Текст Technology in our lives

Technology plays a role in all aspects of our lives - the way we work, the way we live at home. The speed of technological change in the past 100 years has been incredible.

The early telephones were large, and they did not even have dials or buttons. You picked up a receiver and talked to an operator who made a call for you. Nowadays, cellular telephones fit in our pockets, and we can use them to make phone calls from anywhere to anywhere. In grocery stores, cashiers used to punch keys on cash registers to enter the price of each item. These days, scanners read bar codes on products packaging, and the prices are recorded by computerized cash register. In the past we made a trip to the bank to deposit or withdraw money. Now we can use ATMs (automated teller machines). And many people do their bank transactions at home on line.

Modern technology has dramatically improved our lives. Personal computers enable us to create documents, store information, and analyze data - at work or at home. The Internet allows us to send and receive e-mail messages, connects us to the World Wide Web, and allows us to go shopping online from our homes. Miniature cameras that patients can swallow permit doctors to diagnose medical conditions without surgery. «Smart homes» operated by computers turn lights on and off as people enter or leave the rooms and enable the homeowners to «call their houses» to turn on the heat or air conditioning.

Many people feel, however, that technology has its price. With automated supermarket checkout lines, ATMs and online banking, and Internet shopping, we can meet our daily needs without having contact with other people. Life with technology can be very lonely! Also, many people are concerned about privacy. Technology makes it possible for companies or the government to monitor our use of the Internet. Our credit card numbers, bank account information, medical information, and other personal data are all stored on computers. Protecting that information will be an important issue in the years ahead. Bliss.

(From «Side by Side», by Steven J. Molinsky, Bill)