Almost everyone says that computers are wonderful, and, that they are changing our lives for the better by making everything faster and more ___1___, but I am not so sure that this is the case.
The other day, I was standing in a large department store, ___2___ for a couple of films for my camera when the assistant announced that the computer, which controlled the bill, ___3___. I did not think that this was a big problem, and, I set off to find ___4___ counter, but, of course, all the machines were ___5___ the same system.
So where we were; a shop full of customers with money ___6___, waiting to make our ___7___, but it was quite clear that ___8___ of the assistants knew ___9___ to do. They were not allowed ___10___ our money and give customers a written ___11___ because the sales would not then have been recorded on the computer system. ___12___ like many other people, I left my shopping on the counter, and walked out.
Do not you think that is ___13___? It would never have happened before computers, and that, for me, is the problem; we are beginning to ___14___ these machines so completely that we simply cannot ___15___ without them any more.
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