Writing Sample 23

The great advances in science and technology have brought about dramatic changes in human being's life and work style, especially from computers and Internet.

First of all, they have made our lives more comfortable and healthier. In addition, they have eased the burden of work for most people and provided them with more leisure opportunities, while at the same time increasing productivity dramatically.

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that technology has some negative side-effects. It has been widely noted that with the growing use of computers and calculators, the level of literacy and mathematical ability of people is dropping, who have little incentive to check spelling, grammar and calculation for themselves. Also, the availability of Internet and modern telecommunication instruments encourage an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle, not to mention the popularity of pornographic websites which does mental health harm.

Another aspect of this issue is that technology may be good or bad depending on how we use it. For instance, dynamite may be used to make road construction easier, or it may be used to kill people. Again, nuclear reactors can supply huge amounts of cheap electricity, but if they are carelessly handled they cause devastating pollution.

We can conclude that the progress of science and technology has both positive and negative effects. What we must do is to make sure that the positive ones are encouraged and the negative ones are eliminated as far as possible. Among other things, this means, that adolescence is warned neither to let computers do all their work nor to surf on harmful websites of Internet. (261 words)