GMAT新黄金80题及范文(五)

　　81. No one can possibly achieve any real and lasting success or get rich in business by conforming to conventional practices or ways of thinking.

　　没有人能在遵循传统的实践和思维方式的情况下达到任何真正的持久的成功或在做生意中变富。

　　1. A conformist can achieve any real success especially lasting success. Real and lasting success needs innovation and hard work. Just to conform does not make any sense. Through imitating others, one can only become an artisan-painter rather than an artist; without any innovation, a scientific worker can never be acknowledged as a scientist.

　　2. Likewise, no one can get rich in business merely conform to the existing practices.

　　3. However, what I mentioned above does not mean that conventions have no value at all. We should not only know the conventions but also have a deep insight of it, thus getting the information of the domain that indicates what kind of innovation can be made and how make.

　　1， Eternal truths will be neither true nor eternal unless they have fresh meaning for every new social situation.

　　2， Growth and change are the law of all life. Yesterdays answers are inadequate for todays problems ----just as the solutions of today will not fill the needs of tomorrow.

　　以上是两个很有用的名言!都是Franklin Roosevelt：As President Franklin Roosevelt said,

　　1， 的确在很多情况下，merely!!遵循旧的方法，很难保持long-lasting success。在很多consumer-driven industries, 顾客们追求innovative and different products。比如，一个it is ridiculous for a abacus manufactory cannot compete with the calculator factory by producing better abaci. 必须创新，才能keep up with the development of the market.

　　2， 但是在有一些为了financial achievement的一些business principles. 比方说，a, 追求efficiency, 降低cost是永恒的需要――所以要追求新技术，创造不同的产品;b, 比如保持企业的reputation，吸引充足的consumer. ――制造质量好的产品。c, 企业作为社会的一分子，不能单纯地追求利益最大化，也应该carry some responsibility for the whole community。

　　Thesis sentence: Whether a conformist can achieve lasting success or get rich in business depends primarily on the type of business involved. Iconoclasts rise to the top in newer industries and in those where consumer demand is in constant flux. Conformists ultimately prevail, however, in traditional service industries ensconced in systems and regulations.

　　View1: In consumer-driven industries, innovation, product differentiation, and creativity are crucial to lasting success

　　Evidence: retail and media sectors. And in technology, companies that fail to break away from last years paradigm are soon left behind by the competition.

　　View2: However, in traditional service industries―such as finance, accounting, insurance, legal services, and health care―lasting success and riches come not to nonconformists but rather to those who can deliver services most effectively within the confines of established practices, policies, and regulations.

　　Evidence: CitiBank gain high reputation for its insistence in comprehensively considerate services

　　Whether a conformist can achieve lasting success or get rich in business depends primarily on the type of business involved. Iconoclasts rise to the top in newer industries and in those where consumer demand is in constant flux. Conformists ultimately prevail, however, in traditional service industries ensconced in systems and regulations.

　　In consumer-driven industries, innovation, product differentiation, and creativity are crucial to lasting success, in the retail and media sectors, for example, unconventional products and advertising are necessary to catch the attention of consumers and to keep up with the vagaries of consumer tastes. Those who take an iconoclastic approach tend to recognize emerging trends and to rise above their peers. For example, Ted Turners departure from the traditional format of the other television networks, and the responsiveness of Amazon.com to burgeoning Internet commerce, propelled these two giants to leadership positions in their industries. And in technology, where there are no conventional practices or ways of thinking to begin with, companies that fail to break away from last years paradigm are soon left behind by the competition.

　　However, in traditional service industries―such as finance, accounting, insurance, legal services, and health care―lasting success and riches come not to nonconformists but rather to those who can deliver services most effectively within the confines of established practices, policies, and regulations. Of course, a clever idea for structuring a deal, or a creative legal maneuver, may play a role in winning smaller battles along the way. But such tactics are those of conformists who are playing by the same ground rules as their peers; winners are just better at the game.

　　In conclusion, while non-conformists tend to be the wildly successful players in technology-driven and consumer-driven industries, traditionalists are the winners in system-driven industries pervaded by policy, regulation, and bureaucracy.

　　87. As technologies and the demand for certain services change, many workers will lose their jobs. The responsibility for those people to adjust to such change should belong to the individual worker, not to government or to business.

