Fill in each numbered blank with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in the space provided. (2.0 points)
Computing is now at the (1) ___________ stage as printing was when the first printing presses were used. (2) ___________ printing presses were invented, only rich people like kings and dukes could afford to buy books. Often these (3) ___________ were unable to read and hadn’t got enough time to learn. In any case, the books were so big that it was difficult for anyone to relax with a book (4) ___________ we do today. They wanted books (5) ___________ they were expensive and there was something magical about them. Only a few people were able to (6) ___________, and it took an extremely long time to write a book. Monks and other people who could write said ordinary people could not learn to read.
The position with computers is very similar today. A few years (7) ___________, computers were very large and expensive. Business managers and rich people ordered them but (8) ___________ didn’t know how to (9) ___________ them. In many (10) ___________, however, the situation has now completely changed. Lots of people not only own microcomputer but also know how to use them.
1 same
2 before
3 people
4 as
5 because
6 write
7 ago
8 they
9 use
10 countries