Can you remember the first time you learned to ride a bike or drive a car? Learning these skills changed your life forever and opened up new horizons. Learning about computers can be like learning how to ride a bike or drive a car. Once you have invested the time to master the skills, you will never go back to the old days. The new technology is simply too convenient and too powerful.

  Technological developments through the years have enabled us to do more with less effort. We have continuously looked for better ways of doing things. Each invention and new development has allowed us to extend our capabilities. Today we see one of the most dramatic technologies ever developed—the computer. It extends the capabilities of our minds.

  Computers have saved organizations millions of dollars. Furthermore, these same computer systems have opened up new opportunities that would have gone undiscovered or neglected. The computer may multiply what we can do, and the return on investment is high. The growth of computer usage is surprising. On the other hand, the computer can do serious damage. Invasion of privacy, fraud, and computer-related mistakes are just a few shocking examples.

  The computer is like a double-edged sword. It has the ability to cut us free from some activities, but it can also cut deep into profits, personal privacy, and our society in general. How it is used is not a function of technology. It is strictly a function of how people decide to use or misuse this new technology. The choice is yours, and only through a knowledge of computer systems will you be able to avoid the dangers while enjoying the many, many benefits of the computer age.

Reading Comprehension:

1. The writer thinks learning about computers is like learning how to ride a bike or drive a car because _______.

　　A. it is simple and practical     B. it needs a lot of practice

　　C. it leads people to new life experiences   D. it takes much time to master the skills

　　2. According to the passage, computers bring people the following benefits except _______.

　　A. avoiding mistakes         B. saving money

　　C. making money              D. opening up opportunities

　　3. According to the writer, the bad effects of computers can be avoided if we _______.

　　A. have sound knowledge of computer systems 

　　 B. tell people not to misuse computers

　　C. have strict rules over the use of computers  

　　 D. make more investments in the technology

　　4. This passage is probably written for _______.

　　A. computers                B. computer producers

C. computer learners      D. computer programmers

Background Information:

计算机（computer）俗称电脑，是一种用于高速计算的电子计算机器，可以进行数值计算，又可以进行逻辑计算，还具有存储记忆功能。

Vocabulary:

privacy   隐私,

fraud     欺诈

Key:

　　1. C.细节题。根据第 1 段 Learning these skills changed your life forever and opened up new horizons. Learning about computers can be like learning how to rid a bike or drive a car 可知 C 为正确答案。

　　2. A.细节题。根据第 3 段 Invasion of privacy, fraud, and computer-related mistakes are just a few shocking examples 可知电脑是不能避免错误的，故 A 为正确答案。

　　3. A.细节题。根据最后一段 The choice is yours, and through a knowledge of computer systems will you be able to avoid the dangers... 可知 A 才是所需要的条件。

　　4. C.推断题。从作者所列出的电脑的种种好处和一些注意事项来看，本文是写给电脑初学者的，故答案为 C。