　　当某项特定服务的技术和需求改变时，很多工人将失业。适应这种改变的责任属于每个工人而不是政府或企业。

　　1， The government should be responsible for the adjustment of the workers. If all the citizens should be responsible for themselves, there is no use for the government to exist.

　　2， The government should also force the business to involve in the project. Because the government itself is incapable of doing so without concrete knowledge of each certain industry. In the long run, doing so will also benefit the business.

　　3， Admittedly, the workers should not rely on others to help them to adjust to varying situations. They themselves should adapt their skills and knowledge to the change of the industry and of the society.

　　job obsolescence assume some of the responsibility

　　1， 个人确实应该首先take the chief responsibility of their job obsolescence. 因为对自己的生活负责的人，首先是自己。现在的社会也提供了机会：很多学校提供短期的培训，人们可以参加保持自己keep up with the changes of the technologies and new direction of businesses。第二，只有个人采取主动，才能从根本上解决问题。否则merely rely on the help coming from government or business，人们会变得消极become passive and lose enterprise. 长期以来，对整个社会都有negative impact on the further development of one society.

　　2， 但是，这不是说企业不应该负责。after all, 是企业作出了创新和改变，并且造成了这些改变――并且造成了job obsolescence。应该为这些负责任。比如，为员工提供opportunity of training for the new technique，这样也可以节约重新培训totally new employee的cost。

　　3， Moreover, 政府也应该采取一些行动。政府作为一个社会的管理者supervisor，有责任保证全社会的well being. 应该帮助个人完成适应adjustment. 可以通过提供一些insurance for unemployment, advice for the occupational choice, necessary information of the new trend of business

　　Thesis sentence: While individuals have primary responsibility for learning new skills and finding work, both industry and government have some obligation to provide them the means of doing so

　　View1: l agree that individuals must assume primary responsibility for adjusting to job obsolescence, especially since our educational system has been preparing us for it

　　View2: However, industry should bear some of the responsibility as well. It is industry, after all, that determines the particular directions technological progress and subsequent social change will take. Moreover in the long run, doing so will also benefit the business.

　　View3: Government should also assume some of the responsibility, since it is partly government money that fuels technological progress in industry. Moreover, government should help because it can help―for example, by ensuring that grants and federally insured student loans are available to those who must retool in order to find new work. Government can also help by observing and recording trends in worker displacement and in job opportunities, and by providing this information to individuals so that they can make prudent decisions about their own further education and job searches.

　　As technology and changing social needs render more and more jobs obsolete, who is responsible for helping displaced workers adjust? While individuals have primary responsibility for learning new skills and finding work, both industry and government have some obligation to provide them the means of doing so.

　　l agree that individuals must assume primary responsibility for adjusting to job obsolescence, especially since our educational system has been preparing us for it. For decades, our schools have been counseling young people to expect and prepare for numerous major career changes during their lives. And concerned educators have recognized and responded to this eventuality with a broader base of practical and theoretical coursework that affords students the flexibility to move from one career to another.

　　However, industry should bear some of the responsibility as well. It is industry, after all, that determines the particular directions technological progress and subsequent social change will take. And since industry is mainly responsible for worker displacement, it has a duty to help displaced workers adjust―through such means as on-site training programs and stipends for further education.

　　Government should also assume some of the responsibility, since it is partly government money that fuels technological progress in industry. Moreover, government should help because it can help―for example, by ensuring that grants and federally insured student loans are available to those who must retool in order to find new work. Government can also help by observing and recording trends in worker displacement and in job opportunities, and by providing this information to individuals so that they can make prudent decisions about their own further education and job searches.

　　In conclusion, while individuals should be prepared for future job changes, both government and industry shoulder obligations to provide training programs, funding and information that will help displaced workers successfully retool and find new employment.

　　100. If a nation is to ensure its own economic success, it must maintain a highly competitive educational system in which students compete among themselves and against students from other countries.

　　如果一个国家要确保它的经济成功，它必须保持有高度竞争力的教育系统，在其中学生们相互竞争，还和国外的学生进行竞争。

　　1， advantage: make students better prepared for the future competition, etc.

　　2， disadvantages:very pressure and stressful

　　3， a refined educational system is preferred

　　View1: education play a very important part in determine a nations economic success.

　　Employees, government regulation strategies, corporate management level, technology―competitive power of products

　　View2: as the development of open market and global economy, education is also required to face international challenge.

