信息时代(The information age)

“knowledgeispower.”thisismoreobviouslytruewiththeadvent(到来)oftheinformationage.withtherapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,man’sknowledgeisincreasingveryquickly.moreandmorebooksandscientificpapersarepublishedeveryyear.itissaidthatthetotalofman’sknowledgedoubleseverytenyears.besides,informationspreadsveryquicklythroughtelevisionandcomputernetworks,andpeopleindifferentcountriescansharetheirknowledgeandinformationinafantastic(惊人的)shortperiod.likepopulationexplosion,informationexplosioninourtimes.

atthebeginningoftheindustrialrevolution,acountryscomparative(相对的,比较的)advantagedependedlargelyonthenaturalresourcesendowed(天生具有)bynature.then,peopleexperiencedseveralphases(阶段)inindustryrevolution:theprimaryindustry(agriculture),thesecondaryindustry(manufacturing工业),andthetertiary(第三的)industry(服务).now,weareinthefourthindustrystage----theinformationindustry.

itisarguedthatinfuturepeopleshouldnolongerbeclassified(分类的)aswhitecollars(衣领)orbluecollars,butratherasknowledgeornon-knowledgeworkers.theknowledgeworkerscannotonlyreadandwrite,andperformrote(死记硬背)tasks,theymustmeetthebasicrequirements(需要)ofcomputerliteracy(读写能力)andconstantly(不断地)conceive(想象，构想)newwaytomatch(相适合)thechangingdemandsofincreasingproductivity(生产率,生产力).

itispeoplemasteringthemostadvancedknowledgewhowilltakethelead.systemsdevelopers(开发者),computerscientistsandprogrammers,managementanalystsandinventorsareinmostdemandintheindustrycountries.

thechallenge(挑战)facingeverycountryistoresuscitate(复苏)itsinvestment(投资)andtraining.theonlywaytogetgreaterknowledgeisthougheducationandtraining.knowledge,likecapital(首都)andmaterialresources,hasbecomeanessential(不可缺的)factorofproduction.therefore,theeducationalsystemofasocietyoughttoenableitsmemberstomakearapidtransition(过渡)toadapttotheknowledge-basedwar.otherwise,thatsocietywillinevitably(不可避免的)lag(落后)behind.