73. Computers and human life

Some people say that computers have made life easier and more convenient. Other people say that

computers have made life more complex and stressful. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and

examples to support your answer.

『分析』

观点是：计算机带来了方便的同时也造成了很多的麻烦。尽管如此，计算机的发明仍然是伟大的进步。

计算机带来的方便，数不胜数(beyond count; countless; too numerous to count)

计算机带来的麻烦，比如：千年虫(Y2K)问题；电子游戏的负面作用；网络即时聊天系统(instant message

programs such as ICQ, MSN messenger, Yahoo paper etc.)

『范文』

For every individual who praises the advent of the computer age there seems to be a computer phobic person.

Truly, many people are having a difficult time warning up to this machine and its ubiquity. The computer appears

to have made life more complex because it can be difficult to understand and it has quickened our pace of life and

thus caused stress, but once people learn how to use it they will be able to appreciate the conveniences it has to

offer.

Many people, especially older generations, are not familiar with computers and therefore uncomfortable with

them. They find the machine's workings too complex and difficult to understand. Even the terminology seems like

a completely different language, because twenty years ago nobody knew what words like software, hardware, or

network connection meant. When people heard the word mouse they thought of a rodent. This has changed today,

and few teenagers would make the same mistake as their grandparents.

It is also true that computers have quickened the pace of life by allowing us to communicate and do business

more efficiently, and this can certainly result in stress. After all, time saved is usually spent on accomplishing

more tasks, and thus personal and professional schedules have become more crowded. The stress factor increases

yet again when the technology on which we rely breaks down. Few people understand their computers well enough

to fix them, and as entire companies depend on this technology to handle all of their business needs, a single broken

computer can wreck a lot of havoc.

Nevertheless, computers and the Internet have become an integral part of everyday life. Computers are here

to stay, because they facilitate many of our everyday processes and we have already grown dependent on them.

Today computer owners use their machines not only to communicate and do business but also for entertainment.

As people learn more about computers they will become more comfortable with them, and technological progress

will fix many of the small annoyances that cause stress to their owners.