　　Although sometimes competition might produce desired results such as efficiency and productivity, I still believe that our national economic success will be better promoted by an educational system that encourages cooperative learning among students, and with students from other countries.

　　being competitive fixes our focus externally, on marking and beating the progress of others with whom we compete. Such external motivation can direct our attention away from creative solutions to our problems, and away from important human values like cooperation and fair play . Indeed, a highly competitive environment can foster cheating and ruthless back-stabbing within an organization, and ill-will and mistrust among nations. In the extreme case, competition between nations becomes war.

　　I dont think it is a good idea to design an educational system that focuses mainly on competition. For although a little competition might produce desired results, in the long run too much competition will be destructive. Instead, I believe that our national economic success will be better promoted by an educational system that encourages cooperative learning among students, and with students from other countries.

　　Granted, competitiveness is an important aspect of human nature. And, properly directed, it can motivate us to reach higher and produce more, not to mention meet deadlines. But being competitive fixes our focus externally, on marking and beating the progress of others with whom we compete. Such external motivation can direct our attention away from creative solutions to our problems, and away from important human values like cooperation and fair play . Indeed, a highly competitive environment can foster cheating and ruthless back-stabbing within an organization, and ill-will and mistrust among nations. In the extreme case, competition between nations becomes war.

　　On the other hand, an environment of cooperation encourages us to discover our common goals and the best ways to achieve them. At the national and international levels, our main interests are in economic wellbeing and peace. In fact, economic success means little without the security of peace. Thus, global peace becomes a powerful incentive for developing educational models of cooperative learning, and implementing exchange programs and shared research projects among universities from different countries.

　　Moreover, research suggests that cooperative settings foster greater creativity and productivity than competitive ones. This has been shown to be the case both in institutions of higher learning and in business organizations. If true, it seems reasonable to argue that national economic success would be similarly tied to cooperative rather than competitive effort.

　　In conclusion, competition can provide an effective stimulus to achievement and reward. Even so, I believe it would be unwise to make competition the centerpiece of our educational system. We stand to reap greater benefits, including economic ones, by encouraging cooperative learning.

　　106. All archeological treasures should remain in the country in which they were originally discovered. These works should not be exported, even if museums in other parts of the world are better able to preserve and display them.

　　Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

　　所有考古文物应该保存在他们原本被发现的那个国家里。这些物品不应该被出口，哪怕世界其他地区的博物馆可以更好的保护和展示他们也不行。

　　1， 对该国的尊重也可以让人更好的理解这些文物因为有相应的文化背景

　　2， 如果没有能力保护的时候应该另想办法

　　3， 要有完善的体系支撑上述思想，最终目的是更好的保护文物让全人类受益

　　View1: generally speaking, original countries is best place to preserve and display their antique treasures.

　　Evidence: cultural recognition, historical integrity , show respect to the original counties. Examples: Its a great shame and pity for all Chinese to see our antique treasures, which originally belonged to the palace of Qing dynasty and be robbed during the First World War, displaying in the Great British museum.

　　View2: However, under some circumstance, it could be better to transport the antiques to other places for better preservation.

　　Evidence: war, the authority ignore the value of certain antiques or lack the ability to properly preserve it: skills,

　　But when condition permitting, the treasures should be returned to their mother country.

　　Whether archaeological treasures should remain in the countries where they are found is a complex and controversial issue. I sympathize with the view that antiquities should remain in the country of their discovery. But given real-word considerations, it is sometimes best to place archaeological treasures wherever they will be safe and well-preserved.

　　Recent antiquities laws throughout the world reflect my point of view that the ancient treasures of a place should remain there. It seems outrageous that Greeks or Egyptians must visit the British Museum to see the best remnants of their distant past; and this link is grounds for a vague but justified claim to ownership.

　　However, cultural ownership is only one consideration. Historically, ancient treasures have been most interesting to two groups: scholars and robbers. Admittedly, the two are sometimes indistinguishable, as when Schliemann stole out of Turkey with an immense trove of what he mistakenly thought was King Priams treasure. Schliemann eventually placed his collection in the relatively safe hands of national museums, where it took the vicissitudes of war to destroy part of it. But none of Schliemanns find would be available to the Turkish people or the world if plunderers had got there first.

