【英語多益通】學會2大單字 解鎖蘋果Face ID沒問題
文/Buffy Kao
蘋果新機Iphone 8、Iphone 8 plus和Iphone X再度掀起熱潮,其中又以Iphone X新增的人臉辨識系統(Face ID)引起大衆熱烈討論。這功能取代過去的指紋辨識系統(Touch ID)用臉部來解鎖,卻引來正反兩極的反應。今天我們藉由這個超夯議題學相關英文,讓你走在時代尖端,用英文聊高科技,而且還能用在多益測驗呢!
Facial Identity人臉辨識
Face ID is Apple's new facial identity scanner. It replaces Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint identity scanner, on the next generation iPhones X.(人臉辨識系統是蘋果新的臉部辨識掃描功能。在新一代的iPhones X中,它取代了觸控辨識功能,也就是蘋果的指紋辨識掃描功能。)
Facial來自face這個單字,詞性從字尾「-ial」可判斷爲形容詞。一般說的facial expression指的是臉部表情,express當動詞作「表達」之意,expression是它的名詞變化。另外,expressive爲「-sive」形容詞變化,意思爲表達能力佳的,這是英文字彙常見的字尾變化,值得一記。
接着談到identity,這個單字來自動詞identify(辨認)。identity本身有身份的意思,如false identity(錯誤的身份),另外有種犯罪行爲叫做identity theft,就是竊取他人身份進行盜刷等的行爲。
Theft是竊盜的意思,讀者應該熟悉它的另一個名詞變化thief(小偷),此單字爲不規則名詞變化,複數爲thieves。雖然我們說不規則卻還是有跡可循,若不規則名詞變化字尾爲「-f」或「-fe」,通常都是變成「-ves」,其他常見變化爲knife-knives、wife-wives等。
Identity還有一個常見的名詞變化爲identification(辨認),有時作「認同」之意。我們常說的ID身分證,其實多指的是identification card。兩個名詞變化字尾都是常見的變化,「-ty」和「-tion」同樣可以幫助你判斷詞性。形容詞變化爲identifiable,able本身就是一個常見形容詞,表「能夠…」,而它放在單字後面就變成一個常見的形容詞字尾。
例句:You can easily identify Tom because he is very tall.(因爲湯姆很高,你可以輕易地辨認出他。)
In the absence of specific evidence, any such identification must be regarded with suspicion.(在沒有任何證據的情況之下,任何的辨識都會被認定爲可疑的。)
The actor wears glasses and a hat to conceal his identity.(那名演員戴着眼鏡和帽子來掩飾他的身份。)
Her voice is easily identifiable.(她的聲音非常好辨認的。)
藉由例句的使用方法,放清楚瞭解單字的字義與使用方法,這是作者個人認爲最好的學習單字的方法之一,以免落於單字量很多卻無法確實使用而失去了學習的意義。
是Recognize還是Identify?
雖然人臉辨識這項新技術十分吸睛,但是在發表會上,Face ID卻「突槌」沒有認出蘋果軟體工程高階副總裁Craig Federighi的臉,在全世界面前解鎖失敗。英國衛報這麼報導:Many assumed that the problem was that Face ID system failed to _recognize Federighi(許多人認爲,這個問題來自於人臉辨識系統無法認出Federighi。)
特別注意recognize與identify這兩個單字的用法。Recognize着重在「認出來」,名詞變化爲recognition(認可),形容詞recognizable(能夠認出來的)。直接看例句更清楚:
例句:I didn’t recognize you at first with your new haircut.(你換了新發型,一開始我還認不出你來。)
The procedure is gaining recognition as the latest advance in organ transplant surgery. (這個新手術正獲認可爲器官移植手術的最先進技術發展。)
She was easily recognizable, her dark hair streaming in the breeze of her partially open window.(她很好認,她的頭髮在半掩的門窗前因微風而飄動着。)
從這些例句中,讀者是否發現原來identifiable和recognizable在某些情況下的用法是一樣的,因此在瞭解單字本身的意思後,藉由前後文來判斷纔是能夠得到單字最真實的用法語意的學習方法喔!
多益模擬試題
All right, let’s get started. We’ve been tasked with a job of monumental proportions. Let me begin by reminding you that we’ve got over 2,000 drug companies and 150,000 food processing companies, not to mention thousands of small exporters. And in recent months, a few of the, shall we say, “less responsible” ones have failed to live up to good practices. Recalls of their dangerous products have undermined our reputation in the international market. Somehow, this team has to bring this giant under control and to do that immediately. We’ll start with a thorough review of product standards to identify which ones need to be tightened. Then, after developing recommendations for inspection and enforcement, members of this taskforce will directly supervise execution of the plan. I can assure you, we will have a free hand and full backing of the governing council. Improvement of our image and continued economic growth are foremost in their minds. You’ll find my action outline in the folders you’ve been given.
1. What is the speaker’s position? (A) A member of the government. (B) Executive of an exporting firm. (C) Head of a government taskforce. (D) Owner of a food processing company.
2. Why has this working group been created? (A) To arrest shady businessmen. (B) To close offending businesses. (C) To cover up company errors. (D) To improve standards and compliance.
解析:1. 正確答案(C)。題目問「說話者的職位爲何?」從其使用的句子after developing recommendations for inspection and enforcement, members of this taskforce will directly supervise execution of the plan(在發展出檢驗和執法的建議後,這個特別小組的成員將會直接監督計劃的執行。)這種強勢的語氣,加上使用執行、檢驗與執法等辭彙,我們可以猜測這是類似政府部門的一個部門。而強烈的語氣可看出說話者應該爲領導職。We will have a free hand and full backing of the governing council(我們將獲得絕大的自由,及政府議會的全面支持。)這句話更加深了前面對於此爲政府方面部門的另一個有力支持,因此答案爲(C)。選項(A)並沒有完全點出說話者的身份爲一個小組的領導,(B)和(D)都是斷章取義,只是剛好有提到export或food processing,故不選。
2. 題目問「這個特別工作小組爲何成立?」這題答案很明顯在說話者所說We’ll start with a thorough review of product standards to identify which ones need to be tightened.(我們將會開始徹底地檢驗產品標準來辨認出哪些需要加強管理。)加上前面提到a few of the“less responsible”ones have failed to live up to good practices(部分較無責任感的公司無法達到好的管理職責)和Recalls of their dangerous products have undermined our reputation in the international market(他們危險產品的召回已經損壞我們在國際市場的名譽),都顯示這個小組成立是爲了選項(D)改進標準和促進守法一責。文中並沒有提到要逮捕或是關閉任何企業公司,所以(A)和(B)都不能選。(C) cover up掩蓋事實,與文意完全不符故不選。