墨尔本PTE素材库——Model: Network’s Tiny Tendencies Lead to War or Peace

中文批注

澳大利亚语言学院整理的PTE素材库，旨在用最贴近PTE Official Question Criteria的材料，给大家提供一系列不同话题的PTE素材！让大家可以在平时练习听力、阅读、口语、写作，不至于陷入“题荒”的境地！

这段Podcast非常简练的介绍了科学家们用电脑模型来模拟研究交际网络的轻微倾向如何会导致战争或者和平。复杂的社交网络其实可以用一个简单的三角关系来理解。

这段材料非常简练，生词也不多。是一段很好的Re-tell Lecture素材，大家听完之后可以尝试自己复述Podcast的内容，看看你能不能把Network’s Tiny Tendencies Lead to War or Peace 这件事情在40s内讲清楚，不过为了保证流利度，最好还是争取在30秒左右完成哦！最好把自己的答案录下来，可以和Transcript对照，看看自己哪里没听懂、听对~ 

【Key Vocabulary】

tangled adj. 紊乱的，纠缠的，复杂的

unbridgeable adj. 不可逾越的，不能架桥的

mathematical adj. 数学的，数学上的

convince v. 说服，使信服

whiz n. 奇才

computer model 电脑模型

theoretical adj. 理论的，理论上的

social network 社交网络

forge v. 伪造，锻造

Full Transcript

A computer model predicts all-out war or happy harmony based on one-on-one interactions within a network’s most basic connections. Karen Hopkin reports.

Oh what a tangled web we weave. Or so it may seem. Because many social networks eventually evolve into one of just two states. We either all get along. Or an unbridgeable divide develops. And a new mathematical model can predict which it will be, findings laid out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [Seth Marvel et al., Continuous-time model of structural balance]

Consider a relationship triangle. Arthur and Carl don’t like each other. But Bill is friendly with them both. Bill will probably try to convince Arthur and Carl to get along. But Arthur and Carl are telling Bill that the other guy’s no good. You don’t need to be a math whiz to see that, as time goes on, either everyone will be friends or Bill is going to have to pick a side.

Now picture a big network made of these triangles. Which is what scientists did in their computer model. And they found that this theoretical social network produced either global harmony or all-out war, depending on the initial triangles. The model even predicted almost exactly the identities of all the Allied and Axis forces during World War II. So one way to prevent global war may be to forge friendships between enough Arthurs and Carls.

—Karen Hopkin

(Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/model-networks-tiny-tendencies-lead-11-01-04/)