　　Often, the plunderers do get there first. When Carter found the tomb of Tutankhamen, tomb-robbers, largely Egyptian, had carried off the treasures from bombs of other pharaohs . The fact that the world, including the Egyptians, have the exhaustively cataloged and well-preserved wonders of the Tutanhkamen find is owing to Carter and his associates. This, then, becomes the only argument for exporting ancient treasures to safer locations: it is a lesser evil than not having the treasures at all.

　　In sum, it is usually best to leave archaeological treasures within the country of their discovery. Even so, it is sometimes necessary to relocate them. This, however, leaves open two important and related issues: which specific situations justify relocation; and, whether there is ever an obligation to restore collections to the country where they were found.

　　107. The most effective way for managers to assign work is to divide complex tasks into their simpler component parts. This way, each worker completes a small portion of the task but contributes to the whole.

　　经理指派工作的最有效的方法是把负责的工作分成比较简单的组成部分。这样的话，每个工人完成工作的一小部分但对整体都有贡献。

　　1， 每个员工都目标明确因此更有效率

　　2， 缺乏全局观念也可能出现协调上的困难

　　3， 好的leader好的分配是前提和保证

　　case by case.

　　1， 有些庞大的工程big and complex project，需要人们把工作细分，a, 单独的人没有力量完成，会take much more time，团队之间合作更有利于完成整个任务。b, 每个人可以做自己最擅长的工作。each member can choose the part that she or he are good at. 这样就整体上eliminate the total amount of time to complete the whole task.

　　2， 但很多工作不适合仅仅literally divide拆分。在要求连贯的coherent reasoning. 各个部分之间close related. 所以，第一，需要整个小组的人进行有效的communication，第二，需要对团队整个collective goal的adequate comprehension，第三，保证这两条的必要条件prerequisite to meet the two needs is 团队合理的人数，不能过多，也不能过少。第四，要有一个team leader，负责指挥和协调工作provide effective guide and lead the team to adhere to the collective goal .

　　phrases: fragment work into small units; Distinct divisions of labor; stifle creativity; undermine self-motivation and pride in ones work; collaboration=cooperation;

　　Of course, unproductive employees can be replaced. But replacement is costly; and high employee turnover is bad for organizational morale.-----用在对员工缺乏效率时的补充，很有用!!

　　View1: work division and assignment is an efficient way to get things done. However, merely dividing work among workers can not assure the final accomplishment of the task.

　　Evidence: fragmenting work into small units leads to employee alienation, Those responsible for only a detailed component of a project can easily lose sight of larger organizational goals and their own importance in achieving them. then become less committed to their work, and less productive. In addition, the lack of overall conception may lead to adjusting difficulties. Moreover, Compartmentalizing tasks can stifle cooperation.

　　View2: However, team work is not to simply add one component to another, but to organically conform all components together.

　　The stated opinion is that the most effective way for managers to assign work is to divide complex tasks into their simpler component parts. This strategy is probably cost-effective in many situations. However, I think that it works against important organizational values over time.

　　Distinct divisions of labor are efficient for a number of reasons. First of all, workers with few highly specific skills are usually cheaper to hire than those with broader education and experience. Secondly, it is less expensive to train employees in narrow areas. Finally, strict compartmentalization of tasks makes it easier for managers to control employees, and, therefore, to control and increase productivity. But however profitable this strategy might be in the short run, it can ultimately work against the organization.

　　To begin with, fragmenting work into small units leads to employee alienation. Those responsible for only a detailed component of a project can easily lose sight of larger organizational goals and their own importance in achieving them. Research indicates that they then become less committed to their work, and less productive. Of course, unproductive employees can be replaced. But replacement is costly; and high employee turnover is bad for organizational morale.

　　In addition, compartmentalizing tasks can stifle creativity, as well as undermine self-motivation and pride in ones work. With little collaboration or even communication between discrete work units, larger creative insights are lost. And, cooperative efforts usually foster a series of common purpose and pride in accomplishment.

　　Of course, diversifying jobs and increasing worker participation in larger projects could lead to lower productivity. But the experience of large manufacturing corporations like General Motors shows just the opposite. When GM facilities implemented these and other strategies to improve work-place quality, they reported that productivity increased.

