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What has thetelephone done to us, or for us, in the hundred years of its existence? A feweffects suggest themselves at once. It has saved lives by getting rapid word ofillness, injury, or fire from remote places. By joining with the elevator tomake possible the multi-story residence or office building, it has madepossible for better or worse -- the modem city. By bringing about a great leapin the speed and ease with which information moves from place to place, it hasgreatly accelerated the rate of scientific and technological changes and growthin industry. Beyond doubt it has seriously weakened if not killed the ancientart of letter writing. It has made living alone possible for persons withnormal social impulses (冲动) ; by so doing, it has played a role in one of thegreatest social changes of this century, the breakup of the multi-generationalhousehold. It has made the war chillingly more efficient than formerly.Perhaps, though not provably, it has prevented wars that might have arisen outof intemational misunderstanding caused by written communication. Or perhaps―again not provably―by magnifying (扩大) and extendingirrational personal conflicts based on voice contact, it has caused wars.Certainly it has extended the scope of human conflicts, since it impartially (不偏不倚) disseminates (传播)the useful knowledge of scientists andthe nonsense of the ignorant, the affection of the affectionate and the malice (恶意) of the malicious.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
A) Thetelephone has helped to save people from illness and fire.
B) Thetelephone has helped to prevent wars and conflicts.
C) Thetelephone has made the modern city neither better nor worse.
D) Thetelephone has had positive as well as negative effects on us.
2. According to the passage, it is the telephonethat _______ .
A) has madeletter writing an art
B) hasprevented wars by avoiding written communication
C) has madethe world different from what it was
D) hascaused wars by magnifying and extending human conflicts
3. The telephone hasintensified conflicts among people because ______ .
A) itincreases the danger of war
B) itprovides services to both the good and the malicious
C) it makesdistant communication easier
D) it breaksup the multi-generational household
4. The author describes thetelephone as impartial because it _______ .
A) saveslives of people in remote places
B) enablespeople to live alone if they want to
C) spreadsboth love and ill will
D) replacesmuch written communication
5. The writer's attitudetowards the use of the telephone is _______
A) affectionate B)disapproving
C) approving D)neutral
