryptographic blockchain verification was engineered specifically to prevent counterfeiting and double-spending fraud."
principle [ˈprɪnsəpl] n.
A basic idea or rule that explains or controls how something happens or works.
原则；原理
"Bitcoin operates on the democratic principle of decentralized, peer-to-peer consensus."
scarce [skeəs] adj.
Not easy to find or get; rare in quantity.
稀缺的；罕见的
"The total supply of Bitcoin is mathematically capped at 21 million units, making it artificially scarce."
sophisticated [səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd] adj.
Clever, complex, and developed to a high degree of technical difficulty.
复杂的；精密的；尖端的
"Blockchain networks utilize sophisticated cryptographic algorithms to secure distributed ledgers."
stocks [stɒks] n.
Shares of ownership in a company that can be bought and sold on an exchange.
股票；股份
"Traders move capital seamlessly between tech company stocks, bonds, and digital currencies."
supposedly [səˈpəʊzɪdli] adv.
According to what is generally thought or believed, but not proven for certain.
据推测；据说
"Bitcoin was supposedly invented by an anonymous programmer using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto."
verify [ˈverɪfaɪ] v.
To prove that something exists or is true, or to check that something is correct.
验证；核实；证实
"Network miners compete to verify blocks of transactions by solving cryptographic math puzzles."
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The Rise of Virtual Money

虚拟货币之兴：比特币密码学原理、去中心化区块链与未来货币构想

Paragraph A
It doesn't exist in any physical form, yet is increasingly used by people worldwide, is virtual currency the money of the future? What is a virtual currency? According to the European Banking Authority, a virtual currency is a digital representation of value that is neither issued by a central bank or a public authority, nor necessarily attached to a fiat currency, but is accepted as a means of payment, and can be transferred, stored, or traded electronically. There are many types of virtual currency, but the best known is probably Bitcoin. In online articles or in newspapers or magazines, you may have seen pictures of gold or silver coins marked with the Bitcoin symbol. However, since Bitcoin's exist only as digital constructs, these are merely representations. Bitcoin is a type of digital money known as a cryptocurrency that is, it uses cryptography, secure coding, to verify ownership of the money. The money can be sent electronically from one user to another anywhere in the world. Unlike traditional currencies, Bitcoin is not controlled by a central bank or by a government agency, and unlike credit cards, the Bitcoin network is not run by a company. There is no middleman between the parties that are transferring money.
Paragraph B
It is operated by a global network of computers called a blockchain network, which records every Bitcoin transaction in the world. How did Bitcoin begin? The first reference to Bitcoin appeared in 2008 in a paper by a writer supposedly named Satoshi Nakamoto. However, the name turned out to be a pseudonym for a person or group who preferred to remain anonymous. A year later, Bitcoin was released as open-source software. Bitcoin was not the first attempt at a cryptocurrency. Others had existed in one form or another for nearly 50 years, but without much success. In a short space of time, though, Bitcoin became the first cryptocurrency to be widely traded internationally. The first Bitcoins were mined in January 2009, within 200 days one million coins had been mined. By 2019, this had risen to over 17 million Bitcoins, worth the total of 65 billion US dollars, and more than 300,000 new transactions were taking place every day.
Paragraph C
In its early days, Bitcoin was known for its link with illegal drugs, such as those bought and sold on Silk Road, an online black market set up in 2011. Silk Road connected customers and sellers on the internet, using a network that concealed a user's location and identity, and it used Bitcoin for payments. Silk Road was shut down by the FBI in 2013. According to some experts, the shutdown gave Bitcoin a chance to gain some much-needed legitimacy. Bit Pay CEO Steven Pear insisted that Silk Road's association would not prove fatal to Bitcoin. He said that the shutdown shows that just because you use Bitcoin doesn't mean you can evade law enforcement. How does Bitcoin work? Each Bitcoin can be divided out to eight decimal places. That means you can send someone a minimum of 0.0000001 Bitcoins. This smallest fraction of a Bitcoin, the penny of the Bitcoin world, is called a Satoshi.
Paragraph D
Like gold or other precious metals used as money, Bitcoins are scarce. But their scarcity is not natural or accidental. New Bitcoins are added only by being mind. Computer users on the blockchain network raised to solve increasingly complicated mathematical problems. The first to have a verified solution receives a payment. It's like the high-tech equivalent of a gold rush. The mind Bitcoin can then be traded using special computer software. A useful analogy. Think of the blockchain network as an engine.
Paragraph E
Engines can be used to power all types of vehicles, cars, boats, aircraft. Bitcoin is a vehicle that uses that engine. Because it was the first major virtual currency to use blockchain, you could think of Bitcoin as an early model vehicle, like a Model T Ford. More sophisticated uses of this engine may occur in the future. What are the benefits of using a virtual currency like Bitcoin? In most cases, financial transactions involve exchange fees, taxes, and payment delays to guard against fraud. Virtual transactions, however, are speedy and cheap and are settled immediately. And unlike a credit card exchange, where credit card numbers and security information are handed over completely for any transaction, a Bitcoin transfer is authorized only to pay a specific amount. Virtual currencies also make it possible to make a digital payment without needing PayPal or a credit card.
Paragraph F
This is particularly useful in many parts of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Immigrants to develop countries may find it a convenient way to send funds back home to their families. Bitcoin supporter, Jonathan Mohan, says, The vast majority of people on the planet don't even own a bank account. Just as in Africa, people went directly to cell phones. In these developing nations, you're not going to see them start getting bank accounts. You're going to see them just going straight to bitcoins. What are the drawbacks of Bitcoin? The most obvious drawback is a lack of stability in the value of the currency. Bitcoin's independence makes it more stable in principle than traditional currencies.
Paragraph G
In reality, though, its value has fluctuated wildly over the time it has been in existence. In 2012, the price of a Bitcoin was about 12 US dollars. By December 2015, it had reached 400 US dollars. Two years later, it reached a peak of almost 20,000 US dollars. But then, lost almost 80% of that value within a year. Those are some wild swings. So it is worth thinking twice before putting all or a substantial amount of your assets into a virtual currency like Bitcoin. The rule of investing in virtual currency is the same as investing in stocks. Never invest more than you can afford to lose.

