Even when communing with nature we depend on technology for help — but then, so did Thoreau (梭罗) at Walden Pond (瓦尔登湖).
Walking in the same woods yesterday, I let myself wander at random, communing with nature.
I took in beautiful scenery near and far thanks to my progressive-lens eyeglasses. Occasionally I’d pull out my smartphone to take pictures on anything interesting. I recorded an inner monologue with a background of all sounds of the forest. At times, I consulted my smart watch to check on my heartbeat, mileage and calorie burn. Eventually I realized I was quite lost. Not a problem of course. Online maps came to my rescue.
But something bothered me. In what I’d intended as a nature experience, here I was using very high technology to help myself out. This insight triggered a reconsideration of everything that happened during my “nature walk,” which had been technologically enhanced every step of the way. I’d been functioning as a man-machine combination: a cyborg.
What would the true naturalist Thoreau think of that? My first thought was that he’d be shocked. But later I did some research. Thoreau enjoyed what his spyglass discovered, like this eagle from his journal:
Lying on the ground with my glass, I could watch him very easily … till I almost lost him in the clouds … I think I have got the worth of my glass now that it has revealed to me the white-headed eagle.
Famously, Thoreau always set out equipped with a walking stick, which he used not only for support but also to take measurements of water and snow levels. His hat was also a tool, which he called his “botany-box.” And he was prepared even with needles and thread, so when coming out of the woods, he was “the best dressed.” Clearly, Thoreau was a bit of a cyborg himself.
Thinking more deeply, I realized we’ve come a long way from our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who walked from necessity and relied on nature’s gift. Cyborgs are us.
12. What is the purpose of the text?
A.To recommend Thoreau’s book Walden Pond. |
B.To argue that humans have developed into cyborgs. |
C.To share the reflections on man’s reliance on nature. |
D.To question whether people are technology-dependent. |
13. Which picture best illustrates a cyborg in the author’s eye?
14. Why does the author quote Thoreau’s journal?
A.To introduce a literary work on nature. |
B.To explain how to prepare for a nature walk. |
C.To prove that even naturalists use technology. |
D.To describe the natural beauty Thoreau enjoyed. |
15. What is the author’s attitude towards being a cyborg?
A.Favorable. | B.Intolerant. | C.Doubtful. | D.Unclear. |