　　In conclusion, I believe that organizing work into discrete tasks will compromise important organizational values like creativity, self-motivation, commitment and pride in accomplishment. So, although there are times when small divisions of labor will be necessary, generally work should be diversified, and workers should have greater involvement in projects overall.

　　110. All personnel evaluations at a company should be multi-directional ― that is, people at every level of the organization should review not only those working under them but also those working over them.

　　Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

　　一个公司里所有的个人评价都应该是多方面的，即组织内各个层面的人员不但应该评价他们的下属也应该评价他们的上司。

　　1， 只有上对下容易产生和上层的官僚主义 bureaucratism

　　2， 过程会耗时和繁杂

　　3， 设计一种好的高效的评价体系

　　The speaker asserts that employees at all levels in an organization should review one another, including those working over them as well as under them. I agree in part. Often companies will conduct two different kinds of periodic review, one to justify decisions regarding promotion and pay, and another to increase overall efficiency by assessing employee performance. Multi-directional evaluation should never be part of the first kind of review; however, it can be valuable in the second kind and, therefore, should be used there.

　　On the one hand, lower-level employees have too much organizational power if their evaluations are used in decisions about the pay or promotions of their superiors. Employees can intimidate superiors with the threat of bad review. Also employees can use the review process to retaliate against those at higher levels. In either case, the authority of a manager or an executive can be seriously compromised, and productivity is lost in the process.

　　On the other hand, the most revealing criticisms of a superiors style often come from those subject to it. In a process of review that isnt connected to promotion or pay, employees at all levels can be more comfortable and forthright about sharing concerns. In turn, every employee is more likely to get accurate feedback, including constructive criticism, that will help each nurture strengths and improve areas of weakness. In this way , multi-directional evaluation can greatly enhance organizational efficiency.

　　Furthermore, multi-directional evaluation in this context helps prevent worker alienation and subsequent lowered productivity. Widening the performance review process will very likely foster a greater sense of personal involvement in ones work, especially among lower-level employees. Recent studies have shown that people who feel more invested in their jobs tend to work more cooperatively and productively.

　　In conclusion, there is an important role for multi-directional personnel evaluation in the workplace. While it should be clearly separate from issues of promotion and pay, as part of the performance review process it can encourage better employee relations and higher productivity.

　　111. The most effective business leaders are those who maintain the highest ethical standards.

　　最有效率的企业领导是保持最高道德标准的人。

　　1， 支持者会认为, 高道德会赢得reputation and trust; 第一, 高道德生产高质量的产品以及service,顾客稳定stable share of the market; 第二, 高道德会让员工满意度提高. 从而attract those applicants with high ability and keep the employees loyal to the company---最终导致高的productivity.

　　例子：Bayer, one of the largest pharmaceutic companies in the world, announced that the company would cease production of one of its major products, because of the hazardous ingredients it contained. By doing so, the company suffers great loss on profitability, but gains strong public support and understanding, which can contribute to the long-term success of the company.

　　2， 但在更多的情况下, 高道德也许不equal to maximal profit. 比如,a, 如果把道德放在第一位的话,企业的executive很可能无法执行裁员活动complete the normal administration, such as raising the price, reducing the superabundant staff b, 高道德的话，很可能采用最高标准的环保生产――这样很不是cost-effective. 总之，Following such undue concern about ethics, the company may find it impossible to survive in the radical competitive market, let alone to gain large profit.

　　View1: the definition of highest standards of ethics vary from person to person and time to time. Therefore, it is impractical to find and then stick to the highest standards of ethics. At some circumstance, violation of ethics may generate immediate efficiency and productivity. Examples: ??

　　View2: the regulations and laws of authorities are more feasible and suitable standards to follow.

　　View3: while waiting for government regulations may draw back the processes of eliminating the ill actions, we can count on the authorities to speed up the process of refining the laws and regulations.

　　The assertion at issue is that business people who uphold the highest ethical standards are the most effective leader. I strongly agree with this statement. For a while , unethical behavior might seem effective. But a few examples from the investment banking industry keenly illustrate how dishonesty and corruption in leadership can bring a business to its knees, shattering the trust of its employees and ruining its reputation with clients.

