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（12）Nowadays，distance-learningprogramshavegainedinpopularity(thoseteachingprogrammesthatinvolvetheuseofwrittenmaterials,video,televisionandtheInternet),butsomepeoplearguethatcoursescanneverbetakenasgoodasthosebyattendingacollegeoruniversityinperson.Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagree?Theadventoftheinternethasalreadychangedthewaysinwhichpeopleworkandleadtheirlives.Agrowingnumberofpeopleareconsideringdistanteducation,whichallowsthemtocompleteadegreeathome.Eventhoughdistanteducationisdifferentfromtraditionalcollegeeducation,distanteducationhasmanydistinctadvantages.Incontrastwithtraditionaleducation,distanteducationisflexible,therebymakingitpossibleforpeopletoovercomebarrierstoeducation.Onlinelearningissuitableforthosewhoarealreadyintheworkforce,parentswhohavechildcareresponsibilitiesandthosewhoarefinanciallystressed.StudentscanattendclasseswherevertheyhaveInternetaccess.Itisalsoworthemphasisingthatvirtualclassesareavailable24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek,sotheyareidealforthosewithabusylifestyle.Studentscanreviewalecturewhenitisconvenienttothem,reflectoncoursematerialsanddecidewhethertoproceedaftergrabbingkeyinformation.Thisisparticularlythecasewhentheuniversitythatisofinteresttostudentsislocatedinanothercity.Onemaindrawbackofdistancelearningisthatlecturershavenointeractionwithstudents,leadingtoafeelingofisolationinsomecases.Studentsarenotlikelytoreceivethesameinformationastheydointhetraditionalclassroomsetting.(sbdoesthesamethingassbdoes)Thisisthereasonwhythequalityofdistancelearningisquestionable,andawidelyheldnotionisthatitisnotintendedformainstreamstudents.Studentsarealsorequiredtoplantheirtimebythemselves,sotheyshouldbewell-motivatedandself-disciplined.Therefore,distancelearningisnotappropriateforthosestudentswhocannotstudywithoutteacher’ssupervision.Tosummarise,distantlearninghasmadeuniversityeducationmoreaccessible,becauseofitsflexibility.However,ithassomedrawbacks,suchasthelackofinteraction,soitisnotabletoachievethesamelearningoutcomesastraditionalcollegeeducation.（13）Peoplecanperformeverydaytasks,suchasshoppingandbankingaswellasbusinesstransactions,withoutmeetingwitheachotherface-to-face,Whataretheeffectsonanindividualandthesociety?Perhapsnothinghasbeenabletoexertagreaterimpactonourdailylivesthantelecommunicationstechnology(includingtheInternet).Byusingcomputers,faxmachines,telephonesandotherdevicesforcommunication,peoplecanhandledifferentmattersathome.Theoveralleffectofthechangeispositive,althoughthediminishingface-to-facecommunicationmanybringaboutsomeproblems.Firstofall,thewidespreadapplicationofthesetechnologiescanimproveefficiency,allowingpeopletoexchangeinformationanddocumentsregardlessoftimeandgeographicallimitations.Manyworkingpeoplebenefitfromthistechnologiesinnovation,ashomeofficesreplacecommutes.Thedirectorsofmultinationalenterprisescancoordinatedifferentsubsidiaries(whicharenormallylocatedindifferentcountries)withouthavingtovisitthesesubsidiariesindividually.Itisalsoworthrememberingthatpollutioncanbemitigatedifpeoplestayhomeandlessenrelianceonvariousformsoftransport.Somepeopledonothavetotraveltoandfromwork,sotheenvironmentalimpactofcommutingcanbereduced.Theurbantrafficcongestionwillberelievedandthegovernmentdoesnothavetospendenormousmoneytotheroadnetwork.Althoughthesetechnologiesareadvantageous,whatworriespeopleisthatthedecreaseincommunicationmayprovokeasenseofalienation.Itisnotsurprisingthatmanypeoplewhoworkindifferentcitiesorcountrieskeepincontactwiththeirfamilyviaemailandbymakingphonecalls.Withthepassageoftime,theiremotionalbondwillbeunderminedandthisisharmful/detrimentaltosocialcohesion.Tosummarize,technologyenablesustoimproveefficiencyandminimisetheenvironmentalimpactofouractivity.However,wemayhavetoaccepttheincreasinglyvulnerableandshort-livedsocialrelationships.（14）Somepeoplesupportthedevelopmentsinagriculturesuchasfactoryfarmingandthecreationofnewtypesoffruitsandvegetables,whileothersopposethisview.Discussbothviewsandgiveyouropinion.Theextensiveuseofmodernfarmingtechnologyiswidelyrecognizedasapositivedevelopment,butthepromotionoffarmingtechniquesisnotwithoutitscriticism.Ithinkthateverytechnologyhasitsdrawbacks,butthepriorityistomakeimprovementsandtakefulladvantageofit.Farmingtechnologiesattractcriticismforvariousreasons.Themainproblemassociatedwiththesetechnologiesisthatthenutritionalvalueoffoodcanbeundermined.Industrialagricultureandintensivefarmingreducecropvarieties,limitingthenutritionthatconsumerscangainfromfoodeveryday.TheproliferationofGEfoodisconsideredasanotherpotentialthreat.TherehasbeenconsiderablecontroversyabouttheeffectofGEfoods(suchasthoseanti-pestplants)onpeople’shealth.Iftheseproblemsaresolved,thecontributionoffarmingtechnologyneedstoberecognised.Foodshortageisaproblemthathasafflictedmankindformanycenturies.Theproblemisparticularlyseriousinsomeunderdevelopedcountries,wheremalnutritionaffectsdisadvantagedpeople’swellbeing.Advancedtechnologies,especiallythosetechnologiesthatfacilitatecropgrowthandboostproductivity,suchastheuseofmachinery,helpsolvethisproblem.Thosefamiliesthatmanagetos