The
Looking
at society today, one may find that the situation has certainly evolved. For many, the Internet has become an essential for daily living, no longer the fun novelty it was 10 years ago.
看看当今社会，我们会发现这种情况也早已大
为不同。对于很多人来说，网络已变成了日常生 活的必需品，而不再是10年前的新鲜事物。
Even
a decade ago if you were to think about whether or not the Internet had significant impact on society, the answer would likely have been probably not.
Unit 11 Cyber World
Text B The Impact of the Internet on Society
Internet has had a profound effect on society over the last two decades. Although it began as a government operation, over time （随着时间的转移，逐步）this innovative technology eventually evolved into a public novelty. 网络对社会的影响 在过去20年的时间里，网络对社会产生了巨大 的影响。尽管网络最开始的时候还只是由政府运 作，不过随着时间的推移，这项创新科技最终变 成了大众的新鲜事物。
商业人士和普通人都要依赖网络来完成日常的
活动。许多公司、政府机关以及其他组织都已经 实现网上办公，人们一般要求随时能够访问他们 的网站，或者，全天都能够访问他们的网站，如 果你愿意的话。
In
many ways the Internet has had a very positive effect on society.（主题句） It has improved communication, simplified handling tasks and errands, offered huge convenience, enabled faster processing, and provided more options, all of which have freed more time to do other things.
尽管网络已经被看作是一项革新，但 time this perception has changed for many individuals in society. The Internet has become, for the most part（总体 上）, an absolute necessity, either by requirement or by desire.
上网变成了自然而然的事情，就像是人们习惯
做的其他的日常工作一样。对于网络的存在，人 们都习以为常；对它的依赖也变成了一种常态。
Both
businesses and individuals alike depend upon the routine availability of the Internet. Due to the fact that many businesses, government agencies and other organizations have navigated to the online environment, generally people require consistent access, or 24/7 (24hours a day, 7 days a week) access, if you will.
即使是十年前要你想网络对社会是不是有巨大
的影响，你很可能会回答不是。
While
the Net may have been considered a neat innovation（绝妙的革新， neat意为很棒的，绝妙的）, it was not like anyone "needed" it.
然而，对社会上大多数人而言，这个观念在一
段时间以来已经发生了变化。在极大程度上来说 ，网络已经彻头彻尾地变成了必需品，不管是客 观上要求，还是主观上需求都是这样。
Going
online has become as natural as doing other daily tasks people have traditionally done.（承上启下句）People take it for granted that the Internet will be available, and dependency on being connected has become the norm.
网络在很多方面对社会起到了积极作用。它提
高了沟通的效率，简化了处理工作的任务，提供 了方便，加快了数据处理的速度，也提供了更多 的选择，所有这些都可以节省出更多的时间去做 别的事情。
Yet,
interestingly enough the Internet has, in some ways, had negative effects.（主题句） The quality of communication has declined; people are impatient because they have become accustomed to instant gratification, and using the Internet also takes up a lot of time.