2017年12月四级 第2套 Section A 选词填空

Technological changes brought dramatic new options to Americans living in the 1990s. During this decade new forms of entertainment, commerce, research, and communication became commonplace in the U. S. The driving force behind much of this change was a(n) __26__ popularly known as the Internet.

The Internet was developed during the 1970s by the Department of Defense. In the case of an attack, military advisers suggested the __27__ of being able to operate one computer from another terminal. In the early days, the Internet was used mainly by scientists to communicate with other scientists. The Internet __28__ under government control until 1984.

One early problem faced by Internet users was speed. Phone lines could only transmit information at a __29__ rate. The development of fiber-optic(光纤) cables allowed for billions of bits of information to be received every minute. Companies like Intel developed faster microprocessors, so personal computers could process the __30__ signals at a more rapid rate.

In the early 1990s, the World Wide Web was developed, in large part, for __31__ purposes. Corporations created home pages where they could place text and graphics to sell products. Soon airline tickets, hotel __32__, and even cars and homes could be purchased online. Universities __33__ research data on the Internet, so students could find __34__ information without leaving their dormitories. Companies soon discovered that work could be done at home and __35__ online, so a whole new class of telecommuters began to earn a living from home offices unshaven and wearing pajamas (睡衣).