课文配套练习 (Reading Exercises)

严格对应教材 Page 105–111 官方练习：Before You Read、Reading Comprehension 及 Flowchart 流程拆解。

1.
Predicting (p.105) What is Bitcoin?
2.
Predicting (p.105) What is a major potential benefit of virtual cryptocurrency?
3.
Main Idea (p.110) What is the primary topic of Reading 6B?
4.
Detail (Para B, p.110) How is Bitcoin generated?
5.
Detail (Para C, p.110) What was the notorious 'Silk Road' marketplace associated with Bitcoin in its early days?
6.
Inference (Para D, p.110) Why is Bitcoin's total supply capped at 21 million?
7.
Detail (Para F, p.110) Why is virtual cryptocurrency particularly useful in developing countries?
8.
Evaluating Statements (p.110) Bitcoin does not exist in any physical form.
9.
Evaluating Statements (p.110) Satoshi Nakamoto has revealed his real identity on global television.
10.
Evaluating Statements (p.110) One Satoshi is equal to 100 whole Bitcoins.
11.
Evaluating Statements (p.110) Bitcoin transactions are recorded publicly on the blockchain.
12.
Flowchart (p.111) Flowchart Completion: A user initiates a transaction -> It is broadcast to ______.
13.
Flowchart (p.111) Flowchart Completion: The network of computers ______ the transaction using cryptography.
14.
Flowchart (p.111) Flowchart Completion: Once verified, the transaction is combined with others into a ______ on the blockchain.

Critical Thinking · Evaluating Crypto Volatility
Would you personally consider storing your savings or receiving your salary in Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency?
Why or why not? What are the biggest risks versus the potential benefits?