It Is Often Said That Ours Is The Information Age. Computers are playing a more and more important role in modern society. They are already widely used in industry and in universities to do extremely comp1icated work in all branches of learning. They can solve the most complex mathematical problems or put thousands of unrelated facts in order. Because they work accurately and keep at high speeds, they save research workers years of hard work. They play a key role in automation. Besides, they have found applications in business, transportation, education and other fields. Computers have brought important social consequences. Computers are also entering ordinary families. As computers are being made small, cheap, and at the same time easy to use, more people buy computers for their homes. We use computers to control the work of washing machines, TV sets, electrical cookers and other electrical appliances. We use computers to process and store all kinds of information. We also use computers to entertain ourselves by playing games on them. There is no limit to the application of computers in our lives. Despite all the advantages t computers can never take the place of human brains. Although computers work much faster and much more accurately than human beings, they cannot “think”. They need detailed instructions from human beings in order to be ab1e to operate. They can never lead independent lives, or “rule the world” or “rule the world “by making decisions of their own. No matter how capable they are, they are our servants, not our masters.
