computer: blessing or curse?
looking back on the past 20th century, we human beings have every reason to take pride in all those great achievements.we have conquered many diseases, launched satellites, invented mobile phones... however, the advent of computer, together with the internet, is considered the most significant and has caused a thorough revolution in people's lives.
when the first computer came into being in 1946, it was proclaimed the beginning of a new era in human history. the marvelous invention coupled with internet plays a vital role in today's society.
nowadays, businessmen depend substantially on computers. in the database of the banks, the information of thousands of millions of accounts is stored accurately. the b2b system of the ford car company controlled completely by computers,makes it possible for the whole company to coordinate efficiently, thus it keeps the costs to the lowest level. stock transactions involving large sums of money can be completed safely through internet. we can hardly imagine a business operating without computers.
when it comes to our daily life, computers also demonstrate their advantages. 'distance learning' is becoming increasingly popular, by which teachers and students interact online while sitting before the pc at home. and there's even possibility that it will take the place of the old way of teaching someday in the future.
besides, we can have easy access to the flowing information when necessary by clicking the mouse only. in the past, bowerer, we have to search for hours in libraries. pc games provide extra fun for our relaxation. emails facilitate communication between friends separated by long distance.
while everyone says the 21st century is an information age,we should also take notice of its negative side. not all the changes brought to us are positive.
i can still clearly remember the problem before the millenium that caused global panic. it gave out the warning that people had relied too much on computers. once the system is ruined, it may give rise to collapse of the whole society. moreover, hackers attempt to destroy certain systems or make profits by stealing critical data; virus of different kinds are continually produced and spread on the net. all these threaten our society. as to individuals, spending much time on computer keeps one from communication with other people. students addicted to pc games are distracted from learning.
in sum, it's no easy thing to define exactly whether the advent of computer is a blessing or a curse. as far as i'm concerned, despite the negative effects it brings about, the computer has improved our life and benefited us on the whole. it's a great invention of the 20th century.

简 评
新生事物的出现和发展具有两面性。本文所涉及的题材具有一定的典型性。90年代中期，随着电脑的普及，越来越多的人开始关注这是好事还是坏事。对此显然不能轻易下结论。因此，作者客观地评述了电脑给人们带来的好处，同时也提出存在的问题。作者在前半部分列举了电脑的益处，在后半部分说明了电脑带来的问题。但从文章的着墨和用词可以看出作者的观点倾向。如文章不但分别从商务和生活两方面形象地描述了电脑带来的便捷，而且使用了如“proclaimed beginning of new era，play a vital role，thousands of millions of accounts，stored accurately'’这样的字眼。另外，文章中的过渡句选用了委婉的“while”和“not all changes brought to us are positive'来表示转折，这也预示了作者最终确认电脑利大于弊的观点。
(点评教师：赵蓉)