私醫聯招 英文歷屆試題｜第 249 題

Modern technology has changed our everyday life drastically. For example, with the advance of internet technology, written communications are conducted in electronic form and the delivery time is no more than a few seconds, even from one country to another.

Computer technology has also made it possible to run a house electronically. From turning lights on and off on a regular schedule to starting the coffee and cooking the hot cereal, computers are taking care of people at home. Many modern machines (e.g., kitchen appliances) contain computer chips that allow their owners to program them. For instance, you can “instruct” a microwave oven how to cook a certain dish. You can program your electric or gas range, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, etc., to “do the housework” on their own. Most entertainment equipment operates with computer technology too: some examples are radios, television sets, VCRs (i.e., videocassette recorders), which can be set up electronically to go on and off, go to certain channels or stations, record specific programs at certain times, and so on. Computers can even start cars automatically so that on cold winter mornings you can get into a warmed-up vehicle and drive off. And of course, the typical U.S. family has a microcomputer (a computer that fits on a table or desk) in their home, which they use for everything from keeping household records and writing letters to playing computer games.

Although much of the technology in our everyday lives has positive effects, there are some uses that raise controversial issues and questions. For example, are interactive media (i.e., a combination of television, telephone and computer) going to control minds, destroy privacy, and cause people to forget about family life and personal relationships? What effects will the genetic engineering of foods (e.g., changing the gene structure of fruits and vegetables) have on people's health? High-tech medical treatments (organ transplants, changing the gene structure, etc.) can increase the longevity of individuals, but can they improve the health and happiness of human beings in general? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, science and technology will continue to move forward.