【英语多益通】学会2大单字 解锁苹果Face ID没问题

▲ iPhone 8双机登台 。(图/记者洪圣壹摄)

文/Buffy Kao

苹果新机Iphone 8、Iphone 8 plus和Iphone X再度掀起热潮,其中又以Iphone X新增的人脸辨识系统(Face ID)引起大众热烈讨论。这功能取代过去的指纹辨识系统(Touch ID)用脸部来解锁,却引来正反两极的反应。今天我们借由这个超夯议题学相关英文,让你走在时代尖端,用英文聊高科技,而且还能用在多益测验呢!

Facial Identity人脸辨识

Face ID is Apple's new facial identity scanner. It replaces Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint identity scanner, on the next generation iPhones X.(人脸辨识系统是苹果新的脸部辨识扫描功能。在新一代的iPhones X中,它取代了触控辨识功能,也就是苹果的指纹辨识扫描功能。)

Facial来自face这个单字词性从字尾「-ial」可判断为形容词。一般说的facial expression指的是脸部表情,express当动词作「表达」之意,expression是它的名词变化。另外,expressive为「-sive」形容词变化,意思表达能力佳的,这是英文字汇常见的字尾变化,值得一记。

接着谈到identity,这个单字来自动词identify(辨认)。identity本身有身份的意思,如false identity(错误的身份),另外有种犯罪行为叫做identity theft,就是窃取他人身份进行盗刷等的行为。

Theft是窃盗的意思,读者应该熟悉它的另一个名词变化thief(小偷),此单字为不规则名词变化,复数为thieves。虽然我们说不规则却还是有迹可循,若不规则名词变化字尾为「-f」或「-fe」,通常都是变成「-ves」,其他常见变化为knife-knives、wife-wives等。

Identity还有一个常见的名词变化为identification(辨认),有时作「认同」之意。我们常说的ID身分证,其实多指的是identification card。两个名词变化字尾都是常见的变化,「-ty」和「-tion」同样可以帮助你判断词性。形容词变化为identifiable,able本身就是一个常见形容词,表「能够…」,而它放在单字后面就变成一个常见的形容词字尾。

例句:You can easily identify Tom because he is very tall.(因为汤姆很高,你可以轻易地辨认出他。)

In the absence of specific evidence, any such identification must be regarded with suspicion.(在没有任何证据情况之下,任何的辨识都会被认定为可疑的。)

The actor wears glasses and a hat to conceal his identity.(那名演员戴着眼镜帽子来掩饰他的身份。)

Her voice is easily identifiable.(她的声音非常好辨认的。)

借由例句的使用方法,放清楚了解单字的字义与使用方法,这是作者个人认为最好的学习单字的方法之一,以免落於单字量很多却无法确实使用而失去了学习的意义。

是Recognize还是Identify?

虽然人脸辨识这项新技术十分吸睛,但是在发表会上,Face ID却「突槌」没有认出苹果软体工程高阶副总裁Craig Federighi的脸,在全世界面前解锁失败。英国卫报这么报导:Many assumed that the problem was that Face ID system failed to _recognize Federighi(许多人认为,这个问题来自于人脸辨识系统无法认出Federighi。)

特别注意recognize与identify这两个单字的用法。Recognize着重在「认出来」,名词变化为recognition(认可),形容词recognizable(能够认出来的)。直接看例句更清楚:

例句:I didn’t recognize you at first with your new haircut.(你换了新发型,一开始我还认不出你来。)

The procedure is gaining recognition as the latest advance in organ transplant surgery. (这个新手术正获认可为器官移植手术的最先进技术发展。)

She was easily recognizable, her dark hair streaming in the breeze of her partially open window.(她很好认,她的头发在半掩的门窗前因微风而飘动着。)

从这些例句中,读者是否发现原来identifiable和recognizable在某些情况下的用法是一样的,因此在了解单字本身的意思后,借由前后文来判断才是能够得到单字最真实的用法语意的学习方法喔!

多益模拟试题

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. 正确答案(C)。题目问「说话者的职位为何?」从其使用的句子after developing recommendations for inspection and enforcement, members of this taskforce will directly supervise execution of the plan(在发展出检验和执法的建议后,这个特别小组的成员将会直接监督计划的执行。)这种强势的语气,加上使用执行、检验与执法等辞汇,我们可以猜测这是类似政府部门的一个部门。而强烈的语气可看出说话者应该为领导职。We will have a free hand and full backing of the governing council(我们将获得绝大的自由,及政府议会的全面支持。)这句话更加深了前面对于此为政府方面部门的另一个有力支持,因此答案为(C)。选项(A)并没有完全点出说话者的身份为一个小组的领导,(B)和(D)都是断章取义,只是刚好有提到export或food processing,故不选。

2. 题目问「这个特别工作小组为何成立?」这题答案很明显在说话者所说We’ll start with a thorough review of product standards to identify which ones need to be tightened.(我们将会开始彻底地检验产品标准来辨认出哪些需要加强管理。)加上前面提到a few of the“less responsible”ones have failed to live up to good practices(部分较无责任感公司无法达到好的管理职责)和Recalls of their dangerous products have undermined our reputation in the international market(他们危险产品的召回已经损坏我们在国际市场的名誉),都显示这个小组成立是为了选项(D)改进标准和促进守法一责。文中并没有提到要逮捕或是关闭任何企业公司,所以(A)和(B)都不能选。(C) cover up掩盖事实,与文意完全不符故不选。

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