　　Consider the cases of Michael Milken, former head of junk bond trading at Drexel Burnham Lambert, and Paul Mozer, formerly in charge of Salomon Brothers government bonds trading. Each of these men engaged in double-dealing and other illegal acts, reaping tremendous profits for their companies, and winning the admiration of subordinates and superiors alike. However, their successes were relatively short-lived . Securities Exchange Commission investigations in each case revealed massive wrongdoing. As a result, Drexel went out of business. And Salomon Brothers barely recovered, after suffering the forced resignations of its top executives, a financially devastating loss of reputation, and the exodus of many valued employees.

　　Moreover, Salomons survival is probably owing entirely to its subsequent leadership under Warren Buffett. Buffett, who was on the Salomon Brother board of directors at the time of the scandal, was brought in to save the beleaguered company. His success in keeping it afloat at all can be directly tied to his sterling ethical reputation in the international business community at the time. Buffetts reputation restored at least some lost confidence among clients and investors, and probably prompted some employees to reconsider their decisions to leave the company.

　　While not every case of unethical leadership is quite so public or devastating as these, they do illustrate an important point. In any business, once corruption at the top becomes known, the predictable outcome will be damaged reputation, lower worker morale, and, along with them, lost productivity.

　　In conclusion, unethical conduct at the leadership level in a company might go unnoticed and serve ones interests in the short-term. However, in the long run it will work against ones effectiveness and may even prove ruinous.

　　112. The overall quality of life in most societies has never been better than at the present time because of recent advancements in such areas as business and technology.

　　因为最近商业和技术方面的发展，大多数社会的总体社会质量前所未有的好。

　　1， 物质生活更丰富，生活更便利，不受天灾威胁

　　2， 节奏太快，远离自然

　　3， 进步是双刃剑要好好利用double-edged sword

　　1. progress in technology and business确实给人们的生活带来了considerable improvement. a, in the material life，提供了unprecedented diversity of service and products。supermarket：hundreds and thousands of products for people to choose;――三月份就可以吃到新鲜的草莓fresh strawberry b, 方便。高效率in the convenience of our own homes ：得到信息在网上，订餐order a dinner via internet; c, 人们的健康状况更好了，很多曾经可以威胁人生命的病现在只要简单的医疗手段就可以解决。

　　2. 但是，也不是说全都是好处，同时也有消极的影响。比如a, 人们spend more time on television and internet, 忽略了overlook the necessary communication in the family。造成了alienation between the family members. b, 再比如，fast communication on-line 剥夺了人们深入思考的可能。deprive people of deep and comprehensive thinking.

　　3. 使人们更加忙碌，疲劳。a, 人们的效率提高了，却被要求做更多的事了，实际上，人们更加忙碌了。比如the invention of laptops provide the possibility for people to continue their work after they leave the company. even on holiday. b, 新技术发展很快，demand changes every day. 这样accelerate the job obsolescence。造成人们suffer more pressure and anxiety.

　　The stated opinion is that recent advancements in business and technology have made overall quality of life better than ever. I disagree somewhat with the speakers viewpoint. For although such advancements have improved our lives in many respects, they have also diminished our quality of life in other ways.

　　Clearly, progress in business and technology has produced many benefits. For example, we can research problems and their solutions in minutes on the Internet; productivity is at an all-time high. And we can get more done in less time, leaving more time for hobbies, entertainment or other leisure activities. We can even mix a little work into our leisure time, by taking our laptops and cell phones on vacation . This way, we can stay one step ahead on projects at work, anticipating deadlines and staying in touch with co-workers and important clients.

　　In addition, leisure time has itself been enhanced by business and technology. Never before have we had so many spectacular diversions available, or so many leisure- and entertainment-related businesses vying for our attention. Moreover, we can obtain everything form airline tickets to a language course and holiday wardrobe a summer wardrobe) via the Internet, in the convenience of our own homes.

　　Nevertheless, advances in business and technology have compromised our quality of life as well. For all the wonders of computers, they have spawned their own special illnesses and ailments, like severe eyestrain , back and neck problems, and carpal tunnel syndrome . And though we now have a world of information available in a keystroke , some of this information―like pornography, hate group diatribes and bomb-building instructions―are harming our society, especially our children. Even apparently harmless material, like direct mail advertising and telephone soliciting, is endlessly annoying. Finally, family life is sometimes a casualty of all this progress, with parents and children spending more time transfixed before their computer monitors and less time together.

　　In conclusion, advances in business and technology are a mixed blessing. For while we enjoy many benefits of this so-called progress, in many ways it has changed our lives for the worse.