D. several security feature enhancements of Microsoft??s new Windows XPoperating system
4. By saying“Little by little，people will get used to it，”Righi most probably meansthat .
A. in the future，biometrics will be as convenient as signing a piece of paper
B. in the future，biometrics will be as easy to operate as signing a piece of paper
C. in the future，biometrics will be as safe as signing a piece of paper
D. in the future，biometrics will be as common as signing a piece of paper
( 3)
“ It is impossible that old prejudices and hostilities should longer exist，while suchan instrument has been created for the exchange of thought between all the nations ofthe earth，”acclaimed ( 欢呼) Victorian enthusiasts the arrival in 1858 of the firsttransatlantic telegraph cable. People say that sort of thing about new technologies,even today. Biotechnology is said to be the cure for world hunger. The sequencing ofthe human genome ( 基因组) will supposedly eradicate cancer and other diseases. Thewildest optimism，though，has greeted the Internet. It has been claimed that theInternet will prevent wars，reduce pollution，and combat various forms of inequality.
However ，although the Internet is still young enough to inspire idealism，it has alsobeen around long enough to test whether the prophets ( 预言家) can be right.
Grandest of all the claims are those made by some of the experts at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology about the Internet??s potential as a force forpeace . One authority，Nicholas Negroponte，has declared that，thanks to the Internet,the children of the future“ are not going to know what nationalism is”. His colleague,Michael Dertouzos，has written that digital communications will bring “ computeraidedpeace”which“may help prevent future ethnic hatred and national break-ups”.
The idea is that improved communications will reduce misunderstandings and avertconflict.
This is not new，alas. In the early years of the 20th century，aeroplanes wereexpected to end wars，by promoting international communication. After the FirstWorld War had dispelled such notions，it was the turn of radio. “ Nation shall speakpeace unto nation，” ran the fine motto ( 箴言) of Britain??s BBC World Service.
Sadly ，Radio of Rwanda disproved ( 证明?有误) the idea that radio was a born forcefor peace once and for all.
The mistake people make is to assume that wars are caused simply by the failureof different peoples to understand each other adequately. Indeed，even if that wererue，the Internet can also be used to advocate conflict. Although the Internetundeniably improves communication，it will not put an end to war . As newtechnology come and go，human nature seems to remain stubbornly unchanged;despite the claims of the prophets，humanity cannot simply invent away its failings.The Internet is not the first technology to have been hailed as a panacea ( 万能药) andit will certainly not be the last.
1. According to the passage，which of the following statements is true?
A. The author suggests that thanks to biotechnology，no one in the world willsuffer from hunger.
B. The author totally agrees that biotechnology will be the cure for world hunger.
C. The author doesn??t think that biotechnology will be of any help to solve worldhunger.
D. The author thinks that biotechnology alone will not be able to eliminate worldhunger.
2. According to the passage，the Internet will not put an end to war in that .
A. it improves communication
B. it reduces misunderstanding
C. it can be used to advocate conflict
D. it cannot change human nature
3. Apart from the Internet，the author mentions other technologies whichwere also supposed to have peace-making possibilities.
A. two B. three C. four D. five
4. According to the author ，which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Thanks to the Internet，the children of the future are not going to know whatnationalism is.
B. Wars are not caused simply by lack of understanding.
C. We should not expect too much of new technologies.
D. Some prophets seemed to be over-optimistic.
