07年10月sat section8长篇阅读求问一句话什么意思

07年10月sat section8长篇阅读求问一句话什么意思
It can hardly be argued that such in-the-flesh gatherings are necessary for communication of
scientific knowledge these days,
with the asphyxiating crush of academic journals and the push-button
ease of telephone calls.
还有它的寓意